Hearing mom with deaf toddler, AB Canada

[Bebonang]

Guess we will have to disagree. I still respect your views and hope you respect mine. It doesnt mean I am advocating for all babies to get implanted...it means I am advocating for the new parents to start learning ASL so their children can start their language development and not end up with delays.

That is exactly what I wanted them to do that for me was to sign. I didn't need to learn to speak but to sign which is a whole lot better than trying to speak when you can not hear the sounds. Gestures and sign language like ASL give us whole perspective on being a Deaf person but still like going to school to learn as long as there is ASL for us to know what is going on in the classrooms.

But babies don't need to test because parents can see their child if they know their own child as being deaf or getting a hearing test between 2 to 5 years old. Yes, they need baby sign language whether the babies are hearing or deaf. So there is plenty of time to learn their development. It is not the end of the world though.

 

[deafdyke]

I just want to say that children with some residual hearing do tend to pick up oral skills. However, their ability to speak (expressive language) is very different from receptive language.

In other words, just because he may end up using his voice majority of the time (or some of the time) does not diminish his need for a visual mode of communication.

AMEN! And it also allows for HOH kids to have access to the Deaf World and community. ....and I mean ASL DOES capitalize on the nautrual visual processing strenghs that ALL dhh kids have.....Imagine if we educated people with defineciies in English but who were strong in math, by solely concentrating on their English defiect, and ignoring their math strength. Exactly. So why do we educate dhh kids like that?

 

[Lau2046]

Wirelessly posted

Hi everyone! My name is Alyssa and I have a 2 year old who has (at least?) moderate hearing loss, currently unaided. His audiology tests have been very confusing (long story) so we're not sure exactly how severe the loss is but best guess is at least 50db across all frequencies. He cannot speak/understand spoken word so for the last 2.5 months I have been working with him in ASL. He now attends a sign/speech playgroup once a week but most of the teachers are hearing and don't sign a lot. My son responds well to the Deaf teacher there though!

Just looking for more community and support for ASL and bicultural/bilingual development as the playgroup here does focus a lot on spoken language (which he can't hear enough of to use)... It appears to me that the other kids are aided or CI and their hearing parents are more focused on oral language with using signs as support tools.

Any suggestions on how to incorporate more sign into play would be awesome. He's a VERY busy boy, smart, stubborn, loves vehicles, building things, cooking,water play, painting, Signing Time and playgrounds. Helping him watch me and make the connection between the sign and the concept is my biggest challenge right now, as well as trying to get him to use his signs consistently instead of just his garbly voice... he has about 20 signs he can use right now. He understands a lot of signs considering its only been a few months of teaching him, and my vocab is between 100-150 signs currently.

I live in Edmonton, AB Canada.

I was born with moderate to severe loss; I didn't get my first hearing aid until age six. Reading back on my school papers, I only wore it for one to maybe three hours in school and never at home. The teacher almost went through the roof when she heard that and she wrote that she would reward me for wearing it all day at school and at home. My speech was so horrible even my parents couldn't understand me. (I was mainstreamed). At age seven or eight, my parents were able to get the second hearing aid with financial help because we were too poor to afford it. It look speech therapy one on one three times a week and also at Mass Eye and Ear for years to improve my language skills. My speech now sounds like most average people. Hearing aids are really essential, especially in your son's range. Don't neglect his speech or overlook the value of hearing aids. He has so many models of hearing aids at this range that could dramatically improve the quality of his life.

Best wishes,

Laura

 

[sheep]

I am proud of you! You are doing the right things. You are on the right path, because you are trying to find your way and be sure you will. If you did not already, go to an audiologiest spezialiest in working with children. Listen to them and then listen to your inner voice. Stick to it. In my opinion to teach ASL is great, you give your son a choice how he wants to communicate. The school for the deaf is the place your son shoud be.Know I am going to tell you abitt about my history. I was born in Germany 1969. Because at that time there was no screening for hearing I do not know if I was born HOH or not. I had alot of earinfection as a child maybe that is the cause. I don't know. In Kindergarten if I had to play in a group I was very aggressive, playing one on one, I was kind and did pay attention to what was going on. At the age of 3 or 4 my parents were told to see an psycologiest. He told them that I am mental handicapt. Glad my parents listened to their inner voice and kept trying to find out what is going on. When I was 6 years old a friend of my parents who did teach at a School for the Deaf told them to test my hearing. The outcome was; left ear severe hearing lost right ear mild hearing lost. Finaly my parents where able to support me in my speach and hearing abillity. School for the HOH I did then go to. Did graduate, learned Farming for three years in Germany, later did go back to school and did come to be an Profesional Healthcare Assistent and moved 2003 to Canada west of Edmonton AB. So keep your head up and don't give up. to be.

 

[suzanne]

I don't understand why you are all concern about having a child get hearing aids at a young age of 2 years old. Nothing wrong with not wearing hearing aids. I did not have hearing aids until I was 8 years old, almost nearly 9. Being deaf was a blissful and delightful. I was very happy being that way. No one should force on me if I don't hear it. The only bad thing is that I should have gone to the Deaf school with or without hearing aids instead of mainstream schools. Bleh. If the audiologist said to wait, then wait. **sigh**

P.S. Why of all people have to give tests to the newborn or baby to see if he/she had hearing or hearing loss? This is really ridiculous to me. I am very different from you, guys. Dang!

most parents that have deaf children are hearing themselves. So if the Newborn hearing screening was not there parents could go years not knowing why there child isnt speaking or developing listening skills. I have heard many stories of children being misdiagnosed when all it was is deafness. One story right now in my parent class her son (he is grown now) was misdiagnosed with autism and ADD when all he had was a hearing loss. It is actually very important if your child is born into a hearing family we would have no idea. if you or your spouse or both are deaf you know that most likey your child will be aswell so you know to start signing. But for parents like me that had no history of deafness kids can get misdiagnosed later in life. Im thankful that we found out early in age for both of my kids which are both deaf . Signing was started right away.

 

[suzanne]

I am proud of you! You are doing the right things. You are on the right path, because you are trying to find your way and be sure you will. If you did not already, go to an audiologiest spezialiest in working with children. Listen to them and then listen to your inner voice. Stick to it. In my opinion to teach ASL is great, you give your son a choice how he wants to communicate. The school for the deaf is the place your son shoud be.Know I am going to tell you abitt about my history. I was born in Germany 1969. Because at that time there was no screening for hearing I do not know if I was born HOH or not. I had alot of earinfection as a child maybe that is the cause. I don't know. In Kindergarten if I had to play in a group I was very aggressive, playing one on one, I was kind and did pay attention to what was going on. At the age of 3 or 4 my parents were told to see an psycologiest. He told them that I am mental handicapt. Glad my parents listened to their inner voice and kept trying to find out what is going on. When I was 6 years old a friend of my parents who did teach at a School for the Deaf told them to test my hearing. The outcome was; left ear severe hearing lost right ear mild hearing lost. Finaly my parents where able to support me in my speach and hearing abillity. School for the HOH I did then go to. Did graduate, learned Farming for three years in Germany, later did go back to school and did come to be an Profesional Healthcare Assistent and moved 2003 to Canada west of Edmonton AB. So keep your head up and don't give up. to be.

This is what I mean.....misdiagnosed. This is why newborn hearing screens are done.

 

[Pitchbug]

Wow!!! So many replies. Thank you all for your opinion and suggestions. I truly appreciate being able to read all the information and experiences you all have had.

Firstly, newborn hearing screening is not mandatory here and so wasn't done. My son was very alert as a baby and babbled early and my being a new mom... Well, so we didn't think there was an issue until his speech stopped progressing and any words he tries to say are very garbled.

ABR was done. I don't want to get into it much here but to say that it appears, according to the other audis my son has seen, that the abr results were incorrect, or mixed up with someone else's report, etc. So right now we have to rely on booth tests which my son is very reliable with.

I am having a lot of fun working in sign with my son. He watches me and understands a lot of what I'm signing and its so beautiful to be able to communicate with him.

We are looking into getting additional in-home ASL teaching/support in addition to his say/sign playgroup.

I called the private Audi clinic he saw in Sept and they are getting his hearing reassessed on Nov 30.

I need the documented reports from audis in order to access the best educational options for him. They want the paperwork. I KNOW he can't hear me talk, he can't hear many sounds at all, so the additional testing isn't for my benefit.

 

[sheep]

Yes it can not be streched enough that newborn hearing sceens are important.
Thank you suzanne

 

[Bebonang]

most parents that have deaf children are hearing themselves. So if the Newborn hearing screening was not there parents could go years not knowing why there child isnt speaking or developing listening skills. I have heard many stories of children being misdiagnosed when all it was is deafness. One story right now in my parent class her son (he is grown now) was misdiagnosed with autism and ADD when all he had was a hearing loss. It is actually very important if your child is born into a hearing family we would have no idea. if you or your spouse or both are deaf you know that most likey your child will be aswell so you know to start signing. But for parents like me that had no history of deafness kids can get misdiagnosed later in life. Im thankful that we found out early in age for both of my kids which are both deaf . Signing was started right away.

I was born deaf into the hearing family. But both my hearing parents and the principals don't give a hoot if I tried to tell them that I want to go to the Deaf school, not mainstream school. I need ASL but the mainstream school were not allowed to have ASL or any other accommodations to help us understand what is going on in the classrooms if I want to learn. I was hungry for education and I love to read but I get lost every time there was a discussions or lectures from the teachers and the hearing students.

Maybe some HOH students who might able to understand what is going on in the classrooms by lipreading and some voice pick up. But the problem is that there is only 30% of lipreading we can make out but the rest is guess work. I do not like that. This pissed me off. I wanted good grades but all I got was C- to D- almost close to Fail. That was why I was sooo disappointed that they don't understand anything about deafness and my needs.

I was jealous of my sister who is hearing had straight A in all of her courses in high school. I would love to have her grades like that and would have gone off to Gallaudet University to study whatever courses I could take. Why do I feel like as if I am lower than anyone who are better than I am? That is what make me so bitter about it all.

 

[NaidaUP]

That is exactly what I wanted them to do that for me was to sign. I didn't need to learn to speak but to sign which is a whole lot better than trying to speak when you can not hear the sounds. Gestures and sign language like ASL give us whole perspective on being a Deaf person but still like going to school to learn as long as there is ASL for us to know what is going on in the classrooms.

But babies don't need to test because parents can see their child if they know their own child as being deaf or getting a hearing test between 2 to 5 years old. Yes, they need baby sign language whether the babies are hearing or deaf. So there is plenty of time to learn their development. It is not the end of the world though.

I dont get why parents wouldnt want their child to be tested for a hearing loss. If they have slow development, doesnt always been that they are deaf, my friends daughter only have a mild loss but also has APD which doesnt mean she needs to sign!!!

 

[NaidaUP]

I was born with moderate to severe loss; I didn't get my first hearing aid until age six. Reading back on my school papers, I only wore it for one to maybe three hours in school and never at home. The teacher almost went through the roof when she heard that and she wrote that she would reward me for wearing it all day at school and at home. My speech was so horrible even my parents couldn't understand me. (I was mainstreamed). At age seven or eight, my parents were able to get the second hearing aid with financial help because we were too poor to afford it. It look speech therapy one on one three times a week and also at Mass Eye and Ear for years to improve my language skills. My speech now sounds like most average people. Hearing aids are really essential, especially in your son's range. Don't neglect his speech or overlook the value of hearing aids. He has so many models of hearing aids at this range that could dramatically improve the quality of his life.

Best wishes,

Laura

Totally agree with that, having a moderate loss is very aidable and most people with a moderate loss do not struggle once wearing hearing aids.

 

[Bebonang]

I dont get why parents wouldnt want their child to be tested for a hearing loss. If they have slow development, doesnt always been that they are deaf, my friends daughter only have a mild loss but also has APD which doesnt mean she needs to sign!!!

Are you profound deaf or hard of hearing? If I had asked for a request to have ASL so that I can followed what the teachers and students said in the hearing classrooms in the mainstream school. I was talking about in the middle of 1950 and the middle of 1960 which I had attended in both elementary and high school mainstream schools. I was forbidden not have ASL and the schools won't provide ASL interpreters for me so that I can followed them.

On the bold statement, that is hard of hearing and having mild hearing loss mean that she can hear quite well with hearing aids and be able to pick up some words that she could understand with no problem but for the profound hearing loss that is a total different thing.

Most deaf and hard of hearing people have different degrees of hearing loss. If they can not hear well with hearing aids and not be able to pick up words, then they need the accommodation to have learn ASL and to have ASL interpreters. Same for phone, how would the hearing society expect the deaf to hear the phone when they could not hear well enough for mild hearing loss? But for being deaf like me as profound deafness, I need TDD or Video phone with an interpreters in the workplaces? I need ASL.

 

[deafdyke]

Don't neglect his speech or overlook the value of hearing aids

You say that like it's something innovative. Virtually ALL HOH kids get a HEFTY dose of speech and are fitted with hearing aids. That's been the norm since hearing aids became popular. Yes, there are some voice off HOH kids, but that's due to other things that inhibit their speech. Heck my friend has a really bad cleft palate and really hard to understand speech, but she still got speech therapy. Heck, there's not a lack of DEAF kids getting speech therapy. Nobody is saying "go voice off, and no aids or CIs" We're saying " Add ASL .......

 

[Bottesini]

You say that like it's something innovative. Virtually ALL HOH kids get a HEFTY dose of speech and are fitted with hearing aids. That's been the norm since hearing aids became popular. Yes, there are some voice off HOH kids, but that's due to other things that inhibit their speech. Heck my friend has a really bad cleft palate and really hard to understand speech, but she still got speech therapy. Heck, there's not a lack of DEAF kids getting speech therapy. Nobody is saying "go voice off, and no aids or CIs" We're saying " Add ASL .......

No, many of us are saying why in the world would you let a kid with that mild of a hearing loss fall so far behind.
This is not a deaf kid.

 

[deafdyke]

Totally agree with that, having a moderate loss is very aidable and most people with a moderate loss do not struggle once wearing hearing aids.

Naida, Sorry but I disagree VEHEMENTLY. Yes, HOH losses are very aidable. BUT, that does not mean that most HOH people do not struggle while wearing them. Yes, they do well one on one or in perfect listening conditions....BUT, the point is the world is not a soundbooth. Hearing aids can also break, or malfunction or whatever....which is why HOH kids should have the right to become fluent in ASL, be educated with others like them, and feel good about themselves as a Deaf person rather then as a "hearing impaired" person.

 

[NaidaUP]

Are you profound deaf or hard of hearing? If I had asked for a request to have ASL so that I can followed what the teachers and students said in the hearing classrooms in the mainstream school. I was talking about in the middle of 1950 and the middle of 1960 which I had attended in both elementary and high school mainstream schools. I was forbidden not have ASL and the schools won't provide ASL interpreters for me so that I can followed them.

On the bold statement, that is hard of hearing and having mild hearing loss mean that she can hear quite well with hearing aids and be able to pick up some words that she could understand with no problem but for the profound hearing loss that is a total different thing.

Most deaf and hard of hearing people have different degrees of hearing loss. If they can not hear well with hearing aids and not be able to pick up words, then they need the accommodation to have learn ASL and to have ASL interpreters. Same for phone, how would the hearing society expect the deaf to hear the phone when they could not hear well enough for mild hearing loss? But for being deaf like me as profound deafness, I need TDD or Video phone with an interpreters in the workplaces? I need ASL.

Profoundly deaf actually!!!!! I do understand different degrees of hearing loss thank you very much!

My friends daughter with a little bit of help can actually understand a lot now and has near normal hearing!!!! I was only trying to explain that to not your children tested is a stupid idea. She was vertically unresponsive when she was younger so would assume deaf but no, different thing to deafness and is now happy. What kind of life would she have if her parents didn't get her tested, hey???

Why are you stating that the OP should learn to sign with her child when the child only have a 50db loss. 50db is very aidable and is nothing like being profoundly deaf, not even close to it. Another reason why you should get children tested!!!

 

[CSign]

Profoundly deaf actually!!!!! I do understand different degrees of hearing loss thank you very much!

My friends daughter with a little bit of help can actually understand a lot now and has near normal hearing!!!! I was only trying to explain that to not your children tested is a stupid idea. She was vertically unresponsive when she was younger so would assume deaf but no, different thing to deafness and is now happy. What kind of life would she have if her parents didn't get her tested, hey???

Why are you stating that the OP should learn to sign with her child when the child only have a 50db loss. 50db is very aidable and is nothing like being profoundly deaf, not even close to it. Another reason why you should get children tested!!!

Early diagnosis is valuable, however the use of ASL/sign language can be beneficial for the child regardless of the degree of hearing loss. Especially when you're talking about a young child who is still acquiring/developing their language skills.

As to the bolded, I guess my question to you is why not?

 

[NaidaUP]

Early diagnosis is valuable, however the use of ASL/sign language can be beneficial for the child regardless of the degree of hearing loss. Especially when you're talking about a young child who is still acquiring/developing their language skills.

As to the bolded, I guess my question to you is why not?

Learning to sign and speak is fine but only learning to sign is not giving him access to full areas. 50db loss means the child can learn to speak as with HAs, the child would have very good hearing, which means you would have to have that child tested to know fully what his loss is!!!! Not getting you child tested is plain stupid!!

 

[NaidaUP]

No, many of us are saying why in the world would you let a kid with that mild of a hearing loss fall so far behind.
This is not a deaf kid.

Totally agree with this!

 

[NaidaUP]

You say that like it's something innovative. Virtually ALL HOH kids get a HEFTY dose of speech and are fitted with hearing aids. That's been the norm since hearing aids became popular. Yes, there are some voice off HOH kids, but that's due to other things that inhibit their speech. Heck my friend has a really bad cleft palate and really hard to understand speech, but she still got speech therapy. Heck, there's not a lack of DEAF kids getting speech therapy. Nobody is saying "go voice off, and no aids or CIs" We're saying " Add ASL .......

They have other problems to why they can't speak but why stop someone with a mild loss from speaking and only sign with them!!! STUPID!

I'm totally for sign but with a mild loss, you have more hearing then you are deaf!!!