Spanish Speech Language Pathology

One question we receive most often is,

‍“Can a child who is deaf or hard of hearing ever become bilingual?”‍

It’s a very sensible question given the communication challenges most people associate with hearing loss. Mastering one language is already hard enough. So why tackle a second one?

But there are actually many compelling reasons why parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing should explore bilingual education. This is particularly true in a region like Sacramento County, where an estimated 431,000 residents speak a second language at home.

Here are just some of the main benefits of bilingualism:

• Non-English speaking parents can become more involved in their children’s academic, social and linguistic development.
• Language learning can facilitate understanding in homes that are already bilingual (especially if one parent speaks English, but the other one does not).
• Becoming fluent in a second language rewires the brain, allowing for more creative problem-solving and better negotiation skills.
• Bilingualism allows your child to make more friends and pursue career opportunities that might otherwise be closed off.

And the good news is that anyone can become bilingual – even a young child who is deaf or hard of hearing. In fact, we even have an entire immersion program dedicated to helping your child master one of the most popular languages in the world – i.e. Spanish.