Conquering Childhood Deafness

Hearing is one of the most empowering of our senses; it enables us to work, socialise and communicate. It's hard to imagine living in a silent world, yet just 60 years ago this was the inevitable outcome for the majority of people with ear disease or language problems. Nowadays, virtually everybody can be helped to some extent and many cured. But how did we get here? This book tells the fascinating story of science and medicine's winning battle with deafness, covering all the hearing diseases and the progress of their treatment from the beginning of Ellis Douek's career in the 1950s to the present day. Unlike other books on hearing, this covers language disorders as well as the surgery of deafness; it is a book about human communication, discussing music and poetry as well as delving into the medical science. In our ageing population, hearing disorders are increasingly a part of everyday life; that they are almost always treatable should not be taken for granted. This book should be the first reference for anyone who has experienced hearing loss and would like to know more about hearing and language development, and for professionals in hearing science, medicine and allied fields of interest. Contents:Sound and Hearing:SoundHearingDeafness:Conductive DeafnessDisease of the Middle EarPerceptive or Neurosensory DeafnessCommunication:LanguageMusic and the Sound of FeelingsPoetry and the Sound of WordsImpaired Communication:When Hearing is ImpairedWhen the Hearing is Normal Readership: Professionals dealing with communication disorders and hearing science including Surgeons, Paediatricians, Audiologists, Doctors, Therapists and Teachers. Key Features:There are no competing books as all others address only single specialitiesKeywords:Deafness;Hearing;Language Development;Communication DisabilityReviews: “Authored by one of the pioneers in the development of the cochlear implant for deafness, this book is timely because of a need in the field of communication disorders to understand the past and present, and plan for the future.” Abraham Shulman, MD, F A C S Professor Emeritus Clinical Otolaryngology State University New York/Downstate “Dourek's presentation is always original and easy to follow — in short, clearly written sections, he show the differences between one hearing loss and another, the various ways we communicate, and the development of written language, poetry, symbols and gesture … to follow Douek's flow of imagination and knowledge, I guarantee a good read.” Action on Hearing Loss

Written for parents, siblings and extended family members who want a better understanding of the impact hearing loss can have in their young loved one. Hearing loss in children can have more devastating effects than in adults because it can impair the ability to learn vocabulary, grammar, word order, idiomatic expressions and other aspects of verbal communication. This is a guide on how to address the most important educational issues and processes through the school years, including legal rights and legislation. It also addresses the profound emotional impact hearing loss can have on a child and how it can affect the entire family dynamic. Readers can even prevent some of the pitfalls common among families new to a child with hearing loss. This book also covers the latest technology available to these children, especially in the classroom, including assistive listening devices, hearing aids and cochlear implants and dispels myths associated with wearing amplified.

Deaf Children: Developmental Perspectives aims to identify new areas of research, evaluation, and application related to deafness. The book discusses the development of deaf children; the methodological issues in research with deaf children; and the structural properties of American sign language. The text also describes the acquisition of signed and spoken language; speculations concerning deafness and learning to read; future prospects in language and communication for the congenitally deaf. The role of vision in language acquisition by deaf children; research and clinical issues on impulse control in deaf children; and the effects of deafness on childhood development are also considered. The book further tackles the education implications of research and theory with the deaf; developmental perspectives on the experiential deficiencies of deaf children; and the development of the deaf individual and the deaf community. Scholars interested in more general issues within disciplines such as sociology, developmental psychology, linguistics, psycholinguistics, experimental psychology, communication, clinical psychology, psychiatry, and education will find the text invaluable.

This text is intended for professionals in medical, educational, health and social work fields who come into contact with deaf children and their families. Many of the issues raised also have implications for professionals working with parents of children with other forms of disability.

Development of listening skills in a hearing-impaired child is the basis for successful spoken language, communication, and conversation. Auditory Communication in Deaf Children