Caring for a child with a hearing impairment...

[playfelt]

Just as the family is learning so are you so it isn't that you are lacking in skill as much as it will be what you lear going forward. You have shown to the family that you are open to learning and incorporating what they learn and the "pros" are willing to work with you too. That is a win-win for everyone.

You will find that development is not in the same framework as the other children because in essence the child is missing out on one of the sensations that facilitate learning. As the child learns to compensate they will eventually pass through the same stages just not in the same order. Expect times when development stagnates in our eyes but watch for subtle things like child becomes faster at a task or changes one of the steps in the task. They are still progressing just not in a dramatic fashion and we sometimes miss it. Then they will go through a period where they seem to have a new skill every few days but then they take those basics and work on perfecting them so again it becomes weeks/months of subtle changes as they work it all out.

Once the hearing level goes below a certain level the child will qualify for a different set of schooling criteria and that is when the therapists may start to suggest the child move to a specialized preschool type setting where he will get intensive work. But for now it is important too that child spend as much time with normal hearing children too and observe normal patterns of development while working on specialized skills like sign language.

[Dreamalittledream]

I have cared for my 3 year old DCG for 2 years now and was there through 'something's just not right' to referral, assessment and treatment (hearing aids/speech therapy/occupational therapy). Each medical support person came right into the daycare with me (as well as at home with the family) & I loved it! She is fortunate (unlike your daycare child) in that the hearing aids do work and her hearing has not decreased over time. She is doing amazingly well. When she first got the hearing aids I worked it into circle time (tying in her cool new hearing machine & not to touch the wires, aids...etc.). The parents, of course were very concerned if I was okay with keeping her. With so many changes in her life would I dream of changing that too...absolutely not (nor would I ever dream of raising my rate for this child, that would just be really insensitive IMO).