Inside an early education model that prepares hearing-impaired children for life and learning

Shoeb Basha was diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of two years. Today, he is an IRS officer, who serves as the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax in Chennai. “All that I have achieved today is built on the strong foundation laid by Balavidyalaya. It did not just teach me communication skills; it taught me how to live life with confidence and purpose,” says Mr. Basha.

Back then, after consultation with, Dr. Padmaja, Audiologist, Vijaya Hospital, Chennai, Mr. Basha’s parents were directed to Balavidyalaya, a free non-residential school for young deaf children in a by-lane of South Chennai. The school focuses on early intervention by training children with hearing loss to listen, speak, read, and write. It works to equip them with basic life skills so that they can integrate into regular schools and society with confidence.

Born in Nellore, Mr. Basha’s parents relocated to Chennai to ensure he could receive early intervention and better educational opportunities. Mr. Basha’s schooling years were spent at St. John’s English School and Junior College, Besant Nagar, followed by a B.E. in Computer Science from CEG, and an MBA from IIM Bangalore. He said, “The biggest change I experienced after my time at Balavidyalaya, was a strong sense of confidence and self-belief. It changed my outlook on life and gave me the courage to aim high. The impact was not limited to speech alone. It positively influenced my academics, communication skills and overall personality.”

Shoeb’s father, Ghouse Basha, recalls, “We first noticed something was not right when Shoeb was about one-year-old, as he did not respond even to loud sounds. As parents, we were naturally worried about his future as in how he would manage daily life, education, and career. We were anxious about whether he would be able to live independently in the future.”

Mr. Ghouse Basha says that after joining, Shoeb began to understand speech, form sentences and communicate clearly. The improvement was steady and consistent, and he gained confidence over time. “We were also guided on how to support him at home through daily-life conversations and activities. The management and teachers were extremely dedicated, supportive, and patient, and were deeply invested in his growth”, he said.

The Dhvani methodology

A methodology developed over the years at Balavidyalaya is called DHVANI: Development of Hearing Voice And Natural Integration. Audiologist Roopa Nagraj validates the methodology at the school to rectify speech impairments of children below three years of age. “Dhvani is based on their syllabus Sahayak. Early intervention helps these children attain normal speech and hearing abilities to enable them to join mainstream schools by the age of six”, she told.

The Balavidyalaya method has been used from the 1960s, when hearing aids were used. Designed as an intensive program for very young infants with essential parental engagement and emphasis on listening and speaking, it has been refined and improved over the years, and also adapted with improvements in hearing aids and available technology, Ms. Nagraj noted.

Balavidyalaya follows the philosophy of the oral–aural approach and binaural amplification which provides two hearing aids to a child—one for each ear. This approach mimics natural binaural hearing by amplifying sound in both ears simultaneously, which is standard clinical practice for bilateral hearing loss in pediatric audiology, said, Dr. Suman Kumar, Director, Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (Divyangjan), Mumbai.

“The emphasis on use of hearing aids for both ears was exceptional in the 60s. Time and again we have seen that children who graduate through the rigorous program are ready for school. Their language and reading skills levels are par or sometimes above children of their age because of the method used. A majority of them continue to do well in school and have gone in to do very well in life,” said Ms. Nagraj.

Talking about the methodology, Mr. Basha recalls, “One of my fondest memories is the daily, life-based learning approach. We were given homework based on real-life situations such as, “Amma is preparing breakfast,” and we were asked questions like what, why, how, and when. We had to write, draw, and explain. This method built vocabulary, encouraged curiosity and improved communication.”

“Parents were closely involved throughout the process, making it a shared effort between the school and families. The teachers showed remarkable patience, encouragement, and dedication. The environment was always positive, welcoming and supportive. Every small improvement was appreciated and celebrated, which helped build confidence and perseverance,” Mr. Basha said.

Role of audiologists

Parents are asked to shrug off their notions of fate and destiny when they enter the school’s portals and don the role of resource persons at home to complement the endeavours of the pre-school teachers. Only children less than three years are admitted into the school. Admission is given throughout the year. There is no lower age limit for admissions. Even new-borns are admitted with parental escort.

The Headmistress S. Subbalakshmi holds a Madras University doctorate in teaching techniques for young hearing impaired children. “The school gives intensive training to infants and young children with a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:4”, she explained.

Honorary Vice-Principal, Meera Suresh, takes visitors around the classrooms and the diagnostic centre which is equipped with an audiometer to gauge the degree of hearing impairment before a child is admitted to pre-school. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists play a crucial role in identifying hearing loss and providing speech and language intervention.

Ms. Suresh says there is also an outreach programme to monitor and guide children after they join regular schools. “Our methodology is copyrighted to prevent its commercial misuse, but given its immense value the model has been approved for 36 government schools across Tamil Nadu,” Ms. Suresh explained

Challenges faced

G.L. Sowmya is hearing impaired, but a specialist in a start-up incubator in the field of management and business consulting. Since she can’t speak over the phone, Sowmya messaged: “I was diagnosed with profound hearing loss when I was barely two months old. This was three decades ago, at a time when awareness, guidance, and structured pathways for raising a deaf child were limited. My parents, like many others in their position, were overwhelmed and unsure of how to navigate a future they had never imagined for their child.

“While diagnosis was in progress at the Institute of Child Health, Egmore, through the advice of an assistant audiologist and a chance meeting with the parent of another deaf child, my parents learned about Balavidyalaya. That moment proved to be pivotal, setting us on a path that would irrevocably shape my future and, indeed, who I am today”, she said.

Dr. Kumar from Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (Divyangjan), has no hesitation validating the Balavidyalaya model of education. “With advancements in technology, hearing loss can be identified as early as 48 hours after birth. Children with hearing impairment benefit from hearing aids, and some may require cochlear implants. With appropriate and timely intervention, children with hearing impairment can be successfully included in mainstream society and become contributing citizens of the country,” says Mr. Kumar.

Natasha Raheja is interning at the Government Medical College in Chandigarh. Her mother Ramita said, “Even now I feel its all like a dream. I have no words to express my deep gratitude. When she was diagnosed with hearing impairment, we were told, only sign language will help, she won’t be able to read or write. I was heart broken beyond imagination. Balavidyalaya is like a temple to me and teachers are like God.” Her father Dr. Raman Raheja, a doctor, supports her statement.

Asked what are the future challenges, Ms. Suresh, says, “Parents nowadays are eager to get back to their life. Its natural, I understand. But when the children start talking, they feel child is ready to join the mainstream school and drop off just one year short of completing the program. They admit the child into upper Kindergarten. They don’t understand the importance of a strong academic foundation which would be another one year at Balavidyalaya before admitting the child into Class one.”

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