Dakshin has no problems in identifying the pictures of a table or fan, but finds it difficult to spell out the words even as his tutor patiently encourages him to speak the words out.
The year-and-a-half child suffering from hearing loss is slowly being taught to acquire the skill of speech.
Like Dakshin, more than 90 aurally-challenged students are being given special education at Bala Vidyalaya in Adyar so that they could develop the ability to speak.
The special school, which began in 1969 to help children overcome speech problems, helps in diagnosing, counselling and pre-school programmes to enhance their reading, writing and talking skills before integrating the students into regular schools. All the services are provided free of cost.
Saraswathi Narayanaswamy, director, Balavidyalaya Trust, pointed out that hearing loss had a direct link in their speech loss, but it could be effectively addressed with early intervention. Stressing the importance of early intervention, she said she was pained at the lack of awareness among parents who fail to identify the hearing impediments in their child by the age of three and requested to accommodate them.
She said: “Every child, even the ones suffering from hearing loss, have residual hearing capacity and this could be tapped along with neural activity only if the child is below three years to make them speak”.
Meera Suresh, Vice Principal of Bala Vidyalaya, said the school dedicated set of over 20 trained teachers to help the children communicate using ‘Dhvani methodology’. They also offering counselling and teaching kits to allow mothers to help their children speak.
Bala Vidyalaya helps them to enhance their reading, writing and talking skills before they join school
