Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Learning to hear (Comment)
ike any other child excited to see her playmate, Molly Harris exclaimed "Asher!" as her friend entered the classroom.
To some, the simple calling of a friend's name may not be significant. But for Asher Cook and Molly, it shows how far they've come since being born deaf less than two years ago.
Molly and Asher were both around 13 months old when they each underwent surgery to receive cochlear implants, which are small electronic devices that provide a sense of sound to a profoundly deaf person.
Time is of the essence for Asher and Molly. Studies show that the brain primarily learns how to speak by age three.
While cochlear implants provide a link from the ear to the brain, the procedure is only the first step in a journey these children must travel to hear and talk.
Molly and Asher spend more than 16 hours a week learning to speak at Ohio Valley Voices, a specialized school in Loeveland that teaches deaf children to speak.
"I feel like they missed out a lot on being a baby," Christina Little, Molly's mother, said.
Asher's mother, Angel Cook, said her insurance was billed $158,000 for the implants. Besides the cost, Angel Cook said her family also misses out on income because of the time needed to take care of her son.
In order to take Asher to Loveland for school four days a week she quit her job. Now, the family relies solely the income of her husband Jason, a Hamilton firefighter.
Outside of school, Cook said she constantly narrates actions. If she's putting Asher's shoes on, she'll tell him "shoes."
"I feel like I'm constantly talking," she said.
Little said she also focuses all her energy on getting Molly able to talk and saving sign language for later if Molly desires it.
"Right now, the window of opportunity is to speak," she said.
It comes with age
Hamilton residents Dean and Kandy Lunsford have two children at OVV. Ireland, 6, goes to kindergarten at the facility. Ian, 3, just started taking full days at the facility. Kandy Lunsford said they wake up at 6:30 a.m., board a bus a little after 7 a.m. and return home by 4:30 p.m.
Ireland has learned hundreds of words since getting her cochlear implant when she was three. Ian received his cochlear implant at 14 months and already knows 200 words by his parents estimates.
"Ian got a head start on Ireland because he started much younger," said Dean Lunsford, their father.
Receiving a cochlear implant at three years of age has made Ireland's progress slower. She remains at OVV for kindergarten and can stay until second grade if necessary.
"Ireland still struggles," her mom Kandy Lunsford said. "She's not up to par where she should be, but hopefully she will be."
Despite her late start, Ireland understands and answers questions. Kandy Lunsford said she is able to talk on the phone without difficulty.
Growing up
No additional surgery should be required as the children get older. Little said the implants are designed with room to stretch as the children's heads grow.
"Really, what's happened is God has used the wonder of technology to bring about a miracle," Dean Lunsford said.
Little said her daughter is still deaf and she had a "Deaf child area" sign installed outside the house. However, she said the implant will afford her daughter the opportunity to not be restricted by her hearing.
Jason Cook, who has deaf parents, said the decision to get a cochlear implant for Asher involved the limitations of being deaf. Now, he said he'll have more options.
"I don't look at them as disabled," he said. "To me, they're just normal persons."
ike any other child excited to see her playmate, Molly Harris exclaimed "Asher!" as her friend entered the classroom.
To some, the simple calling of a friend's name may not be significant. But for Asher Cook and Molly, it shows how far they've come since being born deaf less than two years ago.
Molly and Asher were both around 13 months old when they each underwent surgery to receive cochlear implants, which are small electronic devices that provide a sense of sound to a profoundly deaf person.
Time is of the essence for Asher and Molly. Studies show that the brain primarily learns how to speak by age three.
While cochlear implants provide a link from the ear to the brain, the procedure is only the first step in a journey these children must travel to hear and talk.
Molly and Asher spend more than 16 hours a week learning to speak at Ohio Valley Voices, a specialized school in Loeveland that teaches deaf children to speak.
"I feel like they missed out a lot on being a baby," Christina Little, Molly's mother, said.
Asher's mother, Angel Cook, said her insurance was billed $158,000 for the implants. Besides the cost, Angel Cook said her family also misses out on income because of the time needed to take care of her son.
In order to take Asher to Loveland for school four days a week she quit her job. Now, the family relies solely the income of her husband Jason, a Hamilton firefighter.
Outside of school, Cook said she constantly narrates actions. If she's putting Asher's shoes on, she'll tell him "shoes."
"I feel like I'm constantly talking," she said.
Little said she also focuses all her energy on getting Molly able to talk and saving sign language for later if Molly desires it.
"Right now, the window of opportunity is to speak," she said.
It comes with age
Hamilton residents Dean and Kandy Lunsford have two children at OVV. Ireland, 6, goes to kindergarten at the facility. Ian, 3, just started taking full days at the facility. Kandy Lunsford said they wake up at 6:30 a.m., board a bus a little after 7 a.m. and return home by 4:30 p.m.
Ireland has learned hundreds of words since getting her cochlear implant when she was three. Ian received his cochlear implant at 14 months and already knows 200 words by his parents estimates.
"Ian got a head start on Ireland because he started much younger," said Dean Lunsford, their father.
Receiving a cochlear implant at three years of age has made Ireland's progress slower. She remains at OVV for kindergarten and can stay until second grade if necessary.
"Ireland still struggles," her mom Kandy Lunsford said. "She's not up to par where she should be, but hopefully she will be."
Despite her late start, Ireland understands and answers questions. Kandy Lunsford said she is able to talk on the phone without difficulty.
Growing up
No additional surgery should be required as the children get older. Little said the implants are designed with room to stretch as the children's heads grow.
"Really, what's happened is God has used the wonder of technology to bring about a miracle," Dean Lunsford said.
Little said her daughter is still deaf and she had a "Deaf child area" sign installed outside the house. However, she said the implant will afford her daughter the opportunity to not be restricted by her hearing.
Jason Cook, who has deaf parents, said the decision to get a cochlear implant for Asher involved the limitations of being deaf. Now, he said he'll have more options.
"I don't look at them as disabled," he said. "To me, they're just normal persons."
