Update on Prisha's learning front

Prisha proudly showing off her book of stories.

      Have not updated my blog on Prisha's learning last 2 months.We have been working hard and we have her cooperation to make sure she learns more each day.With such low amplification in India, she came so far and now we are trying our best to get her amplified to optimal and keep her informed and make her learn this whole new field where we have moved to.It is not easy but we work constantly to try and make up what we have lost.
     The winter vacation she decided to write her own stories and make a story book for herself as the school had that as the concept for the month.And so 17 days and we targeted 15 stories ,1 each day, and we worked on her.Each morning we asked her what she wanted to write about, could be something from her dream,a book she read, a TV show that she saw , an experience she had or anything she wanted to write.We would talk about it and we would write the title, the characters in the story and the plot of the story.Then started a long session where we questioned her,asked her what she thought, what the consequences could be of an event and how she would feel or react and by the afternoon or evening we would be done with it.It was a long day for her and me too.My kitchen table was our work area where while I cooked or worked, we did this story building.Then she would make an illustration which could include drawing, cutting and pasting,using waste material found around the house and I must say she came up with some good work.And in 17 days we finally had 14 stories and a bound book which we plan to publish for her sake!It was commendable work.
    Our hunt for the speech therapist was on to.Meanwhile the school had the parent conference and portfolio where her teacher said Prisha's graph has been very steep as far as learning goes and it was due to our input, 30 mins special help at school and her hardwork and want to learn.We did have hidden tears as we were dying to hear this.They were now ready to take our help as they saw we put in positive input in their work.she did say that there were some gaps which needed to filled like she could not do abstract thinking and she found difficulty in making connections and for her concrete thinking worked.So for that they had agreed to have 50 mins of IEP (individual education programme) each day which would be done by her speech therapist.She would require our support and for that some work would be sent home and she would require additional speech therapy outside of school and home to increase her area of learning as now there is a new field of learning as we moved here.To which we agreed upon and the goals of the school met ours, we both knew what her needs are.So we are happy and hope to have Prisha learn much more now.We would meet periodically to see how far our goal has been achieved.I can see her teacher giving her more input as compared to earlier and she is talking her language and using her accent, which is good for us, she is picking up more.She did have issues with making friends and we talked about it and realized some kids found it difficult to understand her and some did not have the patience and which Prisha is trying hard to get over.She still runs around with kids and trying to understand what they are talking.Kids talk fast and with various accents and sometimes under the breath which she finds difficult.Her music teacher said,he was happy with Prisha trying to involve herself and had a good sense of rhythm and so was given a xylophone to play in the musical showcase for parents.I told him she had difficulty understanding the words and so he sent me printouts to help her.Her Physical education teacher had issues with her not trying to get involved but the matter was solved as there was hardly any PE in India the way they do it here and so she could not get interested, now she is loving it.The German teacher said he was happy with Prisha's confidence on finding ways on the computer but had to work on waiting for her turn.She did get upset if she didn't get a turn.But then that too was a culture she comes from, in India if you didn't push yourself, nobody would notice you thanks to the number.But now she is getting better.We had a talk too with her and she is very understanding and ready to work on it.
        The school marks her as under "modified expectations" but we hope to soon get her to do better and better.The school is happy and we too are.
        On the speech therapist front after a lot of running around and meeting many, we finally zeroed upon Mrs.Essar, who is a German but her English is good too.She is training to be a teacher too.We did update her and she is now doing her job which we are happy with.We have to go downtown twice a week, mork for the little girl, but hardwork is what we need now.She has given a workbook to take home and she has bought books for her after looking at her needs.We would give her 60 classes and would see how to get her more non stop as the insurance requires us to a 3 month gap in between.But we plan to get around it when it comes as any gap for Prisha is not good.So now we are all set and we would see how things work out in 3 months time.For all who wished us luck for the speech therapist, a warm Thank you!For now we just "keep walking".
     

Social interaction for a deaf child

It is very important that a deaf child gets accepted by the community.For that it is important that the child interacts with the society around him.In the past there have been kids, now grown ups, who have come to our speech therapist and said they missed out a lot of social conversation around them as they had been very used to reacting to people only when they where spoken too.Other times they were not keen on taking part in the conversation as they could not understand what was being discussed.For this she recommends that it is very important that the child is made to listen to other people's conversation.It really helps. She always asks mothers' to make the child listen to the various conversations around him eg, between father and grand father, mother and aunts, mother and shop keeper etc, and later on ask the child what he understood of the conversation or report to a third person about it.It makes them start to get interested and soon involve themselves in various conversation.Is not exciting to listen to the gossip between friends?Why should a deaf child be left out.? I often ask this to Prisha and it is fun to hear about things happening in school.

Another is having conversation between deaf kids.To get them to start it, she took out photographs of various things and asked to see them carefully and them talk to each other about it. It was actually a totally new thing for the kids.They were used to picture description told to the teacher.Here talking to each other was quite awkward initially.Then they started to open up after a little coaxing and pushing by us mothers. Soon prisha and Ritick were opening up and telling each other what they saw in the photos.It was a good ice breaker between them and also it increased their observation and added new words.

ASL verses AVT

I have come across this discussion of ASL verses AVT lately.A pediatrician cousin working in US had a discussion with my teacher , Mrs Alaka Hudlikar, also wanted to see how AVT is preferred to ASL. Well after the discussion she too came to the conclusion that AVT is definitely the best way to integrate the deaf child to normal life in the early intervention programme.She says that 99 % of the deaf kids have parents who can hear.They have no clue of the sign language. If they diagnose early , and fit with hearing aids that suit them , next comes language development. To teach the child sign language , the parents first have to learn it as with little kids, they spend maximum time with the mothers.To learn any new language , be it sign or french ,German etc , it would take minimum 2 -3 years to perfect it and then you need people who would communicate with you in that language to practice it.In that time , 2-3 years of precious , formative years of the child's life when he develops language go wasted.The mother tongue of the family needs no time and as soon as the aids are put the mother can talk to the child under the guidance of a speech therapist to help the child to develop speech and language.Moreover in the last 40 years of her taking speech therapy classes, there is not a single mother who has come and told her that she would like her child to learn to sign.ALL mothers say just one thing, teach my child to talk, I want to hear his voice, I want him to call me " mummy".All the mothers are ready to do anything to hear their child talk. More over in my entire life ,had it not been for Prisha, I would not have met so many deaf people.How many people on the road and public places know sign language? Are we not limiting their world? They need to be with someone all time to help them decipher to other people what they want to communicate. Today if somebody asked me about it , I would never want her to sign.I love to hear her sing and speak.Had it not been for AVT , I would have been deprived of this pleasure.I would be afraid to leave her alone all by herself.Today she leads a very normal life like any other normal kid. There are normal kids who only have one language, deaf also can do with one language.If I go to south India, I manage with English, I don't learn the local language of all the places I visit. Once one language is learnt, the deaf too can pick up 2nd or 3rd language if they want. Prisha is picking up Hindi, thanks to this programme. There is difference between my normal son and her.There is a child in ma'am's class who has picked up 4 languages.The method is the same, teach the child to listen and speak. Once they learn to reproduce the sounds they hear, they can learn any language. So I really feel , in the early intervention programme, the child's best option is AVT. If diagnosed later than 10 years, then yes, sign language is a better option.

Its back

Prisha complained of earache last night again, and there in the morning I peeped into her ear and there was another white boil! Poor girl she is so brave and agreed to go to school with one aid.I am going to see my homeopath for something.
Yesterday she sang for her other friends in the therapy getting a lot of "wows" for her effort from the other mothers.She did inspire an older kid!
We had a lovely class with our speech therapist y'day.I will put it on the blog.We were told about a butterfly that was born in ma'am's garden and she told us the whole cycle of its birth much to the amazement of the kids.I told Prisha later that before she was born, she was in my tummy. The chick before its birth is in the egg etc.She promptly asked me " then where is Prisha's baby?" . I laughed and told her she would have one of her own when she grows.

You are talking too much

I have noticed that since we keep talking around Prisha , she picks up these one liners that she hears and uses very appropriately.Like when she is talking on the phone , she gives the phone to me and says..' mummy, baat karo." meaning mummy talk here. I love the use of this kind of language that she is picking up and using it without being taught.This confirms my belief that when I teach her a verb, I say it first and then do the action so that she associates that word with action only after hearing it. She did a funny thing the other day.She was arguing with her grandfather for a long time and when the conversation became too much and she had enough of it she piped in..." you are talking too much.".Everybody was in splits at this use of prompt language.She drags her voice and is unclear when she talks in front of her grand parents as she knows she will getaway.When I am around she is open to correction and will listen to everything I say. In front of her speech therapist her speech is perfect.The intonation, the voice quality and her grammar is all in place as she wants to please her.How smart kids are!

Telecon with a deaf youngster

Today My speech therapy teacher Mrs. Hudlikar called up and said that one of her old students ,who is now integrated into mainstream, had called her up.The girl in her early 20's has done a course in baking and has opened a little bakery in her home.She makes all kinds of bread and would like her to tell other people to come and try her products.She told me to speak to her on the phone as she now owns her own cellphone! She wanted me to pose as a potential customer and ask her about her products, prices and make other small conversation as a customer to see how her interaction was.Just because she is a deaf person people will not just take pity and buy stuff.For them it 1st the quality and then how good you are at explaining.An outsider would not know she is deaf . And if she does not take the order properly or is not clear, nobody will be patient but will go ahead some place else.She needed to be polite, clear and very specific. I was so happy to hear her as she was so clear on the phone, she gave me her list and prices, the distance from ma'am's home, and we had the entire conversation as normal as it could be.It was so good to know how she is able to lead such a normal life.I have given her my order and will go and pick it up tomorrow.I really want to see how well she is integrated.It is so nice to know ma'am still goes beyond her therapy classes and is ready to take on her to make her understand the tricks of the trade.She wants to still teach her the skills required in the business.In this material world very few are like that . I am looking forward to it.

Pray

Yesterday Mrs.Alaka Hudlikar talked about the word pray and everything attached to this word.I have spoken to Prisha about praying and our Gods, but I realised I needed to talk about other religions as well.So the class was about the class name " religion" and the religions are many...Hinduism , christianity, buddhism, Islam,jainism, etc.We went ahead with their places of worship, their Gods, the various activities and various rituals that we follow.Religion is very close to our heart and our language should include every aspect of it while we are following it to clear it to the child.Like I Austria we had gone to a Church and we recollected the experience of how we went to the church , we saw Christ and lit candles.As I talked of it at that time Prisha was able to recollect it.
Ma'am told us that we need to ask the child everyday what she did in the school.Normally the kid would say I don't know, can't remember, etc.Don't stop at that, but take it further and tell her-"were you sitting there doing nothing, looking at the board and teacher."Prod her and give her hints and soon in a few days she will come out with information that will entertain you and it will open a line of communication with you in future.I had done it earlier, now she comes home and over lunch we discuss who got a shouting, what her partner got for lunch, who was fighting, etc.We have a whole lot of stories and as a result I see her telling her speech therapist a lot more things.She has opened up and keps telling her about whatever she thinks is important like an ant bit her eye, mom fell in the mall.As a result it give a chance to speak out and get corrected by the therapist and a good language lesson

Some singing

Prisha has just picked the famous hindi song in school..."nani teri morni ko".I was wondering what she was singing but soon I realised she had her few words in place and rest she filled in with the vowels and sylabols.I was ecstasic as when I corrected her she now sings the 2 lines clearly and in tune.Yipeeee.
She saw me peeping through the window and asked me what I was doing I told her "peeping" she found it funny and loved to use it.Another word she picked up was "grumbling".I made sentences with this word to explain to her and soon she was heard telling everybody specially Rishabh , her big brother not to GRUMBLE.I love the way she uses people to her advantage.It is funny.When she needs to play with grand parents she will tell them she is missing them and ask brother to drop her at their place and then she will use him to fight back with them when she has had enough.How the kids learn with their own experiences and develop their personality is amazing.
Yesterday we went shopping for my hubby's clothes and I had a bad fall , flat on the face.Prisha was following me when she fell.I could not move and really saw the stars.She was shocked and people tried to help me but I had no control.I was scared for her and gathered my strength to get up and hold her as my hubby was far.She screamed for daddy and then came running to me and told me ..You are a strong big girl.Really the sight of her frightened face gave me the strength.All evening she held my hand as I limped so that I dont fall.I had tears!I really feel she is my strength.I am strong and back to my own real self [which I had lost after marriage and a son] thanks to her.She has made me believe in myself .It is thanks to my therapy lessons that I take from my speech therapist Mrs.Hudlikar that I am fearless and can speak my mind.There is clarity of mind ,speech and thought, thanks to these 2 important women in my life.

A brief to parents-2

A disturbed parent would try everything to cure deafness-e.g. allopathy, homeopathy,unani,ayurved,acupressure,acupuncture,holy water,expensive petition to Gods, and so on.Sadly none of these are of use.
It must be understood that congenital deafness is not a disease which can be cured by medicines or surgery.It is a condition which is for life.Therapy can only "address"its consequence - "mutism".

The 1st professional the parents seek is the pediatrician ,who will direct to an ENT specialist.It is his duty to alleviate their anxiety and suggest a plan of action.He can assure the parents that the baby will definitely talk provided the parents are able to cooperate & work with the a team of professionals on a long programme.He should stress that even if baby is deaf ,it does not mean he will be dumb.He should assess the loss.Is

1.He should conduct tests to find out if the child is deaf.Tests like B.E.R.A. and O.A.E. are awailable.O.A.E. can be done on tiny infants.

2.Is the loss conductive or neural-sensory.IMPEDANCE test will tell you that.

3.Does the deafness exist from birth or for some reason happened after birth.If it is acquired, then then at what age.

4.Most important-the FREE FIELD AUDIOMETRY and PURETONE AUDIOMETRY [PTA] will tell us how much hearing he has in both ears.STONE DEAFNESS is misleading.95-98% of deaf children have some residual hearing and that can be tremendous advantage.

No matter what the child's age is, once the loss is ascertained, the child should be fitted with 2 appropriate hearing aids.{proper binaural fitting}Sometimes if the loss is more than 90 d.b. it is said that hearing aids will be of no use.THIS IS WRONG. With advanced technology and insights in language learning and improved teaching methods even profoundly deaf children are able to acquire speech and language.

The speech therapists role is most important after that.Right from building up the confidence of parents to establishing a rapport with the mother and child ,getting the child to wear the aids consistently,to developing awareness and meaning of sounds in general and paying particular attention to voices and sounds of speech, the therapist has to work through the mother.To make the child enjoy listening of conversation, the mother has to be guided step by step and actually shown how and when to put on the aids, what to say when and how ,she must say it.Her voice should convey FEELING.{in sanskrit the feeling means 'bhav'}.She has to be explained that her speech should be excellent.The therapist has to treat the mother's speech.She has to be told again and again the following-

1.To speak grammatically correct sentences.Single words do not contain a thought.

2.Verbs are very important without which the sentence is incomplete.The verbs must take the correct form ,conjugated accordingly and nouns must be properly declined according to grammatical case, number, gender.The various word endings are important for meaning.eg...'s,..es,etc.Normal speakers do follow the rules automatically.

A quick recap..

-Deafness is not a sickness, it is a condition.

-Progressive deafness is about 5% in deaf population.

-Mutism in deaf people does not have an organic cause, it is a result of soundless environment.

-Hearing aids help even profoundly deaf people.

-cochlear implant does not restore normal hearing.It is only a vastly superior hearing aid.

-Speech therapy is vital ,more important than the surgery itself.

Use of new words

I have noticed with my hearing impaired daughter, once the child learns a bit of language and understands the spoken language , we tend to start to rest and take life a bit easy.We use the limited words and sentences the child understands and are afraid to use new words.The child is capable of picking up at least 10 new words every day if we make that attempt.If not 10 at least 5 new words would make a huge differance in her.To make our life easy we tend to not use new words.It is a task to explain new words and use in context with a hearing impairedchild.Meaning ,articulation,breaking the word,using it in a age appropriate sentance is required to make her understand.She has to be corrected.All this makes a parent of the hearing impaired child's parent postpone or refrain from using new words.A speech therapist can give you guidelines but can not give daily feed of the language to the child.
In mrs. Alaka Hudlikar's class I noticed it.She pointed to a bowl of fruit and then to few slices of the fruit.When asked to older children about what they were, none could answer.The word "slices" was not known to them as the parents never used it in their day to day life.I for that matter to would pass it off as pieces of fruit as Prisha understands pieces well.We tend to use wrong or rather inappropriate words.I ,for eg, use "get up" for" wakeup"or "dropped water "for "spilling water".All these are small egs and we need to just get conscious.Once we are we would at least make that effort to use new words.