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Types of Communication Aid for Disabled Children

Communication disabilities, such as being deaf or mute, make it difficult, if not virtually impossible, for some children to communicate by speaking or listening. These children need skills or tools to help them communicate with others. There are several options, some that require other people to have the same communication skill and some that enable disabled children to communicate with just about anyone.

  1. Sign Language

    • Sign language uses hand and body motions to speak. These motions, or signs, stand for letters, words, numbers and phrases. It has been around since the 1600s. Children who cannot speak or who cannot hear may use sign language to communicate. However, there is a limit to how much sign language can help children communicate. This type of communication requires other people to understand or be able to use sign language.

    Hearing Aids

    • A hearing aid may help children who do not have total hearing loss. Hearing aids are devices with microphones inside them that pick up sounds and amplify them. The most widely used hearing aid for children is one that sits in the ear and has an arm that fits behind the ear like a pair of glasses. These communication tools help some children who would otherwise need to see sign language or read lips to communicate.

    Cochlear Implants

    • A cochlear implant is a device that a doctor inserts into the inner ear. It simulates auditory signals with an electrical pulse, helping some deaf people to hear. A cochlear implant may not restore hearing well enough to allow for communication without signing or lip reading, but it often does. Even if a cochlear implant only allows for partial hearing, it can perform a critical function in communication.

    Text, Text-to-Speech, and Writing

    • Children who cannot speak, but retain mobility of their hands and use of their eyes can use written or typed language to communicate. Modern tools, such as computers and cell phones that allow texting, allow mute children to type out what they want to say. Text-to-speech programs allow them to type what they want to say and have a computer say it for them. If modern technology is not available, a writing utensil and paper will aid in communication.

    Sign Language Interpreters

    • Even children who are fluent in sign language and do well with lip reading have some communication limits. They cannot stand up in front of classroom to read a paper and have the whole class understand. Sign language interpreters help break these limits by interpreting children's sign language for other people.

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