Deaf children are not being supported
It is more important than ever that children who are born deaf at birth are given the support they need in the early years.
Babies are now screened shortly after birth to ensure any children with hearing problems are identified and given the support they need to achieve and thrive in the early years. However, many parents state they are not getting the support they need to be able to communicate with their babies and children.
This is leaving many deaf children without the tools they need to develop in communication and language and socially. Without these tools, children are unable to reach their full potential and be school ready. The impact of not being school ready has been discussed in many articles, follow this link to find out more about the implications of not achieving a good level of development before a child reaches five.
Many children who identified in needing further support are left to struggle and up to two-thirds of these children miss out on reaching their early learning goals due to the lack of support given during the early years.
It is believed the lack of support stems from many different areas including a lack of professionals working in the deaf and audiology departments. More needs to be done to lessen the gaps in development for all children including those who are deaf. If this is not done children who are deaf will continue to not meet early learning goals.
A lack of awareness of how to help deaf children is also being blamed as practitioners and early years educators seem to have received very little training in how to support a child. Often it is simple changes that can make all the difference in support a deaf child and ensure they get the same experiences and learning opportunities. The SEND 2015 document is working towards a more inclusive environment where every child is supported however many argue this is not happening quick enough.
All children deserve the correct support and the opportunity to develop fully and reach their full potential. Early years settings need to work closely with parents and multi agencies to ensure no child is left behind.