How to Help Your Child Self-advocate

A healthy self image is boosted by feelings of confidence, independence, and the ability to bring about change.  A child with hearing loss’ self esteem may be affected by communication challenges, difficult listening situations, and problems with hearing devices when the child doesn’t know how to identify the problem and instead feels helpless.

The following skills and experiences contribute to a child with hearing loss’ sense of competency and self worth:

• Informs adult when listening is difficult or when there is a change in hearing ability
• Age appropriate independence with own hearing device
• Has opportunities to meet others (children and adults) with hearing loss
• Understands the impact different listening environments have on understanding spoken language
• Recognizes challenging listening situations and problem solves how to improve listening conditions
• Can explain own hearing loss and its impact on communication

You can help your child develop a sense of control over barriers that make listening difficult by pointing out, early on, your own experiences with listening.  With your baby you can label loud and quiet sounds.  Whisper when it’s really quiet.  Get close to your toddler when you are talking instead of shouting across the room.  With your preschooler you can say “I can’t hear you; let’s turn off the music”.

Talk about hearing loss, hearing devices, and listening difficulties openly.  That way, your child feels unashamed about the hearing loss is encouraged to describe his own feelings related to his hearing loss.  Refer to the Checklist of Self-Advocacy Skills for Your Child in My Turn To Learn for more ideas about building self confidence.