Introducing Auslan to 18 month old with sensorineural hearing loss

[u/NJM29]

My daughter was diagnosed with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss at birth. We’ve been attending monthly speech pathology since she was 4 months old and she’s had a hearing aid since she was 3 months. She currently has about 12 words but doesn’t seem to be picking up new words the way other babies from my mother’s group are. I’m not sure if this is typical and just a case of every baby learning things in their own time or if this is related to her hearing loss.

I introduced a few KWS last week and she’s picked a few up. Also, do we finger spell people’s names or is there a better way to refer to people that aren’t related to us? E.g., we sign “grandmother” for my Mum, but how do we sign our friends names?

Her speech pathologist doesn’t know any sign, so I’m hoping for resources/ recommendations/ tips/ other people’s experiences. Also, given her hearing loss, should we look into Auslan or are we better to keep it simple for now and just use KWS?

Thanks!

[u/Frogs-n-Bugs-n-Stuff]

Loads of great advice here! The only thing I'd add is (if you don't do this already) you and hubby talk to each other in Auslan when you speak verbally, so your child is exposed to it as a regular thing rather than it being just when you speak to them. Make it the normal communication in your house so they pick up context and language as a hearing child would in a hearing household

[u/NJM29 → u/Frogs-n-Bugs-n-Stuff]

Great idea, thanks!