Every year for the past 30 years DELTA has run Summer Schools for families with Deaf babies and children.

Every year families come together and receive information and have their questions answered in interactive workshops and talks.

They learn to recognise the skills and abilities that they have, to support their children at home and in educational settings.

They learn how to seek out opportunities and make informed choices so their deaf child can achieve as well as his/her hearing siblings and peer group.

The Summer School is positive and encouraging to families from all walks of life and cultures and it is the uniqueness of the family that makes the message of the Natural Aural Approach work for all.

The Natural Aural approach centres around the communication and interaction that takes place naturally within families. Listening and talking in meaningful context and enjoying communication is the essence of Natural Auralism.

This happens all around us every day and that is why families who make it to DELTA Summer School leave confident and with real expectation for their deaf child.

Families learn and understand how children develop language and literacy and that it is no different for deaf children as long as they can access ‘language’.

Families also come away with an understanding of their deaf child’s hearing aids/ Cochlear implants/ Bone Anchored Hearing Aids’s, and the associated support equipment such as Soundfield and radio aids.

Most of all families come away from Summer School knowing how to enjoy their young babies and children. They also make good friendships and links with other professionals and families.

Carla, Logan and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone from the summer school. We learnt a lot and are looking forward to putting things into practice. We’ve started his monitoring protocol and are looking forward to getting his fm system set up. Will keep in touch and will let you know how we get on. Thanks again! Aidan (Parent from DELTA Summer School 2015)

And the children….

. . . the pre-school babies and children enjoy the nurturing, attention and interaction they need from skilled professionals and support helpers.

. . . the school age children engage in supervised play activities and outings and are well stimulated and ‘tired’ by the end of the day. Which means parents can focus on accessing information and having time to share interact and have conversations with other families, young hearing impaired young people and professionals.

I ask myself why do I come back year after year as a volunteer, helping with the children and babies, and delivering workshops and talks. I come back because I meet colleagues and parents from across the country who practice the Natural Aural approach in their professional and personal lives. We share the most up to date information. We want to do the best for the families we work with, because the outcomes are so good. I come back because the evidence of the success of the approach is in the young people who return to volunteer and who are living fulfilling lives.

I come back because it works and it is only right that Natural Auralism should be available as an option across the country for families who want their deaf baby or child to listen and talk. The technology and knowledge we have today ensures that deaf children DO TALK because THEY CAN LISTEN. Listening to learn is what hearing children do naturally and ‘Natural Aural’ deaf children progress on to literacy in the same natural way as their hearing peers.

Interested in DELTA Summer Schools 2016? Email us here to find out more!

Alison Holmans
Teacher of the Deaf
Educational Audiologist
Early Years Practitioner