Individual counseling
It seems remarkable that, although the literature has given considerable attention to the value of parent counseling, virtually no emphasis has been placed on counseling the child individually. Can we assume that only parent counseling or family therapy will assist hearing-impaired children to use all if their emotional resources to enhance their educational, social, and habilitative goals? We doubt it. In addition, no definitive experimental studies have been made to determine outcomes based on parent counseling or family therapy intervention.
We believe that individual counseling, either separate from or in conjunction with other strategies, can enhance the emotional, social, and educational life of the child. The particular procedure used will be determined by the age of the child, degree of impairment, communicative competence, and cooperation of the parents. The procedure can include play therapy, client-centered aural rehabilitation, or direct counseling.