Communication Strategies for Effective Family Engagement With Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Nigeria

Abstract

Communication is vital to human existence, and of course an instrument of interaction. However, children with deafness lack this aspect of life. For effective family engagement, deaf children must be helped to be actively involved in the family. Unfortunately, deaf children and adults are confronted with myriads of problems ranging from social, cognitive, and emotional trauma due societal perception and attitudes emanating from wrong beliefs and tradition prevalent and transmitted from one generation to another. Hence, this chapter is premised on Vigotsky Sociocultural theory and McLeod and Chaffe Family communication patterns and the sharing of social reality. Emanating from these two philosophical view points, deaf and hard of hearing children can be helped to develop right communication strategies for family engagement through indigenous sign language, family chores and assignment, role playing and getting involved in language of the deaf, family conferencing and holiday and the use of game whether digital or traditional.