DEAF AND `MUTE’ CHILD

Child hears, brain interprets, and thinking stimulates the muscles of the face and throat to provide an answer.  This is a circle. If this breaks in any part of the circle, mutism (non-development of speech) develops.  These children were wrongly labeled as `Deaf and Dumb’. We request not to use this label.

When do you think a child starts speaking?  2 years of age?

No.  The child starts hearing from the time he is born and he starts learning speech since then.  Till the age of one month the baby cries for hunger or pain.  There is no difference in his cry. The cry of a child gradually changes within 6-8 weeks and the mother can differentiate the cries.  Till this stage, there is no difference between a normal child and a child who is born deaf.  Between the age of 2 – 6 months cooing and gurgling starts.  He wakes up or gets scared of loud sounds recognises the familiar sounds viz. spoon and glass for milk, rattle or the voice of the mother.  Between 5 and 9 months he can locate the direction of the sound.  Between 12 and 18 months he can pronounce one-letter words.  What we understand as speech becomes clearer at the age of 2 years.  Before the age of 2 years if the hearing gets severely affected then mutism develops.  But if the deafness appears after the speech has developed then the modulations of the speech are affected and monotonous speech develops.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES

These can be grouped in 3 categories: –

1.  Antenatal: – If a pregnant mother suffers from Rubella (German Measles), Influenza, Venereal Disease like syphilis, excessive consumption of Quinine (for Malaria), or streptomycin Injection (for T.B.), excessive consumption of tobacco or alcohol, she may give birth to a deaf child.  At times the deafness could be hereditary.  Consangious marriage i.e. marriage among cousins gives rise to a high percentage of deaf children. Such traditions are common among Muslims and Parsis.

2.  Parental:  –  (Factors affecting the new born during delivery).

Pre mature baby (weight less than 1.5 kg), injury to the head of the baby during delivery e.g.: Forceps.

3.  Postnatal:  – (After birth)

* Severe jaundice as a result of mother having Rh Negative and father having Rh Positive blood,

* Mumps, Typhoid, Influenza, Meningitis or Encephalitis (Swelling of the coverings of the brain) to the newborn.

HOW TO SUSPECT DEAFNESS

1.  Starry look

2.  Loud sound does not scare the baby

3.  Does not turn his head in the direction of the sound after 6 months of age.

Such children should be investigated for deafness.  The investigation comprises, a thorough ear check-up and testing the hearing level by machine called BERA

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT

This deafness is of sensori-neural type, which means that medicine, or surgery will not improve the hearing.  The only treatment is hearing aid.  Earlier it is given to a child sooner he gets acquainted with the environmental sounds.  He develops a rapport with his mother.  Even a child of 6 months can be given a hearing aid.  Once the hearing aid is given, the speech training can be given at the clinic or at home.  When a child becomes 3 years old, he can be admitted to a special school for the deaf.  He takes 3 to 5 years in such a school to pick up lip reading, communicable speech and knowledge equivalent to kinder garden standard. Earlier, these deaf children were trained to communicate only through the sign language (detail in chapter on ‘Koshish’).  Scientists of today are interested in giving `speech’ to these children.

Cochlear Implant is the latest invention to provide hearing to some cases of such a severe deafness by surgery. Surgery is done by a very few surgeons. The cost is appx. 6 to 8 lacs, which is the biggest deterring factor. Besides, cannot be done in all the cases of such deafness. After the cochlear implant, patient can perceive sounds. The interpretations of sound and development of language requires extensive speech training, which is available only in big cities. The training may take at least couple of years. Considering all these, specialist is suggesting hearing aids, which are discussed in detail in the chapter of HEARING AIDS.

RUBELLA (GERMAN MEASLES) needs special mention. 30 % of all Deaf & Mute children have the history of RUBELLA infection in their mothers during pregnancy. RUBELLA results into irreversible deafness in a newborn with the result that speech does not develop in him and child becomes DEAF & MUTE. It is a viral infection. Also known as German Measles (detail in chapter on ‘Immunisation’)

RESPONSIBILITY OF GUARDIANS

Many feel that deaf children are mentally below normal.  This is absolutely wrong.  They cannot speak because they cannot hear.  Parents must take the advantage of modern science, provide him a hearing aid as early as possible and admit him in a special school. Do not express annoyance or anger on his handicap.  Take him out to zoo, garden, circus, cinema, picnic, etc, as you would have done with a normal child. At least he will feel like a normal child. This will help in his physical and mental development. Never speak to him with a cigarette, paan or loose denture in the mouth. These loose the clarity of speech.

SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF (detail in chapter on ‘Koshish’)

The child is trained with the help of individual hearing aid and group hearing aid. Teacher speaks the words through the microphone. The cable from the amplifier reaches headphone of the deaf child. Usually 10 such children are there in a class. Each headphone is adjusted according to the hearing loss child is having. Output from the amplifier is more than the deafness level of the children so that every child can hear the words. The interpretations of these words are taught by visuals- writing on the board or showing the object. Besides this vibration method and lip readings are taught. Each syllable or a vowel gives different vibrations, which are felt by the back of the palm keeping on vocal cords area situated opposite Adam’s Apple. Speech Monitor brings about speech clarity. This is like a TV monitor. The syllable or vowel spoken by the teacher forms a graph on the TV screen. Child is asked to speak the same alphabet, which also forms a graph. Child on his own knows whether his graph is same as that of teacher, if not, he will try again and again, which will bring clarity to his speech.

Over a period, these children not only speaks almost like us but can be taught dancing on rhythm.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Speech is not always essential for earning. This is our advise to the parents of such children. Courses can be taught where essence is not on speech. Deaf children should be taught such courses to enable them to earn his livelihood. Following courses can be taught:

Ceramic Paintings

Fabric Painting

Aluminum foil etching

Painting

Stain Glass Painting,

Hairstyle

Mehdi

Beautician course

Knitting

Embroidery

Tailoring

Computer

Yoga

Martial Art

Screen Printing

Ikebana

Bonsai

Purse

Toys

Doll

Flower making

Various cooking courses

Typing

Photography

Carpentry

Electrician course,

Plumbing

Candle making

Chalk making

Envelope making

Etc, etc

I have built Centre for the Care of Deaf called KOSHISH at Malad East, Mumbai 400 097. KOSHISH was the name given by my friend late actor Sanjeev Kumar who had acted with Jaya Bhaduri in the very popular film KOSHISH showing the life of a Deaf Mute couple. KOSHISH is the Hindi word. It means EFFORT. Effort on part of deaf children, parents, teachers, experts and society.

110 deaf children are provided with free education, hearing aids and medical care. Besides they undergo training in various vocational courses, which are provided without any charge. They appear for Government exams for all these courses and successful students get Government certificate. Certificate helps him in starting an independent career or get a job. Idea is to make him as independent as possible. (Details in chapter on KOSHISH ).

The example of Helen Keller is worth knowing.  She was not only deaf and mute but also blind.  In spite of these she was educated and became a symbol of the `Progress in spite of the handicaps’.

We are of the opinion that the deaf child is not dumb, we are dumb. We do not know what the modern science can offer and the society does not bother to provide these facilities.

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LET’S SMILE

Son, ” Daddy, I am selected to play the role of a man with 20 years of marriage ”

Father, ” Congratulations. But next time insist that you get the dialogue also in a play ”

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I like women particularly when they are young, beautiful, curvaceous and remain silent

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Author dedicated his novel to his wife, ‘ I dedicate this book to my wife without her absence I could not have written even a word’