Hearing aids
Our 10 years with the deaf children of Cambodia - July, 2001 - June, 2011
Missions : 76 children examined and fitted during the 1st mission: 480 for the 20th mission.
No bilateral fitting in 2001: 43 % in 2011.
In 2001 no involved Cambodian personnel: in 2011, 10 technicians, 5 speech therapists.
Here is in some figures the progress of our action on place, not to mention the quality of the hearing aids fitted , 22 % of hearing aids new or re-conditioned by the manufacturers, 55 % of digital hearing aids of recent generation.
Speech therapy
The language acquisition in children depends on their hearing. Learn to speak is above all to hear one's voice when reproducing sounds perceived in one's environment. In the event of deafness, this audio-phonatory loop (to hear - to speak - to hear) does not work, the child is deaf-mute.
When the hearing is restored using a hearing aid, it is thus necessary to rehabilitate the child, to train him to recognize sounds (auditive education) and teach him how to use the language. It is the fundamental role of the speech therapist taking care of the deaf child.
Until then the speech therapy did not exist in Cambodia. With the help of voluntary speech therapists (Françoise Adelus, Helene Dargent, Veronique Monard) the teachers who work in specialized schools of Krousar Thmey acquired groundings necessary for the speech therapic taking care of the children.
The evidence of Veronique Monard, after two years of mission within the schools of deaf children in Cambodia, gives us an outline of the development of the speech therapy in Cambodia.
