According to a WHO study, approximately 360 million people worldwide are affected by disabling hearing loss. In India alone, statistics reveal that 6.3% of the population (63 million) experiences hearing loss. Shockingly, each year, over 10 lakh babies are born in India with congenital hearing loss or some form of hearing impairment. Without timely intervention and support, these children grow up without access to vital communication skills and tools.
The consequences of untreated hearing loss are profound. These children endure debilitating isolation, living in silence and facing immense social and emotional challenges throughout their lives. The impact of hearing loss extends far beyond the inability to hear—it affects their overall well-being, educational opportunities, and social interactions. This underscores the urgent need for interventions and support systems to address the issue of hearing loss and provide affected individuals with a chance to thrive.
Why early diagnosis of Congenital Hearing Loss is important
Deafness is not synonymous with learning disability. Most often children are simply diagnosed too late. If a child is only diagnosed as deaf by the age of 3 years, she would not have been able to access the first key phase of learning language, communication and social skills. This results in her having learnt only about 25 words as compared to a hearing child who would have learned up to 700 words.
Services for deaf children in India have always been developed and deployed by professionals with almost no involvement of the families. A majority of deaf children grow up in hearing families with little or no experience of deafness. Most parents never learn to fully communicate with or understand their own children because they simply don’t know how.
The Role of Vaani in Detecting and Treating Congenital Deafness
‘VAANI – Deaf Children’s Foundation’ is a dedicated organization that focuses on childhood deafness and the significant communication gap it creates between the child and their primary caregiver. Recognizing the importance of the parent-child relationship, VAANI works in partnership with parents to address the needs of deaf children.
Parenting a deaf child comes with unique challenges, but it doesn’t change the fact that the parent-child relationship is one of the most vital and nourishing connections a human can have. VAANI firmly believes that parents, armed with information and choices, are the best judges to make decisions for their children. By empowering parents, VAANI enables them to not only communicate effectively with their deaf child but also actively participate in their social, emotional, and educational development.
VAANI actively engages with communities at the grassroots level to identify deaf children as early as possible in their lives. Their team of ‘Teachers of the Deaf’ undergo specialized technical training to bring language and comprehension into the lives of deaf children and their families. By creating an empathetic and enthusiastic environment, VAANI empowers families to further nurture the growth and development of their deaf child.
Through their integrated approach, VAANI strives to bridge the communication gap, ensure early intervention, and provide the necessary support to deaf children and their families, fostering a brighter future filled with opportunities for these children to thrive.
Individual Programs to cater to Specific Needs
Each deaf child has unique needs, so VAANI develops an Individual Education Program (IEP) based on their specific abilities. A dedicated Teacher of the Deaf is assigned to each child, meeting with them and their caregiver once a week. The child is encouraged to attend regular school, promoting inclusion and socialization. VAANI has impacted 27,000 people, including 6,400 children, but awareness of deafness remains low in India. To address this, VAANI launched a campaign advocating for early screening and intervention. With timely support, congenital hearing loss can be managed, enabling children to lead fulfilling lives.
Author
Natasha Chandy is a Consultant at VAANI, Deaf Children’s Foundation. Please visit www.vaani.in/silentpact for more information on the organization.
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