TEST RESULT on Adam

Awwwwwesome!!! :D :D :D

I'm so happy that your child is still hearing and he is able to sign, which is easy for him to talk earlier in a little later time.
 
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You should still consider a baha (softband) or a Transear. They are both for single sided deafness. A child with a loss in one ear is still (I believe) 14 times more likely to fail a grade.
 
I second faire_jour! Especially since he's got other issues. I wonder thou if he might have a fluctutating or processing loss ala auditory nereopathy. But continue with ASL!
It's actually not too unusual for hearing kids with cerebal palsy or apraxia to use ASL as a first language.
 
Omg what a fantastic outcome! So happy to hear he is doing well and already surpassing expectations! You're little guy is gonna be a rule breaker in all the good ways! :)
 
Awesome news !!
I'm through the moon for you and Adam that his visual scores are so high!!


For what it's worth - As someone born with SSD myself (I was born with no hearing on my right and normal on my left ... the left slllooowyy started to become mild HL etc)

I'd also suggest pushing for a BAHA trial - even if "they" don't suggest it or even "ho-hum" the idea. He's still at the perfect age to really benefit from it and be able to develop an almost "natural" sense of "artificial stereo hearing" ... if that makes sense.

The trial BAHA is mounted on a head band which they wear for a period of weeks or months (heck technically years). and then if Adam benefits from it there is a 1 or 2 part minor surgery to mount the "screw" and then after it heals the BAHA aid just "clicks" in place.

BAHA is really a very very good option - one that I sort of wish existed when I was little ... at least to try.
I haven't really considered the idea of BAHA as an adult mainly because my audiologist & I both agree that the APD complicates things and also the quick in office test we did when I was about 25 to see if CROS (see below) would work for me ... ended up with me not being able to understand anything at all (the APD hard at work) . Keep in mind that not hearing anything at all for 30+years on the right side and APD makes a HUGE difference ... likely if I'd been fitted with a BAHA in my first 5 years the outcome would have been different.

I'm not sure what the status for coverage for BAHA surgery is ... I'm going to guess that it would be covered in the same manner as the CIs are - however I honestly have never really looked into it at all.

The other option is a CROS aid ... It works by having a HA in both ears, the one in the deaf side uses the mic to "listen" to the sounds on that side and then it (wired or wireless) sends those sounds to the "hearing side" into the HA ... that way you can hear both sides coming through the hearing side. Adams current HAs might actually be CROS compatible and just need to be "set into CROS mode". Honestly this option doesn't produce as good a "result" as the BAHA and means having two hearing aids again (along with the associated costs etc) - it is however an option.


Here are a few sites about BAHA :
http://www.umm.edu/otolaryngology/baha.htm
http://products.cochlearamericas.com/baha

If you'd like to chat about BAHA more send me a PM here ? I'd love to chat again anyway :)
 
Amazing Shonda!! I emailed you on FB, that is very good news, keep up the ASL! :)
 
deafdyke said:
I second faire_jour! Especially since he's got other issues. I wonder thou if he might have a fluctutating or processing loss ala auditory nereopathy. But continue with ASL!
It's actually not too unusual for hearing kids with cerebal palsy or apraxia to use ASL as a first language.
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They said he doesn't appear to have a neuropathy... I asked about that-- since somedays he seems to 'hear me' and others he doesn't... jokingly his Developmental Ped said maybe it's just b/c he's a 2 year old male and he's practicing ignoring me?? LOL
 
Miss-Delectable said:
Great news! Am pleased the results were encouraging.
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Yeah especially his visual skills result, I was so proud he did things I'd never seen him do!

marcyp06 said:
Omg what a fantastic outcome! So happy to hear he is doing well and already surpassing expectations! You're little guy is gonna be a rule breaker in all the good ways! :)
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(I fear in some bad ways too Marcy LOL he's a sneaky little thing!)

Lissa said:
Amazing Shonda!! I emailed you on FB, that is very good news, keep up the ASL! :)
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I'll email you back this afternoon :) THANKS and we def. plan on keeping it up!
 
So wonderful that you finally have something tangible, defined to take action on! And a result that explains so much that was at odds with previous findings.

I too find that even with all that access to sound and great comprehension it doesn't really mean our wee ones will listen in the behavioral sense :) . This morning I patiently (well, maybe the first 2 times, then a little more insistently :) ) made a request 4 times over to no reaction, and thought, are her processors off, batteries wonky, is something wrong? And when I tapped her to get her attention and sign my request, she stopped me at the start and said "Mama, I know, I heard you 4 times, but I'm too busy reading." When did she go from 4 to 14 years old?
 
GrendelQ said:
So wonderful that you finally have something tangible, defined to take action on! And a result that explains so much that was at odds with previous findings.

I too find that even with all that access to sound and great comprehension it doesn't really mean our wee ones will listen in the behavioral sense :) . This morning I patiently (well, maybe the first 2 times, then a little more insistently :) ) made a request 4 times over to no reaction, and thought, are her processors off, batteries wonky, is something wrong? And when I tapped her to get her attention and sign my request, she stopped me at the start and said "Mama, I know, I heard you 4 times, but I'm too busy reading." When did she go from 4 to 14 years old?
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I LOVE IT!!! :laugh2: I expect that in the future... Boy do I ever!!! Little Mister has a sassy attitude already and I'm SURE it will just get worse!! But it keeps him strong and he doesn't take anything off other kids so that'll be helpful in a sense as he gets older ya know?? (or might end up w/him in the principals office frequently :roll:)
 
faire_jour said:
You should still consider a baha (softband) or a Transear. They are both for single sided deafness. A child with a loss in one ear is still (I believe) 14 times more likely to fail a grade.
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deafdyke said:
I second faire_jour! Especially since he's got other issues. I wonder thou if he might have a fluctutating or processing loss ala auditory nereopathy. But continue with ASL!
It's actually not too unusual for hearing kids with cerebal palsy or apraxia to use ASL as a first language.
Click to expand...

Asked A's local Audi about a BAHA today-- and she said due to his age he'd have to have the headband BUT since he does have the 'normal' hearing in one ear, he most likely would be less tolerant to keep it on (as well as his personality- basically saying I think she felt A would refuse to wear it and take it off)-- we're going to give him a couple weeks with NO HA's then test him w/his Left only on to see if it helps w/localization-- which is the only reason she said he'd need it-- Once he's older we can do an FM system to help him in school if he needs it-- but we're going to give him a couple weeks w/out testing (he needs a break) and monitor that right ear...
 
Adamsmomma said:
Asked A's local Audi about a BAHA today-- and she said due to his age he'd have to have the headband BUT since he does have the 'normal' hearing in one ear, he most likely would be less tolerant to keep it on (as well as his personality- basically saying I think she felt A would refuse to wear it and take it off)-- we're going to give him a couple weeks with NO HA's then test him w/his Left only on to see if it helps w/localization-- which is the only reason she said he'd need it-- Once he's older we can do an FM system to help him in school if he needs it-- but we're going to give him a couple weeks w/out testing (he needs a break) and monitor that right ear...
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For some reason this is a common thing Audies seem to think ... the only reason I can come up with is that they are working under the mis-conception that being SSD is actually more like being hearing than it is like being deaf (not at all the case!). The Audie's and "professionals" try to "picture" what it would be like and come to the conclusion that it won't really make a difference ... however if you can find an Audie with SSD with a BAHA (they do exist) they'll tell you a VERY different reality.

One way to look at it is - SSD is a lot like having ONE CI ... YES you are able to hear A LOT better (typically) than with hearing aids ... however anyone who goes from 1 CI to two will tell you that it makes a HUGE difference in being able to understand sounds, localise, understand in background etc ... which is why so many people are going bilateral :)

For what it's worth - most of the SSD children I know (IRL, online etc) who've been fitted with the BAHA headband actually like it - because they can hear a difference with it on (HAs don't work nearly as well for SSD, even though it's what I use)

To understand a bit more about with SSD is like - there's a webpage that I often send to people that is sort of a "day in the life" of someone with SSD - Single Sided Deafness page

One thing that may be worth asking Adams Audie to "look out for" is the possibility that he's got SSD as well as APD ... this is diagnosed over time by observation - there is no "test" espeically for those with hearing loss, and especially those with SSD.

I'm very excited that Adam will have the benefit of growing up with ASL ... it is one of the things that I constantly wish I'd been able to experience - it would have made communication, education and LIFE so much easier.
 
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There it is again...SSD that I mentioned earlier. Other than that, I don't know what I'm talking about. :D
 
Tousi said:
There it is again...SSD that I mentioned earlier. Other than that, I don't know what I'm talking about. :D
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:hug: oh yeah its a SSD (what I was so excited about was the age appropriate scoring, love its heart Adams never been age appropriate before! Lol... now I thought I had a handle on the bi-lateral loss this SSD is new lol he keeps me on my toes!! )
 
I'm curious with SSD, will Adam still go to a school for the deaf someday or attend mainstream program?
 
Miss-Delectable said:
I'm curious with SSD, will Adam still go to a school for the deaf someday or attend mainstream program?
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I'm looking at schools for the deaf... and since he has a vision issue as well some schools that can accommodate both... his DP that we saw this wek suggested getting in touch with the Deaf/blind project here just to see if they can recommend anything additional. Guess it makes sense since he can't see up to 45 degrees on his good 'hearing' side... now if we can find an amazing school district with awesome special ed teachers who will do what he needs then I will consider public school but don't see that anytime soon... not here or back in Tennessee (home)
 
Anij said:
For some reason this is a common thing Audies seem to think ... the only reason I can come up with is that they are working under the mis-conception that being SSD is actually more like being hearing than it is like being deaf (not at all the case!). The Audie's and "professionals" try to "picture" what it would be like and come to the conclusion that it won't really make a difference ... however if you can find an Audie with SSD with a BAHA (they do exist) they'll tell you a VERY different reality.

One way to look at it is - SSD is a lot like having ONE CI ... YES you are able to hear A LOT better (typically) than with hearing aids ... however anyone who goes from 1 CI to two will tell you that it makes a HUGE difference in being able to understand sounds, localise, understand in background etc ... which is why so many people are going bilateral :)

For what it's worth - most of the SSD children I know (IRL, online etc) who've been fitted with the BAHA headband actually like it - because they can hear a difference with it on (HAs don't work nearly as well for SSD, even though it's what I use)

To understand a bit more about with SSD is like - there's a webpage that I often send to people that is sort of a "day in the life" of someone with SSD - Single Sided Deafness page

One thing that may be worth asking Adams Audie to "look out for" is the possibility that he's got SSD as well as APD ... this is diagnosed over time by observation - there is no "test" espeically for those with hearing loss, and especially those with SSD.

I'm very excited that Adam will have the benefit of growing up with ASL ... it is one of the things that I constantly wish I'd been able to experience - it would have made communication, education and LIFE so much easier.
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His DP does think part of his issues are APD due to his brain 'differences' that's one reason we're getting the functional MRI to check the mapping of his little brain since some of the 'damage' IS in his speech/language center. Apparently where his brain remaps can give us clues to how he'll do w/speech... ????

About the BAHA I think the Audi is concerned that Adam wouldn't wear it because of his 'behavior issues' and the fact he doesn't like anything on his head for more than a couple seconds... maybe when he's just a little older (and hopefully calmer- although no promises of that) he'd be more tolerant of it... does that make sense?? She said it's something we can talk about in the future... for the next couple of weeks I'm going to let him go HA free, then we'll test him again w/his LEFT aid in- to see if it appears to help at all-- I mean we've already got them (ok they're in repair still :Oops: but you know what I mean) so we'll go that route first, and progress from there...

Experts 'say' they can't diagnosis APD until they're 7-8 and the brain has quit remapping and the kids are more accurate in testing... but they're already considering it for A b/c of the 'damage' (I just hate that word- he's not damaged, he's different ya know?) And I've asked about that for TWO years now-- only to have it swept to the side...
 
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