Update on us with the HAs: good news is that my son has stopped throwing them away so often; he is also producing new sounds. It seems to me as if he is saying words in his own way: aa e aaaa a a a (or something like that, he has stopped the aaaaaaaaaaaaa stuff). He is also using some singns now: food, sleep, more, cry.
HAs FOR BABY BEFORE CI
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Cloggy
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A quick answer before I read the complete thread..
Lotte also had to try HA's before even applying for CI. From our point of view it would have been better to apply for the CI and try the HA's in the waiting period. Had they worked - the HA's - we could have stopped the CI-application.
From our point it was a complete waist of time, but in a way, if there is even a slight benefit, just a little stimulation of the hearing nerve... it would be worth it..
We never saw any benefit. In fact, Lotte didn't want to keep them in, in huge contrast with the CI that were never a problem..
So.. just keep them on... they might just help..
And today "warm", "nice". Tomorrow we are travelling to get some tests done. HOpe everything turns out Ok.
Yes Cloggy, That is our plan, wearing HAs while waiting for the CI surgery.
Our speech therapist told me today that, since my son does not have systematic responses to sound (even loud sounds) I should contact the company from which we bought the HAs and ask for turning up their volume. She says that he SHOULD respond to loud noises, no matter what, with the HAs. Is that so? I've mentioned again in this thread, he does make new sounds but does not seem more interested in sounds while wearing them (from the end of December he is wearing them full time).
messymama
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He looks just like my little one!! He's not interested in any sound, and he's wearing HAs for almost 2 years now. BUT he've been able, yesterday, to let me know his right aid is not working properly :roll: So I guess... It's NOT like they think.
I'll give you a few examples (which will make you understand why I always say "meet other deaf people", because that's the only way to kmow deafness, no doctors, no therapists have a clue unless they have spent some time with deaf adults and not only with children).
Our speech therapist, who has worked with many deaf kids for years and is not strictly oralist, told us we should relax at least until he's 5 or 6. Another kid that goes there for therapy was exactly like him, no systematic responses and blah blah blah... Now he's 6 and they finally managed to have a test in which he understood why he was doing that all, and guess what? He's got a good residual hearing (gets to 40 db with aids, which is fine since he's in the profound range) and he's starting to speak.
Our HA manufacturer told us that it's very common for kids to give such incoherent responses. Not every kid is interested in sound. It's very common for them to have kids increase in responses with age: to say, kids that are in the profound range turns out to be severe as adults. Of course they're not getting better hearing: they simply learn to use residual hearing.
Just because a kid still doesn't walk at 12 months, you can't assume his legs are not working...
A deaf friend we have, profoundly deaf, was at 40-50 db with aids as a kid. Now he's in the 30-35 range, can even use the phone. That seems to confirm the theory.
BUt the most important thing now is where all these worries are leading you...
Your son is not a HA star patient as it seems. That could be because he needs more time or because he doesn't hear enough with them to get interested.
So now the question is: how much important is it for you that your son hears...?
It's all there. It will always be there... Even with CI. CIs can break, we all hope they don't, but it CAN happen. You can't wait for such a thing to happen to cope with the fact that you son is and will always be deaf. Deaf means he doesn't and will never hear like you or me. So...
Are you ready to cope with the chance that you kid may never hear?
Once you feel you are... Make your decision. Not before.
And as far as I understand now, hospitals and your speech therapist will always tell you to implant. Regardless of what I told you before about residual hearing and the develop of knowledge by deaf kids.
I will never say that enough times... Meet Deaf adults. Possibly, many of them. See by yourself.
I'll give you a few examples (which will make you understand why I always say "meet other deaf people", because that's the only way to kmow deafness, no doctors, no therapists have a clue unless they have spent some time with deaf adults and not only with children).
Our speech therapist, who has worked with many deaf kids for years and is not strictly oralist, told us we should relax at least until he's 5 or 6. Another kid that goes there for therapy was exactly like him, no systematic responses and blah blah blah... Now he's 6 and they finally managed to have a test in which he understood why he was doing that all, and guess what? He's got a good residual hearing (gets to 40 db with aids, which is fine since he's in the profound range) and he's starting to speak.
Our HA manufacturer told us that it's very common for kids to give such incoherent responses. Not every kid is interested in sound. It's very common for them to have kids increase in responses with age: to say, kids that are in the profound range turns out to be severe as adults. Of course they're not getting better hearing: they simply learn to use residual hearing.
Just because a kid still doesn't walk at 12 months, you can't assume his legs are not working...
A deaf friend we have, profoundly deaf, was at 40-50 db with aids as a kid. Now he's in the 30-35 range, can even use the phone. That seems to confirm the theory.
BUt the most important thing now is where all these worries are leading you...
Your son is not a HA star patient as it seems. That could be because he needs more time or because he doesn't hear enough with them to get interested.
So now the question is: how much important is it for you that your son hears...?
It's all there. It will always be there... Even with CI. CIs can break, we all hope they don't, but it CAN happen. You can't wait for such a thing to happen to cope with the fact that you son is and will always be deaf. Deaf means he doesn't and will never hear like you or me. So...
Are you ready to cope with the chance that you kid may never hear?
Once you feel you are... Make your decision. Not before.
And as far as I understand now, hospitals and your speech therapist will always tell you to implant. Regardless of what I told you before about residual hearing and the develop of knowledge by deaf kids.
I will never say that enough times... Meet Deaf adults. Possibly, many of them. See by yourself.
Thanks again, messymama. i have arranged a trip to Athens in a couple of months in order to get in touch with the local organisation for the deaf; my island is too small so I have never met a deaf person. As for my younger (deaf) son, I think that I have accepted he is adorable, hearing or not and I am willing to do my best so himself and everybody around him will understand this.
MessyMama, I cannot like your post enough! Yes, there's "cannot benifit at ALL from HA." kids, but overall there are still kids who still need to learn to use their hearing aid hearing. This panic about " oh gotta implant them so that they can be oral and access speech ASAP" just seems to be one of those things to get mothers worried.