Understanding DT/Hearing Services
What is the difference between a DT and a DTH?
The biggest difference between a DT and a DTH is educational background and specialty training. A DTH has been trained as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and has a Bachelor Degree in Special Education - Deaf and Hard of Hearing. A DTH has a background to offer families specialized information and supports related to hearing loss, which may include:
Understanding of the Auditory System . A DTH has studied the auditory system and understands the auditory pathway and where concerns may be.DTHs can assist a family in interpreting audiological testing such as ABR, OAE, Tympanometry, VRA, and BOA. Several tests must be done to clearing diagnose a hearing loss.
Understanding of Hearing Loss A DTH can help a family understand the type and degree of their child's hearing loss. Diagnostic terms such as mild, moderate, severe, profound, unilateral, bilateral, conductive, sensory, neural, cortical, or mixed can be explained by a DTH. In addition, children occasionally have a progressive hearing loss. A DTH has experience that may help families anticipate what to expect as their child's hearing decreases.
Understanding the Impact of Hearing Loss on Language AcquisitonA hearing loss will effect a child's ability to acquire language if no support is provided. Amplification options and communication options can be explored to assist in maximizing the child's opportunity to access language. Open communication and accessibility to language will prevent concerns in the area of social emotional development too. A DTH can help a family understand the pyramid effect of a child's hearing loss and how to prevent additional concerns from developing. Understanding the impact of a hearing loss will assist the family in making decisions about intervention approaches for their child to allow timely acquisition of language.
Communication Options and Methodologies When a child's access to language is reduced due to a hearing loss, there are a variety of communication methodologies a family may choose to implement. A DTH has a broad background in these approaches and will assist the family in exploring options to determine which will be most successful for their child. A DTH can perform a functional communication assessment to determine how the child is able to expresses and receives information in the everyday environment. This helps those involved with the child to understand the modalities which will be most successful for language acquisition. These skills may include speech, audition, sign, or print, developed through ASL, SEE, Signed English, Cued Speech, AVT, Oralism, or a BiBi approach.
Literacy A DTH is aware of the concern to develop age appropriate reading skills in children with hearing loss. Providing exposure to print is a crucial piece to providing access to English for these children. A DTH has also been trained to teach pre-literacy and literacy skills with appropriate access using a variety of communication modes. Families must understand the urgent need to make English accessible through print for very young children so their literacy skills will develop.
Amplification Children with some residual hearing need to learn to use that hearing to the best of their ability. A DTH will help families understand function, placement, and use of the amplification being used with their child. DTHs will assist families in assessing the acoustic characteristics of the environment and providing modifications to maximize the child's auditory access. Amplification options may include BTE aids which may be digital or programmable, a tactaid, a conductive aid, a cochlear implant, or an FM system.
Social Emotional Development A DTH can provide families with the education and support needed to assist their child in developing a healthy and happy self concept. Access to peers and adults with a hearing loss is a critical part of developing positive self esteem. DTHs can connect families to other families and coordinate service delivery with Deaf Mentors. Although hearing loss is a low incidence condition, families are not alone. Support is available and a DTH can assist in linking families to those supports.
Resources A DTH is aware of resources specific to children and hearing loss. Books, tapes, classes, programs, organizations, publications, and websites, which may be related to local, state and national levels of support are available. Community resources as well as EI supports such as Deaf Mentors and interpreters can be explored with a DTH.
Should I use a DTH or a DT for a given child?
If a child has a diagnosed hearing loss, a DTH should always be a service that is offered to a family. The question, then, is whether to use the DTH in conjunction with a DT or not. If the child has no other concerns, all services would relate to the hearing loss: Aural rehab-DTH, audiological eval and followup, family support- Deaf Mentor, interpreter, family counselor trained in Deafness, and possible involvement of SLP if trained to provide service to Deaf and Hard of Hearing. A child diagnosed with additional concerns would require services specific to those concerns.