How to Empower Your Child with Hearing Loss to Speak Up

As parents, it’s our job to support our children so they can grow up and thrive! One of the many life skills that kids must learn is to self-advocate, as it is an important tool all kids need in order to achieve goals, increase self-sufficiency, and become successful young adults. For kids who are deaf or hard of hearing, it is especially important they learn to self-advocate. They need to be able to confidently communicate and explain their hearing loss, their devices, their needs, and more as they grow and engage in new and different situations throughout their life. As parents, we will of course be there to help them navigate the challenges of life while also teaching them to advocate for themself and ask for what they need. But what does self-advocacy mean and how can you grow this skill with your little one? It starts earlier than you might think! 

What is Self-Advocacy? 

Simply defined, self-advocacy is taking responsibility for communicating your needs. It includes speaking up for yourself, making decisions, solving problems, and asking for support. That sounds like a lot for a young child, but these are important skills they will need later in life! As a parent, you want to start developing their self-advocacy early! It’s something you’ll need to teach your child and practice with them. 

It can be hard for younger kids to have the awareness or vocabulary to ask for what they need. That’s why when your child is little, you’re their advocate! But when they grow up, they’ll need to advocate for themselves. Of course, all kids need to have the confidence to speak up when they need help or explain their challenges to others. But it’s especially important for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to be their own advocates. This can look like reminding the teacher to wear the remote microphone, sitting closer to the teacher in the classroom, asking the coach to repeat the instructions, or clarifying what someone says instead of pretending to have heard them. 

If your child is younger, you might be thinking “We’re not there yet, we still have so much to learn!” Here’s the secret — there are things you can do today to prepare your little one for their future. 

Easy Ways to Start Building Self-Advocacy for Toddlers and Preschoolers:

Looking for some ideas on how to start building self-advocacy skills for your toddler or preschooler? Here’s a list of age-appropriate ways to get started.

Teach Them About Their Devices And Its Parts 

As you put devices on and take them off every day, name and explain the different parts. You want your little one to know the name of their device and that it helps them hear! As they get older, they’ll need to be able to identify the different parts. And as you take care of the devices, describe what you’re doing so they become familiar. They may not be taking care of devices at this age, but you want them to know and understand that their devices are special and important, and need to be taken care of. 

Talk About Batteries and Communicate When Devices Aren’t Working 

Your child will need to let you know when their device isn’t working. Help them understand that the devices use batteries or get charged. Explain that when the batteries or charge runs out, the devices don’t work which means they can’t hear clearly. 

Practice Putting Devices On Together 

When your child’s devices fall off, do they make an attempt to put them back on? Clips can be a great accessory so when the device comes off, it stays on your child’s shirt and they can put it back on. This article has more tips for keeping hearing devices on little ears! 

Practice Asking For Help — and Not Just with Hearing Devices! 

It’s important your little one knows how to ask for help. You can give them the words they need.  For example “Uh oh, I see you’re having trouble putting your shoes on. You could say “I need some help with my shoes!”” 

Of course, it’s one thing to ask for help at home but it can feel harder in public or with someone new. Try letting your child order at restaurants and suggest the words to use, like “May I please have a hamburger with fries?” Empower your child to ask for what they need and let them know they can make requests: “Can I get my hamburger without any lettuce or tomato, please?”

Teach Them How To Ask For More Information When They Aren’t Sure

If someone says a new word or something they aren’t familiar with, practice how to ask what they meant. This can be especially helpful when new experiences — like sports or after-school activities — introduce new vocabulary. 

Remember — these skills don’t develop overnight. Be patient and practice them often. Learning to self-advocate takes time, especially for those little ones. Be a good role model in advocating for your child and they will follow your example when they get older! 

For more tips on self-advocacy, watch the video below!