Based in Chennai, Balavidyalaya, a non-residential, private, non-profit early intervention centre for infants and kids with hearing loss also works with schools and organisations and helps in setting up centres.
Learning to hear right from the start
CHENNAI (India CSR): Early detection of hearing loss is essential for a child’s development and self-actualization, as well as for their communication needs. Hearing is the key to learning spoken language and engaging socially for children and its loss poses an obstacle to their integration. Along with interpersonal communication, it can have a significant impact on one’s health, independence, well-being, quality of life, and daily activities.
Hearing is important for the development of speech
So, what does any of this have to do with talking? Hearing is important for the development of speech and language because children learn to speak by imitating what they hear. As their listening skills advance over time, a child will hear a sound or word, mimic it, and then correct it. A child picks up language in much the same way. It’s important to remember that language, as opposed to speech, refers to the capacity to comprehend and make use of sounds in communication.
Because a child learns to talk by imitating sounds and using language, an undiagnosed hearing issue can affect that child’s capacity for communication. A child’s chances of learning to speak normally increase with earlier diagnosis and intervention. Time is of the essence in identifying and providing intervention that promises success.
Balavidyalaya School for Young Deaf Children Chennai
Educating hearing-impaired children to hear and talk was the focus of Balavidyalaya School for Young Deaf Children, a special school in Chennai that was started in Adayar, Chennai, in 1969. This is a FREE, non-residential, private Early Intervention Center and Preschool for deaf infants and young children from birth to five years old.
Every child has the freedom to speak
The school’s state-of-the-art diagnostic centre is outfitted with cutting-edge technology to diagnose hearing loss in infants as early as 24 hours old, fitting them with the proper hearing aids, monitoring the effectiveness of the aids, and assessing their ear health. The school upholds the idea that every child has the right to speak from birth. The school’s mission is to offer infants and young children who are deaf timely and comprehensive intervention towards preparing them to take on the future in a mainstream, competitive world.
Two Porgrammes
The school has two programmes:
i. Early intervention and
ii. Pre-school programme
Early intervention Programme
Much like its name, the Early Intervention Programme is the first step toward helping children to listen and talk. The objective is to assist the children in making the most of their residual hearing through consistent use of hearing aids or Cochlear Implants that are appropriate for their age and in developing language skills.
Skills in listening and comprehension
The children are helped to develop skills in listening and comprehension. Learning continues even after school hours since the school firmly believes that parents are a child’s first teachers. The parents and teachers work together on an equal basis to promote the child’s progress, one parent of the child attends the classes with the child. The parents are taught how to help their children’s language and speech skills develop at home, through routine activities and regular conversations.
As the children grow and progress they are moved into the Preschool programme.
Pre-School Programme
The pre-school programme serves children between the ages of two and a half to six. They receive assistance in further developing their aural, receptive, and expressive language abilities. They also receive assistance in building readiness skills in reading, writing, and number concepts.
DHVANI – Development of Hearing, Voice, and Natural Integration
This entire intensive language programme is called DHVANI (Development of Hearing, Voice, and Natural Integration), which has been conceptualised and created by Balavidyalaya. Through activity-based learning the children receive individualised instruction in this system of education, enabling them to develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally to the fullest extent possible at their own pace. There are no official textbooks used.
Diploma for Teaching Young Hearing Impaired
Continuous assessment using the DHVANI assessment cards, along with routine observation, paints a complete picture of each student’s development. The Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi, and the Government of Tamil Nadu recognise the Diploma for Teaching Young Hearing Impaired (DTYHI) that DHVANI trainers receive. When the child can compete successfully with their hearing peers, they are admitted to a mainstream school.
Institute for Teacher Training
Balavidyalaya also runs an Institute for Teacher Training that offers a Diploma course in Early Childhood Special Education Hearing Impaired recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) New Delhi and the Government of Tamilnadu. The Institute aims at training teachers in Early Intervention techniques. The teachers are trained to help infants and young children deaf or hard of hearing acquire age-appropriate verbal language skills and readiness skills required for integrating them into mainstream schools using DHVANI.
Balavidyalaya
Balavidyalaya, a non-residential, private, non-profit early intervention centre for infants and kids with hearing loss now also works with schools and organisations across India and helps in setting up centres. Their alumni include PhD candidates, IRS officers, software engineers, bank employees, lawyers, architects and athletes.
Featured Image Profile: A young mind shaping its future with colours and guidance from a teacher at Balavidyalaya school for deaf children, Chennai. Image: India CSR
(India CSR)
