any advice would be wonderful!

frankiesmom

frankiesmom

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hello
i have a little boy named francis..he is 14 months old and has some very significant delays. it looks like he also has "moderate hearing loss", as indicated by the audiologist. they are going to do one more test to confirm it..apparently they will sedate him and then test his brain waves. at any rate..what do i need to know? will hearing aids help him? do hearing aids restore hearing to "normal"??
to be honest, this is the least of his delays but im still so very worried.
 
Hearing aids do not restore normal hearing. With a moderate loss, they should give him much access to sound though.
 
Whether or not hearing aids will help him is something the tests will help you figure out.

Neither hearing aids nor Cochlear Implants (CIs) will return his hearing to "normal" but they will certainly help him hear and learn to process sounds.

You could also try doing some simple signs with him; see if he can mimic you for signs like "milk" or "food." I'm assuming you don't know ASL yourself, so it will be a learning experience for both of you. Just take it step by step and you can progress together.
 
:wave:frankiesmom,

thoughts of mine - to connect with the local deaf/hard of hearing center to find classes, socials <get-togethers> role models and a wide variety of information.
Also, an interpreter training program <American Sign Language> at a local university may be able to give you further resources in the community.

There is this:American Society for Deaf Children <American Society for Deaf Children> which has a resource listing.
 
sounds good!
i am so very overwhelmed by all of this..i called early intervention a few months ago to get an appointment because he was just regressing..they confirmed that he is very delayed, and he is at a 5 month old level..he cant eat solid food without choking, he cant play with toys really..he just learned to hold his bottle a couple of months ago..i am wondering if it will be difficult to help him adapt when he has all of these other issues. its really something..i have 6 other children, and none of them have any problems at all, hearing related or otherwise.
 
Wow, you have a lot on your plate. Are the older children old enough to help out?

Do you have a good social services advisor available in your area?
 
oh yes..my kids are 18,17,15,13,10,6 and then francis is 14 months. they have all rallied around their baby brother and have helped with watching my daughter when we go to the dr and such. i contacted early intervention, but so far, i have made all the appointments and found the different places for therapy, tests, etc so i guess its good that they did the initial evaluation but i am not sure what role they will play later on. i am just trying to learn so many different things at once it seems! its one thing to have a good suspicion that something just isnt right, but having it made glaringly obvious is another.
 
Contact your local Deaf and hoh agency and see if you can connect with some deaf adults who can give access to language to your baby while you learn ASL, if you plan on doing. It is very critical. Good luck!
 
I had a mild/moderate loss when I was a baby like francis :)
had hearing aids around when I was 6 months old

people with that type of loss can benefit from a hearing aid espically me from when I started out my 1st year with them :D

1st pair are Siemens and my 2nd and 3rd pair are Oticons
 
shel90 said:
Contact your local Deaf and hoh agency and see if you can connect with some deaf adults who can give access to language to your baby while you learn ASL, if you plan on doing. It is very critical. Good luck!
Click to expand...

do you mean like a therapist?
 
frankiesmom said:
sounds good!
i am so very overwhelmed by all of this..i called early intervention a few months ago to get an appointment because he was just regressing..they confirmed that he is very delayed, and he is at a 5 month old level..he cant eat solid food without choking, he cant play with toys really..he just learned to hold his bottle a couple of months ago..i am wondering if it will be difficult to help him adapt when he has all of these other issues. its really something..i have 6 other children, and none of them have any problems at all, hearing related or otherwise.
Click to expand...

It sounds as if your son has a lot of things going on at once. By all means, get his hearing tested and get him aided as soon as possible. You don't need language delays on top of everything else that could have been prevented.

I encourage you to get him into an EI program for developmentally delayed children as soon as possible, as well. The sooner delays are addressed ,the less compounding effect they will have, and the easier they will be to remediate.
 
frankiesmom said:
oh yes..my kids are 18,17,15,13,10,6 and then francis is 14 months. they have all rallied around their baby brother and have helped with watching my daughter when we go to the dr and such. i contacted early intervention, but so far, i have made all the appointments and found the different places for therapy, tests, etc so i guess its good that they did the initial evaluation but i am not sure what role they will play later on. i am just trying to learn so many different things at once it seems! its one thing to have a good suspicion that something just isnt right, but having it made glaringly obvious is another.
Click to expand...

Hi frankiesmom, I also have 7 children ages: 23,22,20,17,15,10,7. I am severely-deaf, the only one in my whole family, my husband and children are all hearing. Welcome to AllDeaf, I am sure if you hang around and read the threads, you will soon find the solution to meet the needs of your little Francis and be able to carry on life happily altogether. It is good that you have the support of your family members. Learning together is the best way.
 
He needs to be enrolled in an early childhood program that specializes in developmental delays and hearing loss - ASAP. Your audiologist should be able to answer questions on what can be done to help amplify his hearing and give you a list of resources in your area. Good luck.
 
frankiesmom, I know that it might be hard to tell right now, how mentally effected he will end up being. Have you had him tested for anything? Three or more things is a red flag for genetic issues.
Actually rolling7, she should contact the Missori School for the Deaf. St. Joseph's is oral. Most kids with developmental issues tend to have severe speech issues. Matter of fact, a lot of kids with mild mental disabilty or even just LDs tend to have significent spoken language delays and issues.
That's not to say she shouldn't pursue speech. Most dhh kids can speak...but it's always good to have ASL included in the package too.....it'll be another useful tool....Like your son may be able to speak, but he could go even further with ASL!
 
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