All children at Chattering Children have a diagnosed hearing loss, and benefit from hearing aids or cochlear implants. At Chattering Children it is our privilege to serve a diverse population of children and families. We recognize that each child arrives not just with a specific diagnosis, but also with unique strengths, challenges, and personality traits. We work with each family to design a path for progress with the objective of helping the child to achieve his or her potential, recognizing that each child may progress at a different rate. We believe that maximizing a child’s abilities to listen and speak provide the greatest opportunities for social integration, academic success, and long-term quality of life.
• Infants with Identified Hearing Loss: Research shows that the earlier children with hearing loss are identified and begin intervention programming, the more closely they mirror their hearing peers in language development. At Chattering Children we are eager to take advantage of early diagnosis as we support families in their decision making process and coach them about how to optimize listening and language opportunities for their children in the early months and years of life.
• Toddlers and Preschoolers with Developing Language: Young children with hearing loss benefit from targeted support as they build competency in listening, receptive and expressive language. At Chattering Children we work with the families to integrate listening and language into daily routines, and to build higher-level language and thinking skills, often through play and sensory activities that young children enjoy.
• Elementary School Children with Needs in Language and Literacy: Research tells us that children with hearing loss are at significant risk for difficulties in literacy as well as language. At Chattering Children we work with school-aged students to build their receptive and expressive skills through spoken language. We also deliberately target skills in reading fluency and comprehension that are critical to success.
• Children with Additional Special Needs: Children with hearing loss who also have motor difficulties, learning disabilities, and vision issues can develop their auditory and spoken language skills. At Chattering Children we work closely with families and other therapists to target skills in a manner that is effective and appropriate for children with additional needs, with optimistic and reasonable expectations.
• Children from Non-English Speaking Families: Statistics indicate that one quarter of children with hearing loss in the United States are from Non-English speaking families. At Chattering Children we believe that children from these families should have the same opportunities to listen and speak as children from English-speaking families. We recognize that these children also have additional challenges in learning spoken language, and their families play a critical role in their success. We frequently work with interpreters to include families during our sessions, and provide many educational materials in Spanish. Our 'Latino Family Liason' supports the unique needs of our Spanish speaking families.
• Children from Families who are Deaf: There are an increasing number of culturally Deaf families who use American Sign Language and are choosing cochlear implants and oral language for their children who are Deaf. At Chattering Children we recognize the foundation of language and learning that has been established in these families, and we support their choice to provide spoken language as a communication mode for their children. We have staff members who are fluent in American Sign Language for direct communication with culturally Deaf families.
• Adult Auditory Rehabilitation Clients: Advances in technology have resulted in adults who were previously satisfied users of hearing aids choosing to make a transition to cochlear implants. Cochlear implants provide optimal access to sound for children and adults with severe to profound hearing losses, but they do function very differently than traditional amplification, with different types of signals processed at the brain level. Aural rehabilitation is a critical component in maximizing the use of the cochlear implant, and is a primary focus of our practice at Chattering Children. In response to limited services for adult aural rehabilitation in the community, Chattering Children now provides these services to adults.