Which communication approach would be best for a 2-year-old with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss after meningitis, given prior speech development and positive response to amplification?

Which communication approach would be best for a 2-year-old with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss after meningitis, given prior speech development and positive response to amplification?

• A. Signed Exact English
• B. Total communication
• C. Oral/aural communication
• D. Rochester method

Answer: (C)

Using amplification to support listening and spoken language development is the approach best suited for a toddler with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss who has already shown some speech development and responds well to amplification. Since this child has demonstrated the ability to use residual hearing and produce speech when aided, continuing with an oral/aural approach helps maximize auditory access and reinforces listening skills, which in turn promotes age-appropriate speech and language growth. This strategy aligns with the goal of developing clear spoken communication that can be supported in mainstream environments and educational settings through consistent use of hearing aids or cochlear implants and targeted auditory-verbal therapy. Sign-based methods, like Signed Exact English or Rochester-type approaches, emphasize manual signing, which can be valuable in certain contexts or for families who rely on sign language. However, for a child who has shown progress with amplification and speech, focusing on listening and spoken language tends to yield the strongest trajectory of verbal communication. Total communication blends modalities but may not provide the same concentrated emphasis on auditory skills that benefit a child actively developing spoken language with amplification.

Using amplification to support listening and spoken language development is the approach best suited for a toddler with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss who has already shown some speech development and responds well to amplification. Since this child has demonstrated the ability to use residual hearing and produce speech when aided, continuing with an oral/aural approach helps maximize auditory access and reinforces listening skills, which in turn promotes age-appropriate speech and language growth. This strategy aligns with the goal of developing clear spoken communication that can be supported in mainstream environments and educational settings through consistent use of hearing aids or cochlear implants and targeted auditory-verbal therapy.

Sign-based methods, like Signed Exact English or Rochester-type approaches, emphasize manual signing, which can be valuable in certain contexts or for families who rely on sign language. However, for a child who has shown progress with amplification and speech, focusing on listening and spoken language tends to yield the strongest trajectory of verbal communication. Total communication blends modalities but may not provide the same concentrated emphasis on auditory skills that benefit a child actively developing spoken language with amplification.