Deafness in Children
It is possible for a child with severe loss of hearing to acquire speech under the right conditions, states Whetnall.190 The matter should be taken care of by home instruction by the parents rather than by institutions. Talking into the child's ears should start during the first weeks and be continued without let-up; the first year is the most timely to acquire speech through hearing. Sounds must be repeated loud enough and often enough to reach the child's sensorium. Even to begin when the child is 2 years of age may be too late to secure the best results. The emphasis is on listening rather than watching. What happens in the ears is not nearly so important as what happens in the brain, i.e., auditory discrimination. It is all part of the general process of learning. After 3 years of age, the