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11: Does my child understand
Not understanding is not a calamity!
In this eleventh episode: Does my deaf child understand?, Shefali Shah in conversation with families in her in-person therapy sessions in the UK and India, guides them to offer simple, clear explanations to their child for information they did not understand, without asking test questions, interrupting or simplifying content. These break the flow of interaction and dilute meaning. Instead, Shefali guides them to observe, listen, and believe.
Engage completely with your child so that whatever you’re doing together feels relevant, meaningful, and engaging. With optimal amplification and early intervention, trust that your child is listening and then lean into that trust.
Your child will let you know when something isn’t clear.
This builds connection and genuine understanding.
This is The Sound Steps Podcast.
🎧 Top Tips from Episode 11
Connect with your child. Does your child relate to what you are talking about, playing, reading or doing together?
Engage your child. If your child stays engaged, she is likely understanding.
Keep content meaningful. Relevance supports attention and recall.
Trust that your baby is listening. Assumes that your child is optimally amplified.
Explain clearly. Explain to your child what she doesn’t understand or has not understood.
Observe closely. Watch for cues —your child will let you know if she hasn’t understood.
Test questions and interruptions disrupt engagement. These break engagement and focus—and can obstruct understanding.
Do not simplify excessively. Enrich with new language in meaningful contexts—not watered-down versions.
Time Stamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:2090% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
00:01:30 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child
00:02:10 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development
00:02:33 Abundant choices open up through AVT
00:02:58 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.
00:03:10 A life free of limitations
00:03:15 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps
00:03:25 Links and contact details
00:03:31 Introducing and thanking our guests on this episode: Rebecca Rajkumar
00:04:38 Why would your child not understand?
00:05:11 Connect to your child
00:05:37 Ask: Does this interest your child?
00:06:27 Engaging your child
00:07:40 Talk through the day about what your child is about to do
00:08:07 Stay relevant
00:07:28 Children let us know when they don’t understand
00:08:26 Observation and recognition of engagement
00:09:48 Optimal amplification
00:10:03 The Speech String Bean
00:10:19 Detect and comprehend soft conversation
00:10:24 Detect and comprehend conversation at a distance
00:10:26 Listening in noise
00:11:16 Trust that your baby is listening
00:11:32 The OWL Strategy (Hanen Centre)
00:12:12 Do not test your child
00:12:26 Interruptions
00:13:28 Blurring auditory memory
00:14:40 Not understanding is not a calamity!
00:15:54 Suspend doubt
00:16:51 Explaining
00:17:27 Do not dilute your message!
00:20:18 Reflection
00:20:46 Our next episode: My deaf child isn’t talking.
Resources:
RESOURCES: Supporting Language Comprehension
Cole, E. B., & Flexer, C. (2019). Children with hearing loss: Developing listening and talking birth to six, 4thed. San Diego: Plural Publishing.
Madell, J., Flexer C., Schafer E., and Wolfe J., (2019), Pediatric Audiology: Diagnosis, Technology and Management, 3rd Edition, Thieme, NY.
Madell, J. R. (2015), The Speech String Bean, Hearing Health and Technology Matters.
Madell, J. R. (2012) Speech Perception -The Basics, Hearing Health and Technology Matters. https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearing-and-kids/2012/speech-perception-the-basics/
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By The Sound Steps PodcastNot understanding is not a calamity!
In this eleventh episode: Does my deaf child understand?, Shefali Shah in conversation with families in her in-person therapy sessions in the UK and India, guides them to offer simple, clear explanations to their child for information they did not understand, without asking test questions, interrupting or simplifying content. These break the flow of interaction and dilute meaning. Instead, Shefali guides them to observe, listen, and believe.
Engage completely with your child so that whatever you’re doing together feels relevant, meaningful, and engaging. With optimal amplification and early intervention, trust that your child is listening and then lean into that trust.
Your child will let you know when something isn’t clear.
This builds connection and genuine understanding.
This is The Sound Steps Podcast.
🎧 Top Tips from Episode 11
Connect with your child. Does your child relate to what you are talking about, playing, reading or doing together?
Engage your child. If your child stays engaged, she is likely understanding.
Keep content meaningful. Relevance supports attention and recall.
Trust that your baby is listening. Assumes that your child is optimally amplified.
Explain clearly. Explain to your child what she doesn’t understand or has not understood.
Observe closely. Watch for cues —your child will let you know if she hasn’t understood.
Test questions and interruptions disrupt engagement. These break engagement and focus—and can obstruct understanding.
Do not simplify excessively. Enrich with new language in meaningful contexts—not watered-down versions.
Time Stamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:2090% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
00:01:30 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child
00:02:10 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development
00:02:33 Abundant choices open up through AVT
00:02:58 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.
00:03:10 A life free of limitations
00:03:15 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps
00:03:25 Links and contact details
00:03:31 Introducing and thanking our guests on this episode: Rebecca Rajkumar
00:04:38 Why would your child not understand?
00:05:11 Connect to your child
00:05:37 Ask: Does this interest your child?
00:06:27 Engaging your child
00:07:40 Talk through the day about what your child is about to do
00:08:07 Stay relevant
00:07:28 Children let us know when they don’t understand
00:08:26 Observation and recognition of engagement
00:09:48 Optimal amplification
00:10:03 The Speech String Bean
00:10:19 Detect and comprehend soft conversation
00:10:24 Detect and comprehend conversation at a distance
00:10:26 Listening in noise
00:11:16 Trust that your baby is listening
00:11:32 The OWL Strategy (Hanen Centre)
00:12:12 Do not test your child
00:12:26 Interruptions
00:13:28 Blurring auditory memory
00:14:40 Not understanding is not a calamity!
00:15:54 Suspend doubt
00:16:51 Explaining
00:17:27 Do not dilute your message!
00:20:18 Reflection
00:20:46 Our next episode: My deaf child isn’t talking.
Resources:
RESOURCES: Supporting Language Comprehension
Cole, E. B., & Flexer, C. (2019). Children with hearing loss: Developing listening and talking birth to six, 4thed. San Diego: Plural Publishing.
Madell, J., Flexer C., Schafer E., and Wolfe J., (2019), Pediatric Audiology: Diagnosis, Technology and Management, 3rd Edition, Thieme, NY.
Madell, J. R. (2015), The Speech String Bean, Hearing Health and Technology Matters.
Madell, J. R. (2012) Speech Perception -The Basics, Hearing Health and Technology Matters. https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearing-and-kids/2012/speech-perception-the-basics/