"It is not easy to engage the child and to discover their point-of-view. Audiologists often must rely on a parent or teacher to understand a child's experience of hearing loss," explains Ida Institute Managing Director Lise Lotte Bundesen. "The My World tool offers a child-friendly framework that helps children get in touch with and express what is important to them. With this insight, hearing care professionals can identify and reinforce communication strategies that are working well and agree upon new strategies to cope with challenges."
The My World tool was developed through a unique collaborative process involving 35 pediatric hearing care professionals from around the world and Ida Institute faculty members and staff. The counseling tool consists of three illustrations depicting different environments home, a school and an outdoor area - and a variety of movable pieces that represent the everyday life of a child. By playing with the elements and re-creating scenes from their own lives, children can discuss successes and challenges related to communication and identify which situations are important to them.
For the hearing care professional, My World facilitates open-ended questioning and provides a creative way to stimulate curiosity, joint attention and shared understanding about aspects of communication most important to the child. Clinicians can discover information about the child's use of effective communication, reinforce positive patterns and, together with the child, parent or teacher, formulate a strategy for coping with communication issues.
An instructional video available on the website provides a tutorial on using the My World tool in clinical encounters. A listening guide and a documentation form are also available to help hearing care professionals listen actively to what the child is saying and to keep a record of what was discovered and decided during the appointment.
Hearing care professionals can learn more about the My World tool, purchase a copy, or download a free copy for self-assembly on www.idainstitute.com/myworld.
About the Ida Institute
Established in 2007 with a grant from the Oticon Foundation, the Ida Institute is a non-profit independent educational institute located in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Institute seeks to foster a better understanding of the human dynamics associated with hearing loss. By serving as a catalyst for knowledge sharing and the development of innovative and practical tools, the Institute assists hearing care professionals in helping hearing impaired people address the physical, psychological and social challenges of hearing loss. For more information, visit www.idainstitute.com.
