gms | German Medical Science

76th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

04.05. - 08.05.2005, Erfurt

“HEAR-CAMP” - appraisal of results from a pedagogical point of view

Meeting Abstract

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 76. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V.. Erfurt, 04.-08.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05hno575

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2005/05hno024.shtml

Published: September 22, 2005

© 2005 Krueger et al.
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Outline

Text

Children with a cochlear implant do need good communication conditions that a speech understanding is possible for instance at school during discussions and working in groups (especially if they start a secondary school or vocational school). The children need an encourage strengthening of self-confidence to intersperse the need for themselves without the help of an adult. They are supposed to learn to manage unfavourable communication situations (like background noise in the class room) and teach a sensibility for such situations to the classmates. While learning to take advantage to a good communication situation for themselves, the children put in a basis for an independent life.

In collaboration of the Medical University of Hanover/Germany and the rehabilitation clinic Werscherberg/Germany, in the summer of 2004 a “HEAR-CAMP” took place for the first time for 16 children and teenagers aged 9-17 years (8 female, 8 male), who had got a cochlear implant and finished the regular rehabilitation procedure. Those clients got the chance to learn new strategies to compensate communicative deficits they had even, if they had a good outcome of the cochlear implant.

In three weeks of “HEAR-CAMP“ during summer holidays the students got the possibility of an intensive hearing and communication training in different therapy- and leisure time-situations.

Different workshops gave the participants the opportunity to adopt new communication strategies in small same aged groups and apply them during holiday activities. The “HEAR-CAMP” also encouraged them to develop more self-confidence and experience independence from their family in the safe environment of the Rehabilitation centre Werscherberg and in controlled situations outside the centre where they could experiment with new communication techniques.

The clients got the possibility to optimise the communication skills they already got.

In the End of the “HEAR-CAMP” it was seen that the hearing impaired participants showed a higher motivation to a verbal communication and learned how to collaborate actual communication situation. Because of this own initiative they invigorated self-confidence.