Let your child speak for him or herself and continue to praise your child when he or she does a good job of listening.

Encourage your child to develop positive relationships with others.

Encourage your child to become more independent with respect to listening.

Treat your child the same as you treat his or her siblings: don’t be afraid to set high expectations.

Give your child an age-appropriate level of responsibility and demonstrate the confidence you have in his or her abilities.

Continue to discuss hearing loss with your child, but not to the extent that your child’s self-identity is based on his or her hearing loss.

Avoid labels as a way to describe your child. Your child has a hearing loss, but should be known first and foremost for his or her other characteristics and qualities.