The Cochlear Implant School Toolkit

4 - Teaching a Child with a Cochlear Implant

Classroom management strategy: Nonverbal signals

Ensuring that the child with the cochlear implant is paying attention or hears key information is critical to that child's success in your classroom. However, avoid disrupting the class or singling out the child with the cochlear implant by verbally calling his or her name over and over.

Instead, establish a system of hand signals for you and the child. You can share these signals with the parents or ask them for signals they use at home. Using these signals with all your students may also be helpful.

We provide suggestions for useful hand signals on the next page.