Genetic conditions, maternal infections, birth complications and environmental factors are the leading causes of hearing loss among children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For children who are deaf, meeting developmental milestones -- particularly those related to language and socialization -- can be a challenge. Both communication obstacles and experiential differences contribute to their risk for social development delays.
Language and Communication
The effect of hearing loss on children's language development impacts their communication abilities and, ultimately, their social skills. Listening to and imitating the sounds they hear around them are the ways young kids learn to speak. They also use facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice to judge messages from others -- even if they are still too young to express these same forms of communication. Deaf children do not have the ability to hear the sounds that make up their family's language or pick up on the nuances of voice tone, and that effects their receptive and expressive language abilities.
Challenges
Delays in deaf children's social development -- including challenges with social norm adaptation -- have multiple contributing factors. Restrictive parenting and lack of interaction with peers are two of these, according to Mark Marschark, the director of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. He writes in 2007's "Raising and Educating a Deaf Child" that adults and peers also have difficulty expressing their messages to deaf kids. These challenges impact the kind of developmental experiences deaf children have, leading to social obstacles involving the expression of emotion, recognition of others' emotions and understanding of motivations for behaviors.
Family Factors
Deaf children who come from hearing families are at greater risk for facing social challenges in comparison to those from hearing-impaired households. Deaf children with hearing parents are less likely to experience a variety of social interactions. Kids from hearing-impaired families are more likely to be plugged into the deaf community and have better communication skills with their parents and others. This increases their confidence and sense of control, which are important for not only social development but also for academic and professional success, according to Marschark.
Improving Communication
Developing and improving communication between hearing parents and their deaf children is vital for preventing significant delays in social development. Early diagnosis is key and allows medical professionals to work with parents on developing a plan of action. Many strategies increase language and communication skills in deaf children. Speech decoders, hearing aids and cochlear implants are available options. Families may choose to use sign language; combining hearing assistance with lipreading and listening skills is also used. Regardless of the methods chosen, the UK's National Deaf Children's Society points out that engaging in normal daily activities and interactions are also essential, as these encourage healthy social development.
References
- National Deaf Children's Society; Communication with Your Deaf Child; February 2010
- "Raising and Educating a Deaf Child"; Marc Marschark; 2007
- "Resilience in Deaf Children: Adaptation Through Emerging Adulthood"; Debra H. Zand; 2011
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; What To Do if Your Baby's Screening Reveals a Possible Hearing Problem; May 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Hearing Loss Data and Statistics
