PARENTING : Raising a child with hearing loss

Have you ever realised that every child has different parenting needs? This is true and quiet challenging for parents who raise children with hearing impairment because they require a lot of love, patience as well as learning sign language.

Many times you will want to communicate with this child but this will only be possible if you know sign language. Even when you know sign language, you will have to make sure you have that child’s visual attention as well as your visual attention in order to communicate.

In the beginning, it may be hard to realise your baby is deaf because all they do is cry. However, according to Peter Muswali a sign language instructor at Kyambogo University, a parent can know if their child is deaf when they do not respond to sound.

Telltale signs

“Hearing babies will respond to sound if you bang or hit something close to them. A deaf baby cannot respond to sound however hard you may try. If they are sleeping, their sleep will be undisturbed even when you make noise,” says Muswali.

At one time, Muswali says everyone is vulnerable to becoming deaf due to diseases and disorders, continuous exposure to noise or congenital defects present at birth. Therefore, it is important for one to learn sign language.

In many instances, fathers neglect their responsibilities as parents and others claim they do not have any deaf condition running in their line.

Sixteen-year-old Fred Mukasa, who is deaf, recalls the time his father abandoned him and his mother when he realised he was deaf. He says his father claimed they had no deaf people in their family. “Many fathers usually leave the parenting responsibility to mothers when it comes to raising a deaf child. Deaf children need equal love and care from both parents like the normal ones,” says Muswali.

He adds, “If you realise your child is deaf, you can start teaching them the basics of sign language at two years to help you start to communicate with them. Like if they are hungry or want to ease themselves.”

Your deaf child should be able to get equal education opportunities and behave the same way like your hearing children. Many parents of children with a hearing impairment prefer to keep them at their grandparents’ home in villages. As such, they are unable to go to school because the parents think it is wastage of resources.

According to Robert Nkwanga, the treasurer Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), out of the one million deaf people in the country, only one per cent are able to qualify for higher education because of stigma and a negative attitude from the community. There are also few secondary schools for children with special needs such as Wakiso Secondary School and Mbale Secondary School where students with hearing impairment can get universal secondary education.

“Although there are many deaf people in Uganda, only one per cent qualify for higher education because of the stigma and a limited number of schools for the deaf. Most of the children are taken for vocational studies yet they too, should have equal education opportunities,” says Nkwanga.

Many deaf children have however surpassed such challenges and studied up to university according to Muswali and their basic support is usually from parents.

What you should know

“A deaf child is similar to any other child but the only difference is that you have to learn to communicate with him/her a little differently from the others.”

Communicating with your deaf child at night may be a little hard because he will not be able to see you so you will have to touch them in order to get their attention.

Deaf children must be groomed in the same way as the hearing ones. This is because they are also part of family and community.

“If your deaf child does something uncouth, you should correct them. For instance if they make noise while they are eating, they may not know they are making sounds so it is important to tell them to stop doing so,” says John Ssentongo a sign language instructor.

Expert take

For safety, John Ssentongo advises parents to teach their deaf children to keep right on the road. He says, “Since they are unable to hear, when they keep right, they are able to see oncoming cars.”

When speaking to a deaf child, observe their facial expression. Although some may be able to control their temper and anger, most of them will never bear it when you call them mute, dumb or kasiru.