Support 45 children with hearing loss in Mexico

45 Children with hearing loss in Mexico

Achievements up until February 2021.

With the goal of helping improve their communication skills, during the october 2020 to february 2021

CORAL, as any other social, public or private organization, has suffered from the crisis generated by the COVID19 pandemic. The suspension of activities in all sectors has left us in a risky situation. Furthermore, Mexico is one of the countries with the largest infection and death rates, and so, our working situation is even more complicated. Therefore, even though our achievements seem low against our plans, due to the difficulty to reach people, we think that what CORAL was able to do up until now, it has been satisfactory:

600 hearing screenings have been done to children between 0-6 years old in three rural and urban municipalities. Four children who were examined and identified with hearing loss, received adapted hearing aids. Three of them received two adapted each. In total, 7 hearing aids have been adapted.

The pandemic reduced the number of children this year. We have been able to work on hearing stimulation and in the development of speech skills with 26 children from Oaxaca city and from other communities from the Central Valleys, the Mixteca and the Northern Highlands. Presently, 74% of the children who started have stayed and participated in the speech therapy program.

Work has mainly been done in Oaxaca city, and recently we have worked in communities in the Central Valleys and the Isthmus. This has given us the opportunity to see how the pandemic is affecting communities.

We continue to work for children with hearing loss in the hope that this stage we are experiencing will give us more strength to continue building a better world for them.

45 Children with hearing loss in Mexico

Achievements up until August 2020.

With the goal of helping improve their communication skills, during the months of may to august 2020, despite the difficult conditions due to the pandemic, distance speech therapy was provided to children with hearing loss, withn the support of their mothers and fathers.

 Due to lack of internet connection, it was not possible to attend to all the children, however, during this months it was possible to support 25 children in the stimulation of oral and auditory language. It has been a great challenge but with the collaboration of the families it has been possible

Likewise, in the month of July we resumed work and with the necessary protective equipment, we carried out hearing tests on children under 6 years of age in collaboration with different organizations. Thus, in this period, 100 early detection tests for hearing loss were carried out in the city of Oaxaca.

 Additionally, we gave emotional support to mothers of children with hearing loss, through online meetings, the sessions have been weekly and 10 women have participated

 With your support through GlobalGiving you make a difference to improve the life of deaf children in Oaxaca, Southern Mexico.

45 Children with hearing loss in Mexico

Achievements up until April 2020.

 With the goal of helping improve their communication skills, during the January to April 2020, we have provided speech therapy and lessons on the Mexican Sign Language, to a total of 45 children in Oaxaca City and municipalities in the Central Valleys, the Mixteca and Northern Highlands.

In addition, 15 children, who were screened and identified as having hearing loss, were provided with adapted hearing aids.

We continued performing the hearing health campaigns directed to 6 years old children, to a total of 10 communities including 2 neighborhoods in Oaxaca City and 5 municipalities of the 5 regions, Northern Highlands, Central Valleys, Mixteca, Isthmus and Coast of the state of Oaxaca.

One of the challenges we have had is the situation created by the COVID19 pandemic. But, we have been remote working with children and their families, with home activities about hearing stimulation and speech abilities.

Once the proper health conditions to start activities are reestablished, we hope to explore different strategies such as home screenings, small-group-campaigns, better coordination with the community health centers, among others. We will have to update the campaigns protocols, to avoid contagion and increase everyone´s safety.

With your support through GlobalGiving you make a difference to improve the life of deaf children in Oaxaca, Southern Mexico.

45 Children with hearing loss in Mexico: Achievements up until January 2020.

During last six months CORAL have continued working with 45 children from 0-10 years old are receiving speech therapy and, some of them, reading-writing therapy as well; whom have improve their communication skillsAt the moment, 40 parents participate in speech therapy sessions while developing abilities that will allow them to create auditive environments in their homes. The parents are participating in therapy sessions with their children, allowing them to acquire knowledge and techniques to stimulate hearing and speech at home. 50% of the parents are learning the Mexican Sign Language, particularly those whose children have deep hearing lose.

 Regarding children receiving speech therapy and training to develop communication abilities, the same work pace and quality are required to strengthen their communication and social skills. We must work along parents to ensure they keep participating with the same enthusiasm and commitment.

 During the last semester, prevention campaigns have been carried out through hearing loss information talks, as well as hearing loss detection campaigns directed to rural, indigenous and peri-urban communities; Currently, 1,000 hearing screening tests have been done to children under 6 years old. The children had the opportunity to receive a hearing screening test for the first time in their lives and learn about the condition of their hearing.

The hearing screening tests have been done to children from municipalities and municipal agencies of Oaxaca de Juárez and rural of three different regions of Oaxaca´s Central Valleys, Southern Highlands and Isthmus.

45 children from 0 to 10 years of age received hearing stimulation and speech therapy and were able to improve their communication and social skills. However, only 30 out of the 45 children started their rehabilitation and learning processes at the beginning of this project. Furthermore, 20 of the 45 children are also being taught the Mexican Sign Language to communicate, and therefore are developing bilingual abilities.

37 parents participated in therapy sessions with their children so they could learn hearing stimulation and oral language techniques; at the end of the project, they have acquired the knowledge and abilities to nurture auditive environments in their homes. Additionally, 22% of the parents learned how to communicate by using the Mexican Sign Language, mainly those whose children have deep hearing loss. Some of the parents started taking classes later than others because they did not have much interest on it at the beginning.

In addition, from july to august 2019, 200 children under 6 years of age were tested for early detection of hearing loss through hearing campaigns carried out in two regions of the State of Oaxaca, the Central Valleys and the Southern Highlands; mainly in preschools, elementary schools and day-cares.