12 Parenting Tips for Raising a Deaf Child

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My deaf son is only 6 months, but I can tell you that I have learned a ton about raising a deaf child in a very short time frame. I won’t sit here and say I know it all, because I certainly don’t, but I’m learning more and more each day. Since my husband and I had no history of deafness in our family, we were completely in the dark when it came to understanding anything about raising a deaf child. We were naive, and we were incredibly overwhelmed when it came to his diagnosis, testing and treatment options. I’d be lying if these things weren’t still a constant daily struggle.

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All of that said, here are a few parenting tips for raising a deaf child that we’ve learned so far.

  1. Find the special education services in your local school district. This includes speech pathologists, case workers, etc.
  2. Join a sign language class at a local community college or join an online community.
  3. Work with your child’s daycare provider to bring in added support and resources from local special education services.
  4. Get any siblings involved with your Deaf child’s appointments, programs, etc. This helps them feel included.
  5. Learn to communicate effectively with your deaf child through sign language. Start this as early as possible.
  6. Read a book about Deaf culture and history
  7. Discuss your deaf child’s future. Does it include cochlear implant surgery? Does it include special education or programs?
  8. If you decide to pursue treatment options including cochlear implant surgery, sit down with specialists and learn the pros and cons of each device and manufacturer.
  9. Conduct research into the schools where your deaf child will attend. Will they be accommodating?
  10. Consider having a Deaf mentor to help you learn sign language and give you some support for your deaf child.
  11. Talk to your family about your deaf child. Explain diagnosis, treatment, expectations, etc.
  12. Teach your deaf child’s siblings sign language so they can communicate together.

I’m very new to all of this, so if there are any tips I am forgetting, let me know. Keep in mind, we’re only 6 month into this. 😊

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