Experience and Action for Fostering the Development of Listening and Communication in Deaf Children
Luciana D’Agosta
The methodology is based on multimodality, graduality, and the active involvement of parents and teachers. The method’s main tools (phonic games, language games, free play, storytelling activities, symbolic play, and small groups) are described, and illustrative clinical examples are presented. Longitudinal testimonies of two siblings with severe and profound hearing loss, interviewed eight years apart, are also presented. Clinical fragments and testimonials report progress in linguistic competence, narrative development, and pragmatic use of language, as well as increased motivation and communicative self-efficacy. PER is a flexible yet rigorous method, centred on meaningful learning and working together. Its application confirms the importance of relationships, graduality, and individualization in speech therapy for deaf children.
Keywords
PER Method, Deafness, Phonic games, Language games, Pragmatics, Narration, Relationship.
