Only one in a million children is born completely deaf; the rest can be rehabilitated and made to lead a normal life if the intervention is early enough. 

Deafness can be detected within 48 hours of a child's birth. Most deaf children have a certain amount of hearing, which can be preserved if they are fitted with a hearing aid from a very young age. The government of Tamil Nadu has been running an early intervention programme in 10 districts for a few years. 

Major problem was that none of the candidates at the centres was trained to handle the child once he/ she was detected as being hearing impaired. This October, for the first time, the government is sending its carefully selected candidates - one from each of the 31 districts in Tamil Nadu.

A 15-day program has been launched by the Balavidyalaya Institute for Teacher Training, Adyar to prepare teachers for a new project that aims to tackle deafness in children at an early age.

The orientation programme was inaugurated by Meenakshi Rajagopal, State commissioner for disabled. Saraswathy Narayanaswamy, director, Balavidyalaya, The School for Young Deaf Children said the project is cost-effective and aims to help children with hearing impairment from birth to two-and -a- half years.  

Saraswathy added that while the District Disability Rehabilitation Officers will take care of identification, diagnosis and hearing aid fitment, the Early Intervention Centres will help children to develop age appropriate skills in language, motor, speech and cognition.