Here for my son :)

Banjo said:
ASL is a language a child can learn and become responsive within the first few months.
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Indeed! Children of deaf parents typically are signing their first words at about 6 months. So by signing with him, you are giving him a huge advantage over kids whose parents don't sign.
It's amazing how fast babies pick this stuff up, too. They are so much smarter than we realize and they all, deaf or hearing, really want to communicate.
 
jaismom... I was so happy to find your post today! I have a 2 year old daughter that we think is hoh as well, I am teaching her ASL (she doesn't talk much) to help until we know for sure. What tests were done with your son? and what was his hearing loss... mild... moderate? I have felt very alone in this, until I found this forum and have been overwhelmed by the sense of community and help here! i hope you don't mind all the questions :) So far teaching my other 3 kids ASL has been soo rewarding and fun! We are all getting closer as a family because of it!
 
I'm so sorry ... I've been so busy!

@whatdidyousay! ... They "upgraded" his medicaid to medipass and told me that this way they have a bigger budget to cover all the extra costs. TOOK A MONTH to straighten it all out, but he's covered now.

@Buffalo ... I have to find the paper that says the DB. I'll post the numbers once I do.

@Banjo ... he's already signed up for speech therapy as well. I'm sure he wont be starting soon though but the ASL is already a part of our lives.

@angiemayor ... The first test was at the hospital when he was born, not sure how they went about that. The second and third were pretty similar. They put these tube like things in his ear and I'm guessing sent waves to his brain. They had little patches on his head to check for responses to the sounds. He has permanent hearing loss in both ears ... Mild in his right and moderate in his left. That's all I know so far. Just got a referral today actually for more tests and hopefully get the molds for the aides soon!
 
I'm so sorry ... I've been so busy!

@whatdidyousay! ... They "upgraded" his medicaid to medipass and told me that this way they have a bigger budget to cover all the extra costs. TOOK A MONTH to straighten it all out, but he's covered now.

@Buffalo ... I have to find the paper that says the DB. I'll post the numbers once I do.

@Banjo ... he's already signed up for speech therapy as well. I'm sure he wont be starting soon though but the ASL is already a part of our lives.

@angiemayor ... The first test was at the hospital when he was born, not sure how they went about that. The second and third were pretty similar. They put these tube like things in his ear and I'm guessing sent waves to his brain. They had little patches on his head to check for responses to the sounds. He has permanent hearing loss in both ears ... Mild in his right and moderate in his left. That's all I know so far. Just got a referral today actually for more tests and hopefully get the molds for the aides soon!
 
jaismom said:
@Banjo ... he's already signed up for speech therapy as well. I'm sure he wont be starting soon though but the ASL is already a part of our lives.

He has permanent hearing loss in both ears ... Mild in his right and moderate in his left. That's all I know so far. Just got a referral today actually for more tests and hopefully get the molds for the aides soon!
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:D This is going to be SO COOL!!!!!! He'll be able to function both with and without his hearing aids....and he'll respond well to speech therapy.He may not even need speech therapy you know. He's at risk for spoken language issues BUT, again did you know that until recently a lot of HOH kids weren't dx until they were toddlers? Meaning they didn't have obvious "deaf" style speech/language delays.....I wasn't identified as being HOH until I was two, and didn't get my aids until I was three. But the speech will be a nice thing to have, and he will progress and do well! He won't need hyperintense speech therapy.
 
and again if he has a mild/moderate loss .....this is even less of a reason to worry about getting his aids ASAP. Remember he still has quite a bit of residual hearing, and he will learn to speechread while he doesn't have his aids. HOH kids do have speech issues BUT, they're not as intense as deaf kids.And the thing is, if he gets to go to a school with a sizable dhh program, the dhh program will have a speech therapist familiar with how to teach dhh kids. Which will be awesome......most of the time HOH kids get neighborhood school speech therapists who generally aren't all that familair with how to teach kids like us. (and that is the downside of inclusion and an auditory verbal approach)
 
I really appreciate all of your posts and info deafdyke .... I feel so lost and hopeless sometimes but you (and all you guys really) have been like a light at the end of the tunnel for me.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
 
jaismom said:
I really appreciate all of your posts and info deafdyke .... I feel so lost and hopeless sometimes but you (and all you guys really) have been like a light at the end of the tunnel for me.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
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We have been there and done that, and know the downsides of the thinking that ALL HOH kids need is a minimal accomondations approach. That is why we're here....so that other dhh kids won't have to go through what we went through, especially socially and emotionally. I think parents forget that social and emotional development is very important as well, and is an issue that is often swept under the rug especially in kids who *only* have *mild* issues.
Hopefully there is a regional dhh program near you that your son can take advantage of.
 
I've been VERY emotional lately. Just thinking of how to prepare him for the "real" world. Trying to figure out how to balance his independence and his comfort zone. Granted, he is only 3 months old .... but sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that I gave birth to my oldest ... and hes 5! Time flies.
 
jaismom said:
I've been VERY emotional lately. Just thinking of how to prepare him for the "real" world. Trying to figure out how to balance his independence and his comfort zone. Granted, he is only 3 months old .... but sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that I gave birth to my oldest ... and hes 5! Time flies.
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That's a common reacation. But remember, you ARE giving him the skills to function in the real world....and he'll do AWESOME.....He's HOH yes, and has needs not seen with the average baby/toddler/kid, but at the same time he is still going to be a typical little boy. Here is something I wrote about that:

Welcome to... A Typical Life?!? (and I have a disability!)
 
jaismom said:
Hi! My name is Shy and I have 3 boys ... my youngest (2 months old) is HOH. I just want to learn as much as I can and get as familiar with the "deaf community" as possible. Any ideas? Live in Florida, if that matters. :)
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I can see you're getting excellent help..
Just want to welcome you, and emphasize like the others that the most important thing to do is to establish communication..

You're doing great.
 
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