Understanding Neuroplasticity in Children Who Are Deaf
Neuroplasticiy is a term used to describe the ability of the brain to form useful and meaningful neurological connections. It simply means the brain is pliable and ready to make use of input. Different areas of the brain have different schedules for learning and adapting. Some parts of the brain demonstrate ongoing resiliency, other parts are more time sensitive.
The auditory cortex is the part of the brain that builds neural connections for learning through listening which leads to the ability to develop spoken language.
The auditory cortex is most pliable from birth through age three. There is still a great deal of plasticity from three to five. Although plasticity has declined significantly from the earliest years, ages five through seven remain important years for auditory learning. After age seven, it is much more challenging to help a child who is pre-lingually deaf develop an intact spoken language system.
One easy way to describe neuroplasticity in the auditory cortex is the play-doh metaphor. From birth to three, the auditory cortex is like a new can of play-doh, pliable and easily manipulated. From ages three to five, it is more like play- doh that has been left out of the can for an hour or so. You have to work with it a bit more to get it to respond to molding. From ages five through seven, the play-doh has been left out long enough to have some crusty edges that are no longer useable, but there is enough “good stuff” that is still pliable to be useful. After age seven, the neuroplasticity for forming neural connections through language is very degraded. The play-doh was left out overnight. The brain is valuable real estate, so this area has been largely taken over for use by vision and touch.
For a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, parents who choose for their child to develop listening and spoken language must make that decision early. That is why newborn hearing screening, follow-up evaluations, early identification, the right technology, and early intervention from Listening and Spoken Language professionals are so important for the child and family.
Whenever you become part of such a family’s team, you are meeting this young child at a critical juncture for listening and language learning. It is important that you feel willing and able to provide this child with the opportunities he needs to take full advantage of this critical window of time. There is plenty of information to support you. Team members already in place are there to help you do your best for this child.
Contact Cynthia Robinson, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd. at crobinson@wehearhere.org to learn more.
Neuroplasticiy is a term used to describe the ability of the brain to form useful and meaningful neurological connections. It simply means the brain is pliable and ready to make use of input. Different areas of the brain have different schedules for learning and adapting. Some parts of the brain demonstrate ongoing resiliency, other parts are more time sensitive.
The auditory cortex is the part of the brain that builds neural connections for learning through listening which leads to the ability to develop spoken language.
The auditory cortex is most pliable from birth through age three. There is still a great deal of plasticity from three to five. Although plasticity has declined significantly from the earliest years, ages five through seven remain important years for auditory learning. After age seven, it is much more challenging to help a child who is pre-lingually deaf develop an intact spoken language system.
One easy way to describe neuroplasticity in the auditory cortex is the play-doh metaphor. From birth to three, the auditory cortex is like a new can of play-doh, pliable and easily manipulated. From ages three to five, it is more like play- doh that has been left out of the can for an hour or so. You have to work with it a bit more to get it to respond to molding. From ages five through seven, the play-doh has been left out long enough to have some crusty edges that are no longer useable, but there is enough “good stuff” that is still pliable to be useful. After age seven, the neuroplasticity for forming neural connections through language is very degraded. The play-doh was left out overnight. The brain is valuable real estate, so this area has been largely taken over for use by vision and touch.
For a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, parents who choose for their child to develop listening and spoken language must make that decision early. That is why newborn hearing screening, follow-up evaluations, early identification, the right technology, and early intervention from Listening and Spoken Language professionals are so important for the child and family.
Whenever you become part of such a family’s team, you are meeting this young child at a critical juncture for listening and language learning. It is important that you feel willing and able to provide this child with the opportunities he needs to take full advantage of this critical window of time. There is plenty of information to support you. Team members already in place are there to help you do your best for this child.
Contact Cynthia Robinson, M.Ed., CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd. at crobinson@wehearhere.org to learn more.