WASHINGTON - For children who're deaf or hard of hearing, Gallaudet University is running a summer camp that's music to parents' ears: helping hearing-impaired children learn to speak through play.

Playtime for 4-year old Sarah and 3-year old Maya is actually a lesson in disguise.

"Maya has a Cochlear implant on her right ear and she has a hearing aid on her left ear," said Lisa Crohe, Maya's mother.

The summer camp at Gallaudet University is designed just for them, to help them improve their spoken English. Ninety-percent of deaf children have hearing parents. Maya's mother Lisa Crohe is one of them. She says this camp helps overcome her biggest challenge with Maya: being able to communicate.

"I feel like she's taught us more about this whole experience than we've been able to teach her," Crohe said.

Between circle time and talking with speech language pathologists, who function as camp counselors, staff say the children are learning the whole time -- even if it appears they're discussing everyday activities and objects. 

"So if they're using their new language and new vocabulary in the context of a theme like pet, or vet, or farm, it's really going to stick with them when they go home and they'll mirror that same play," said Andrea Handscomb, the camp coordinator.

Sarah's guardian, Alzenia Harcum, says it reinforces what Sarah learns during the regular school year by adding to her confidence in articulation. And no matter what language they use, parents say this camp helps them hear their children loud and clear.

"I want to know what she's thinking if she has a problem. I want her to be able to come to me and talk to me about her problem," Harcum said.

The program serves more than a dozen children during its three two-week sessions, but space is limited because of budget constraints. Organizers hope to begin accepting insurance payments next summer, so they can serve more children.

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