III
HOW SHALL THE MOTHER GET INTO COMMUNICATION WITH HER DEAF CHILD?
Let it be assumed that when the child is fifteen months old it is fairly
well established that his hearing is somewhat below normal. Between
fifteen months and two years of age all that is said in this section
will apply equally to the child who is _feared_ to be _totally_ deaf and
to one who is known to possess some sound perception, though not a
normal degree of hearing. For, until he is old enough to respond to more
complete and accurate tests, we must not give up the idea that he may
have a sufficient remnant of hearing to be of great assistance to him in
the acquisition of speech and language, if it is only developed and
trained.
Between the ages of twelve months and twenty-four months the child with
perfect hearing makes rapid progress in learning to understand what is
said to him, and by the time he is two years old has usually begun to
speak many words and sentences in a more or less imperfect way. This has
been accomplished principally by the mother's constant talking to her
baby. If she has had the good sense to always speak in simple but
complete sentences, and to avoid the foolish "baby talk" unfortunately
affected by some people in addressing little children, the results of
her daily and hourly talk is the possession by the child of a
considerable vocabulary of words whose meaning he knows, and a less
number that he is able himself to speak in a rather imperfect way.
In what respects should the mother modify her treatment of the baby if
she suspects that his hearing is defective? She should not talk to him
any the less on this account, but, on the contrary, she should talk to
him more. She should, however, speak a little louder, a little nearer to
him, possibly a little more slowly and distinctly, exercising the
greatest caution, however, not to exaggerate speech into unnatural
facial contortions, or to accompany it by gestures. To fall into the
habit of mouthing and gesticulating, making faces and motions, will
defeat entirely the purpose of all efforts to develop an understanding
of speech by the child. Unfortunately, such exaggerated and absurd
speech is a natural and very prevalent fault. To avoid it is absolutely
necessary, but requires constant watchfulness, as there is a strong
temptation to try to make speech-reading easy for the child by opening
the mouth wide and making extraordinary movements of the tongue.
The object aimed at is to lead the child to interpret natural, everyday
speech, and such facial contortions and exaggerations cut him off from
practice in reading natural speech. This point cannot be too strongly
emphasized. Speak naturally and normally _always_ to the deaf child.
Above all, the mother should form the habit of watching his eyes and of
speaking as often as possible when his gaze is fixed upon her face. The
habit on his part of looking at the face of a speaker, and the habit on
his mother's part of observing his gaze and, when it wanders, of pausing
in her talk till he is looking at her again, are two very valuable aids
in the language development of the deaf child. In addition to always
raising her voice a little in speaking to her baby, the mother should
several times a day take him in her lap and sing to him, and talk to him
with her lips not far from his ear. Talk to him just as all mothers do
to their babies (but not with the mangled and distorted words called
"baby talk"), about the pussy, the dog, the bird, his foot, his toes,
his arms and hands and fingers; about his papa, brothers, sisters; about
the flowers, the grass, the trees, and a thousand other things. Say the
good old Mother Goose rhymes of "Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Baker's Man,"
"This little pig went to market," etc., etc. But in all your frolics and
stories and songs, take the greatest care that he shall hear or see, or
better still, _both_ see _and_ hear, what you are saying. Gradually he
can be taught to understand many simple commands and questions just as
hearing babies learn them, by constant repetition at times and under
circumstances when the meaning is obvious. Such as "come," "go," "go to
papa," "come to mamma," "jump," "stop," "kiss mother," "pet pussy,"
"pick up," "put down," "milk," "water," "bread" (the later in life that
he learns the meaning and taste of "candy" the better), "do you want
some bread?" "milk," "water," etc. "Bring my slippers," "bring my
shoes," "put on your hat," "take off your mittens," "wash your hands,"
etc., etc., throughout the whole day.
Very early the mother should learn to consider the direction from which
the light comes, and should be careful to take her position _facing_ the
main source of light which should come from _behind the child_. The eye
can be trained from the very beginning of attention to unconsciously
supplement an imperfect ear in comprehending spoken words. It is even
possible for the eye to perform the entire task of interpreting speech,
and, if the hearing is entirely lacking, the course outlined will result
in training the brain to interpret the movements of speech as seen by
the eye, as it would have been trained by the same procedure to
interpret the sounds of speech had the organ of transmission not been
injured. But the idea must be constantly in the mind of the mother that
her boy needs to _see_ the spoken word at the very moment _when the idea
that it represents is in his mind_, AS OFTEN as he would hear it if his
hearing were perfect.
This one suggestion, if faithfully lived up to from the age of one year
to that of two years, would be almost enough. But there are other things
that the mother can do as the mental development of the baby increases
with each month of life. She should encourage him to babble and gurgle
and murmur, as much as possible, to laugh and crow and make all the
various baby noises that will train and develop his voice. Encourage
noisy, romping, rollicking games as he gets older, that make him shout
and call, for they are the natural and best voice exercises.
IV
WHAT ABOUT THE BABY'S SPEECH?
The hearing baby babbles because he gets some pleasure from the sounds,
and also because he desires to imitate the sounds of speech he hears
around him. _He has his attention called constantly to sound._ The sense
of vibration is not as strong nor as instructive as that of sound, but
if _the attention_ of the child is early _called_ to it, a watchfulness
for vibration _from within himself_ as well as from without, can be
aroused, and a sensitiveness developed that would not have come as
early, if at all, without special, directive effort on the part of the
mother. She can lead her little one to oo-oo, and ee-ee, and mamma, and
bub-bub, etc., by doing these babblings herself while the baby is in her
arms and his tiny hands are wandering over her lips and face and throat.
These exercises will gradually bring a recognition on the part of the
child of the sensation of vibration that accompanies voice, and they
will give facility, coupled with the normal and natural intonations that
have been acquired when he was not conscious of any effort, that will
prepare him for a better and more fluent speech when the time comes for
more exact articulation training.
But during the first two or three years of the child's life the
principal stress should be placed upon his learning to understand what
is said to him, without bothering much about his speaking himself. In
the case of the hearing child, the understanding of language comes
before he can himself utter it. This must also be the case with the deaf
child, and the period preceding utterance must be longer, by reason of
his handicap, than in the case of a child with normal hearing.
V
DEVELOPING THE MENTAL FACULTIES
By the time he is two years old he has gained maturity and grasp enough
to play many little educational games with his mother and his little
brothers and sisters, or playmates. These games should be calculated to
develop his various faculties, his powers of observation, memory, and
concentration. To develop a faculty is really _to train the brain_. As a
matter of fact, we see and hear and taste and smell and feel with our
brains. The eye of a two-year-old child is practically as perfect an
optical instrument as the eye of a boy of ten, and yet how much more the
older boy seems to see. This is because his brain has been trained to
_interpret_ the impressions that even the baby eyes received but did not
understand. Of course, where the instrument is found to be imperfect we
can assist it by means of additional lenses, or perhaps by some one of
the skillful operations now performed by oculists, and, as the sight is
of such increased importance to a deaf child, the greatest care and
watchfulness should be given to his eyes. Do not let him sleep, or lie,
facing the sun, or any other powerful light, but throughout his life be
careful that all his use of eyesight be under conditions of ample and
well-directed light. Supposing that the simple tests referred to
heretofore have shown that the eyes, as optical instruments, are
sufficiently perfect, our efforts need to be to train the brain to take
cognizance of, and to interpret the impressions transmitted to it by the
eyes. We shall not be able to improve the working of the eye by our
efforts, but we can educate the brain.
Color and form make the earliest appeal to the child's eyes, and we can
use them for our educational play. The duplicate set of worsted balls of
the seven primal colors can be increased to include easily
distinguishable shades. The child can be sent on entertaining voyages
of discovery around the room with a ball of a certain color to find
other objects similar in color in the rugs, books, chairs, dresses,
ties, etc.
A game to develop observation of form can be made by collecting a group
of objects of varying shapes in a pile on the floor or a low table;
mother picks up some one of the objects, directs the attention of the
little one to it, and after he has observed it somewhat she puts it back
in the pile and moves all the objects about till they are well mixed up.
Ask the little fellow then to pick out the object mother held in her
hand a moment before. When he can do this by sight without difficulty,
have him shut his eyes, place an object in his little hands, teach him
to feel it over carefully, take it from him, and, while his eyes are
still closed, place it once more in the pile. Let him then open his eyes
and see if he can indicate the object he had previously held. When he
has mastered this, give the game another turn by asking him to find by
means of touch alone, while the eyes are still closed, the object that
he has been feeling, after it is restored to the pile of other objects.
Still another turn can be given by first letting him see the object,
without touching it, then having him close his eyes, and by touch alone
select it from the pile. A set of wooden forms, such as spheres, cubes,
pyramids, cones, cylinders, and similar, but truncated, forms, can be
obtained at any school supply store. To these can be added common
household objects such as small frames, vases, napkin rings, spoons,
forks, and other similar things, as well as some of the forms included
in a complete set of the Montessori material.
The Montessori weighted forms are excellent for training his muscular
recognition of difference of weight, and an excellent way is to put
various quantities of birdshot into half a dozen exactly similar little
rubber balls that can be purchased at any toy store for two cents
apiece. Then hand the boy one of the weighted balls, and after he has
felt its weight put it back with the other similar-appearing balls and
see if he can again discover it. An outfit for training his tactile
sense can be made in any home by collecting duplicate pieces of cloth
having different textures; such as velvet, rough woolen tweeds or
homespun, silk, satin, cambric, muslin, etc., and pasting one set on
cards. Also by stretching on a wooden frame, strings of varying sizes,
weaves, and twists, and having a bunch of duplicates from which he can
select, by sight and touch alone, the pieces that correspond, each to
each, with those on the frame or on the cards. If there is a guitar, or
mandolin, or zither, or a piano, available, perhaps, by and by, the
mother can teach the child to recognize the difference in the vibratory
sensation perceived by his fingers touching the body of the instrument
when a low note and a high note are struck alternately. She can make a
game of this, too, by later having him close his eyes and place his
fingers in contact with the instrument and then tell her _approximately_
what string or key she struck. The next step, if she can take it, is to
place his little hands upon her chest to feel the lowest notes of her
voice, and upon both the chest and the top of her head to feel the
highest, and endeavoring to get him to recognize the similarity in
vibratory sensation between what he now feels and what he previously
felt on the musical instruments. The last step in this series of
exercises to awaken a recognition of vibratory sensations is to lead him
to feel in his own chest and head the vibrations set up by his own voice
in shouting and laughing, crying or babbling.
These hints that are so quickly and easily given, require weeks and
months of patient, _happy_ effort to carry out. Beware that no one of
them is repeated or continued so long at a time as to become a thing
dreaded and disliked. Remember that the attention of a little child is
like a constantly flitting butterfly that rests for only a moment or two
on anything before dancing away to something else.
There are many little games with kindergarten materials that can be
used to develop the powers of attention, observation, imitation, and
obedience. The laying in simple designs, by watchful imitation of the
mother, of colored sticks, colored squares, etc.; the building with
colored blocks; stringing of _large_ beads; weaving with _wide_ strips
of colored paper simple designs that a mother could invent with the
material at hand or could learn from any kindergarten manual. The point
that must be firmly, but _pleasantly_, insisted upon in these exercises
is careful and obedient following by the child of the exact order of
movement and manner of placing adopted by the mother teacher. The entire
value of these exercises for the purpose she wishes to accomplish
depends upon _accurate observation_ by the child and _implicit
obedience_.
The material outfit prepared and sold by the American exploiters of the
Montessori method is admirably adapted to the development of the budding
faculties of the child, and the mother who is trying to do all in her
power to prepare her little one to benefit to the greatest possible
extent from the professional instruction that must come later, will make
no mistake in supplying herself with the set of materials, and making
herself intelligent on their use by the child.
VI
DEVELOPING THE LUNGS
The tendency of the deaf child is to grow up with less development of
lungs and of the imagination than hearing children. In order to overcome
this tendency the child must be encouraged and _taught_ to play games
and use toys that will exercise the lungs and develop the power of
imaginative thought.
In order to expand and strengthen the lungs through the child's play,
supply him with the brightly colored paper wind-mills that he can set
whirling by blowing lustily; also the rubber balloon toys, even though
the torturing squeak of the toys is only heard by those in the vicinity
and not by himself. An especially good exercise for the gentle and
long-continued control of breath results from the toy blow pipes with
conical wire bowls by means of which light, celluloid balls of bright
colors are kept suspended in the air, dancing on the column of breath
blown softly through the tube. The more steadily the child blows, the
more mysteriously the ball remains at a fixed point, whirling rapidly
but without any apparent support.
Blowing soap bubbles, especially trying to blow big ones, is very useful
as well as interesting.
For physical development in which the lungs come in for their share and
the sense of mechanical rhythm is fostered, an excellent exercise is
marching in step to the stroke of the drum, proud in Boy Scout uniform.
Dancing is a very desirable accomplishment for the deaf child.
Tops and tenpins cultivate dexterity, as do playing ball and rolling
hoop.
VII
THE CULTIVATION OF CREATIVE IMAGINATION
This can be greatly helped by early use on the part of the child of
colored modeling wax to reproduce objects and animals, and to construct
models of imaginary houses, yards, trees, etc. A sand pile, or a large,
shallow sand box, perhaps five feet square, with sides six inches high,
and completely lined with enamel cloth to make it watertight, is a
wonderful implement for constructive play on the part of the child.
Whole villages of farms, fields, and forests, ponds and brooks, roads
and railroads, can be made here in miniature.
Building blocks of wood or stone; the metal construction toy called
"Mechano"; dolls, doll houses, furniture, and equipment, are valuable,
but they should be simple, inexpensive and not fragile.
Cut-up picture puzzles, painting books, tracing slates with large and
simple designs cultivate observation and ingenuity. Kaleidoscopes and
stereoscopes are excellent, but moving pictures are so trying upon the
eyes, and the air of the theaters is so bad, that a deaf child whose
eyes are his only salvation, and whose health is doubly important,
should not even know of their existence till he is seven or eight years
old.
VIII
FURTHER TESTS OF HEARING
But, as soon as the mother finds her little child sufficiently mature to
benefit by the sense training described above, whether it be at twenty
or, as is more likely, at from twenty-four to thirty months, she can
begin to make a more complete and accurate determination of the degree
of his deafness, for now she can establish a system of responses on the
part of the child that will show her when he perceives the sounds she
uses in her tests.
In order to be certain that the little one knows what she wishes of him,
she must begin with some sensation that she is sure he feels. We will
assume that he has as yet no speech, and cannot count, at least does not
know the names of the numbers. Let the mother pat him once on the
shoulder and then cause him to hold up one of his little fingers. Then
pat him twice, and make him hold up two fingers, then three times and
have him put up three fingers. Now return to one pat and one finger,
repeat two pats and the holding up of two of his fingers, and three pats
and three fingers. Go over and over this little game until he has
grasped the idea and will hold up as many fingers as he feels pats.
Simple as the idea seems, it will often take a bright child some time to
realize what you want him to do. But you are _sure_ that he feels the
pats, whereas, if you began at once with sounds, you could not know
whether his failure to respond was because he did not hear, or through
not understanding what you expected of him. He will weary of the
exercise soon, and then mother may as well turn to something else till
he has rested.
Having established this system of response on his part to sensations
perceived, it is not difficult to shift from the number of pats to the
number of times he hears a noise. This once accomplished, tests can be
made with sounds of different kinds, different pitch, and different
volume, varying the distance, the instruments, and the vowel when the
articulate sounds are reached. He can be shown a whistle, then, when it
is blown behind his back, he will hold up as many fingers as the times
it was blown, if he perceives the sound. He can be asked to distinguish
between a whistle, a little bell, and the clapping of the hands. When he
is successful in that, the vowel sounds may be uttered not far from his
ear, but behind him. Begin with "ah" (ä), as this is the most open and
strongest; then try "oh" (o with macron), which is not easily confused
with ä. Then ee (e with macron). If, after a time, a distance and a
degree of loudness are found that enable him to recognize these sounds
with unfailing accuracy, or at least 90 per cent. of the time, then
other sounds can be added, such as aw (a with diaresis below), (a with
breve) (as in hat), (i with macron) (as in ice), oo (as in cool), ow (as
in owl). Using these sounds at different pitches, and with different
intensities and distances, a sufficiently accurate estimate can be
formed of the degree of his hearing power so far as his present needs
are concerned.
IX
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESIDUAL HEARING
If any ability to perceive sounds is found, every effort should be made
to lead the child to use it, and as the most essential use of hearing is
in the comprehension of spoken language, the principal effort should be
made along that line.
Take three objects, the names of which are short, with the principal
vowels quite easily distinguished. A little toy street car, a cap, and a
toy sheep, would do nicely to begin with, as the three words, "car,"
"cap," and "sheep," are not easily confused. Place two of the objects
before him, the car and the sheep, and speak the name of one of them,
"car," we will say, loudly and distinctly close to his ear, but in such
a way that he cannot see your mouth. Then show him the car. Repeat it
with "sheep" and show him the sheep. Repeat "car," and take his little
hand, put it on the car. Then "sheep," and make him put his hand on the
sheep. Continue this process until he will indicate to you the object
you name. When he makes only occasional mistakes with two objects, add
the cap. When he can get the right one about 90 per cent. of the time,
then take three new words, returning occasionally to the first three.
Very soon his own name and those of others, with photographs to enable
him to indicate which, will prove of interest to him. When he has
successfully learned to distinguish a few single words, a beginning can
be made on short sentences. Commands that he can execute are convenient.
"Shut your eyes," "Open your mouth," "Clap your hands," can follow drill
on the three words, "eyes," "mouth," "hands." "Open the window," "Shut
the window," "Open the book," "Shut the book," "Open the door," etc.
"Stand up," "Sit down." When this beginning has been made, the road is
open to the gradual increase in a hearing vocabulary, but do not
attempt so much at once as to confuse and discourage the child.
The suggestions already made should be studiously followed throughout
his whole childhood. If his hearing is not too seriously impaired, he
will begin to attempt to imitate spoken sounds by the time he is
twenty-four to thirty months old. But his ability to imitate sounds is
not an accurate measure of his ability to hear. He may perceive the
sounds much better than he is able to reproduce them. Distinct utterance
comes slowly to the child with normal hearing, and still more slowly and
imperfectly to the child whose hearing is not good. But the continued
effort to make him hear _words and sentences_ is a very valuable
exercise for him and should be faithfully continued till he is old
enough to respond to the tests of hearing as outlined and it has been
definitely proved that he cannot possibly tell whether ä, or (o with
macron) or (e with macron) is said, no matter how loud or how near the
ear the sound is uttered.
The question will naturally arise as to whether the child's hearing of
speech can be aided by an electric or mechanical device. When it is
possible to make the child perceive the sound of the vowels with the
unaided voice uttered very near the ear, I believe it to be better, at
first, not to interpose any artificial device. But I have found that
sometimes, in cases where the sound perception was not at first
sufficient to enable the child to distinguish even the most dissimilar
vowel sounds, although uttered loudly close to the ear, I could awaken
the attention of the child to sound, and stimulate the dormant power by
the use of an Acousticon. After a few months I have been able to
dispense with the instrument and use only the unaided voice at close
range. Later, when some vocabulary has been acquired through these
auricular exercises, it is often desirable to return to the Acousticon
and teach the child to use it, in _order to extend the distance at which