Deaf child starting Reception...what everyday stuff helps?

[linspins]

Hi everyone.
We've got a little girl starting at our school in September who is severely deaf in one ear and profoundly deaf in the other. She wears aids and has a device for the teacher to wear to boost direct speech.
As a school, we've been given lots of good advice about general support, helping her to access curriculum etc, but I'm wondering if there are little things we can do that would just make her life easier, that we might not have thought of. If your child is deaf, and you think your school has helped with something useful, I'd be very interested to hear. I know she's going to be working twice as hard as everyone else just to get through the day, so anything we can do to help is good!
Thanks!

Potentially things like pads on the feet of chairs to muffle the sound. Think about curtains on the windows to help with sound too.

Make sure everybody knows to face the child directly and not to wave their hands around in a distracting way.

Seriously think about fire alarms too. Can she hear them? Are the horribly loud for her and will cause pain.

Think about planned/unplanned fire practises.

I'd suggest just teaching her to gain attention if the teacher's device isn't working and she can't hear - I used to do supply in a class fitted with I assume some similar type of device where I had to wear a microphone and was regularly accosted by the kids in the class whom it was for if it was acting up or had come loose (they'd just pootle up behind you and plug you back in!) - but it might take confidence for a timid child to be able to do that!

Thank you.
I'll certainly check out how much noise the chairs make, that would be an easy thing to address. Curtains isn't an option in her classroom, but maybe fabric near the ceiling might help to deaden background noise.

NDCS website is really good. You can sign up for a 'Professionals' newsletter by e-mail.

The website has lots of resources and tips sheets, videos etc.

Remember when you have any training or tips, to share with everyone - who is speaking in assembly / dinner supervisors / PPA cover / etc

Remember that when the other dc are 'relaxing' (play time, lunchtime, freeflow) that might actually be the most difficult time for her. It might be that sometimes she needs to have a 'quiet area' where she isn't being expected to listen.

Ensure that when giving group instructions you then repeat for here 1:1 to check she knows exactly what to do. Deaf children can often miss vital information- breaking info down into small steps and getting her to repeat it to you

Have you not got a visiting Teacher of the Deaf? A child with this level of Hearing loss should have been under one since she was born! If not then you need to go to the local authority and contact the HI team.

A ToD should be able to give you all the advice you need and offer Deaf awareness training for the staff.

I second the NDCS- loads of great advice and resources.

Pm me if you like ( I am a very experienced ToD!)