The motto of the event was: "You can hear thanks to technology. To be heard - thanks to people."As Alinur's mother explained: "I am the mother of a child with a hearing impairment. I have three children, and two of them have no hearing issues. Alinur is in the second grade and is successfully mastering the curriculum. He uses binaural hearing aids."
According to the woman, many parents think that after hearing aids are fitted, the child will instantly start speaking. However, this is an illusion. For speech development, understanding is necessary: the child must learn to process information and adapt to the surrounding environment.
Alinur's mother added: "During rehabilitation, we used a variety of activities: from a teacher for the deaf to a speech therapist and defectologist, including physical development and sensory integration. This helped significantly: Alinur became more stable and started to better control his body. Children with hearing impairments often have problems with the vestibular system, which can cause awkwardness in movements and difficulties in play. Developing motor skills and the proprioceptive system helps the child better understand the world and develop speech," she noted.
Tattygul Rysbaeva. Event dedicated to the International Day of Cochlear Implantation.
Rysbaeva noted that children who start hearing later perceive the world primarily through sight. For example, at five years old, Alinur learned the multiplication table using cartoons and visual perception. He has a particular love for numbers, knowing them in both Russian and English, and can freely count to a million, performing various mathematical operations. At the same time, his speech developed more slowly than his mathematical abilities.
After starting to use hearing aids, Alinur actively worked on expanding his vocabulary. For this, they used visual cards, showing, for example, how to open a window. "I would say the phrase and simultaneously demonstrate the action, which helped him connect the word, action, and image," added his mother.
During walks from home to kindergarten, they would name everything they saw: car, house, tree, and other objects. Through repetition of new words, the child reinforced them auditorily, visually, and tactilely.
Alinur. Event dedicated to the International Day of Cochlear Implantation.
According to Rysbaeva, such work requires constant effort from the entire family.
"Only full family involvement in the rehabilitation process allows the child to succeed," she is convinced.Moreover, it is necessary to carefully monitor the hearing aids. "The batteries discharge quickly. I always check the devices after work to make sure they are functioning. We clean them every two days, as earwax can clog the tubes and interfere with sound perception. The devices also need to be dried properly and removed at night so they can 'rest' and not create unnecessary noise," noted Tattygul.
Tattygul Rysbaeva. Event dedicated to the International Day of Cochlear Implantation.
It is also important to explain to the child that hearing aids are his devices, and no one has the right to touch them. He needs to be taught to explain to other children that these are not headphones, but devices that help him hear.
"Once a classmate asked Alinur if they were headphones. He calmly replied that these are hearing aids that help him hear," Rysbaeva shared.Before sending Alinur to school, the woman discussed the situation with the deputy principal and the class teacher. She emphasized how important an inclusive environment is for her son so that he can become a full member of society. "He is safe, has no mental or psychological disorders, is attentive and teachable. Usually, children with hearing impairments are sent to specialized schools, but we decided that a regular school would be better for his development," she explained.
According to Rysbaeva, those around them perceive her son's characteristics normally. "We have not encountered open discrimination. Perhaps someone thinks something to themselves, but no one has expressed negative thoughts aloud. I always present my child as a full member of society and never allow anyone to treat him with pity or condescension. I am even more demanding of him than of other children, so he does not relax and continues to develop," she added.
Today, Alinur independently completes his homework, except for complex math problems that require a lot of reading. He also helps his younger brother by studying the schedule, bringing books, and monitoring the completion of homework. The boy feels his responsibility as an older brother.
"Let me remind you that before losing his hearing, Alinur reacted perfectly to sounds. For example, he could hear us opening a soda bottle and would come running, exclaiming: 'Cola, cola.' He really could hear, but then he lost his hearing. It is important to be tolerant and kind to children with developmental differences," concluded Tattygul Rysbaeva.
