But Mia Basma Safieddine (10) and her four-year-sister, Gabriella, are just two deaf children challenging these expectations and proving that with early and effective support deaf children can learn to speak and the possibilities are endless. And they have been inspired by Tasha Ghouri who has answered a question from them online.
Both Mia and Gabriella, from North London, were supported to listen and talk with Auditory Verbal therapy by charity Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) and love sport, music and art and doing all the things that hearing children do. They are also thriving in mainstream education.
A YouGov* survey commissioned by AVUK, has revealed that only one in three (35%) of adults in London believe it is possible for a child born profoundly deaf to speak as well as a hearing child. The new research shows a clear decrease from 2024, which found 41% of adults think a child born profoundly deaf today can learn to speak as well as a child without hearing loss - indicating a concerning decline in what people think is possible for deaf children.
Families with deaf children are joining AVUK calling for a greater awareness and understanding of what deaf children can achieve with early and effective support to develop language and communication in the vital early years.
Families like the Basma-Safieddines. Mia (10) and four-year-old Gabriella were diagnosed as profoundly deaf as babies and both wear cochlear implants. Their Mum, Rayan, is also profoundly deaf and was determined her daughters would have the same opportunities as hearing babies and children.
She said: “To read these figures that so few people believe deaf children can speak as well as their hearing friends is disappointing and attitudes must change. My parents were incredibly supportive of me growing up and worked so hard to enable me to have as many opportunities as possible but I knew that I wanted more for my own daughters.
“After Mia’s hearing loss was confirmed following her newborn hearing screening we decided cochlear implants were the right choice for her and after much thought I also decided to have implants myself. Our journey’s though have been very different as hearing technology like cochlear implants do not work on their own which is where Auditory Verbal therapy came in and transformed Mia’s life.”
Mia said: “I love all sports especially football, netball, tennis as well as music and adventures and I can do all the same things as my hearing friends. It makes me sad that people think because I am deaf I can’t do these things. I want to show people that me and my sister and all deaf children can do anything we want to – being deaf does not stop us.”
Auditory Verbal therapy helps deaf children process sound they receive from hearing technology, like hearing aids and cochlear implants, and supports them to develop their spoken language But this support needs to be offered early in a child’s life, while their brain’s neural pathways are developing, to ensure they have the very best opportunities to achieve their potential.
Charity AVUK works with the families of deaf children who want their child to learn to listen and talk and four out of five children who attend the specialist family-centred Auditory Verbal therapy programme for two or more years achieve spoken language skills on a par with hearing children. Many attend mainstream school.
Rayan explained: “After three years on the Auditory Verbal therapy programme Mia achieved spoken language ahead of her age. She is flourishing at school, loves football, baking and art and is a brilliant big sister to Gabriella (Gigi). We will all be celebrating Deaf Awareness Week and proving that with early support the sky is the limit for deaf children like Mia and Gigi who are wonderful and amazing shining stars who we could not be more proud of.”
AVUK Chief Executive Anita Grover said: “Deaf children and their potential is constantly underestimated and this new research for Deaf Awareness Week continues to show this lack of belief and understanding in what is possible with early, effective support.
“There are approximately 7,200 deaf children under the age of five in the UK who currently face the prospect of lower academic achievement, lower employment, and are at higher risk of poor mental health, bullying and social exclusion. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When children and families have access to effective, early support, deaf children can get an equal start at school and opportunities are transformed. This is critically important whether a child uses sign language, spoken language or both. There is not one approach to communication that works for all families of deaf children.”
Currently less than 10% of deaf children who could benefit from Auditory Verbal therapy can access it and there is a postcode lottery for this support.
AVUK is calling for all families who want their child to learn to listen and talk to have the opportunity to access Auditory Verbal therapy through publicly funded services. The charity’s #HearUsNow campaign, calling on UK governments to invest in its workfroce to increase access to the therapy, is backed by the general public with 85% of adults in London believing Auditory Verbal therapy should be available to all deaf children via publicly funded services like the NHS.
For more information visit www.avuk.org