How Listening Ears – A Starkey School of Hearing – can help my child?

At Listening Ears, we help a hearing-impaired child develop the ability to Hear and Listen. Simultaneously, this ability, to Hear and Listen, is harnessed into Learning Language and Speech. Thus, a hearing-impaired child is brought up to speed with the peers for mainstream.

Our baby is born deaf. Can Listening Ears help the baby hear & speak?

We can surely help. We have a successful program dedicated to empowering parents in making informed decisions about the educational, communication, language and social needs of the child.

My Child is Very Young. Shouldn’t I Wait until My Child is Older?

There is no need to wait for the child to grow beyond two and a half years. In fact, the younger a child, the better it is. Babies begin to learn things right from the time they are in the womb of their mother. It is advised not to waste critical time. Critical Period for developing the ability for spoken language is 3 ½ yrs. At that stage, the brain has the maximum neural Plasticity. The child too must learn early to grow up with the hearing aids/cochlear implant (CI) and accept them easily. Most importantly, children learn to make use of their residual hearing and acquire speech and language faster if they start earlier. Starting at an older age, not only slows down the ability to learn and speak, it can severely jeopardise it too.

I have been recommended cochlear implant for my child as hearing aids are not much of a benefit. Do you have support system for Cochlear Implantees?

A cochlear implant is a device, which is meant for people with severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss who do not get adequate benefit from hearing aids. An implant directly stimulates the auditory nerve via an electrical current whereas a hearing aid provides amplified sound to the ear. An implant needs to be fixed through surgery. Detailed assessments are necessary before deciding whether a child is a suitable candidate for a cochlear implant. An implant does not cure the hearing loss. The child will undergo the same intervention program to develop speech & language.

What is our (parents) role? How can we help?

90% of children born with hearing impairment are born to normal hearing parents. At Listening Ears, we consider parents as partners. Parents are, after all, the child’s first teachers. The emotional bond between a parent and child is very strong and should be made use of to the child’s benefit. The parents of the children with hearing impairment are best placed to understand the child’s communication no matter how incoherent. This bond helps in the learning situation as well. Children spend most of their time at home with them. That is why; parents can help the child immensely through the difficult phase of hearing aid acceptance, speech and language learning and auditory training. Besides, home offers an important opportunity for the parent to carry over the activities as advised by the teacher.

Do these Children have Separate Textbooks, Curriculum?

It is a common misunderstanding among people that hearing impaired students use different textbooks. Yes, the curriculum we follow is slightly modified, as it is especially designed, but it is, broadly, like a normal school curriculum and has a holistic approach. Only the focus is more on listening and language, to help develop the child’s Spoken Language.

What are the eligibility criteria for admission at Listening Ears?

Eligibility criteria are mentioned in our Enrolment section. Please visit our enrolment section or contact us for further details.

How do I apply for my child’s admission to Listening Ears?

Interested parents/guardians should contact the Listening Ears Admissions office at:

FC 33, Plot 13, Basement, Jasola Institutional Area,
New Delhi – 110025
Phone: +91-9205194100/103
647/A HMT Layout, Ganga nagar CBI Road
Bangalore – 560032
Phone: +91-9205194100/103
B3/14, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi – 110063
Phone: 9205194100/103
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