Understanding the world: hearing impairment

The main challenges to understanding the world for early years children with hearing impairment are:

• Following instructions
• Social interaction, especially in noisy environments
• Self-confidence in speaking or signing and being understood
• Tiredness – the effort of having to listen carefully can lead to poor concentration and frustration

You can:

• Follow the general advice for understanding the world.
• Use pictures and signs of places, people and animals, giving objects of reference to reinforce the learning. 
• Use smells, tactile and visual cues to enhance the experience.