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Ashli

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Hi all, this is my first post. :wave: My infant son has just been diagnosed with moderate hearing loss. I am overwhelmed with all of the information we've been given and what I've found myself online. I am happy to have found this forum because I really don't know where to begin. I know that I want to learn ASL and for the entire family to learn (we have a preschool aged daughter as well). We just don't even know where to start. :shock:
Looking forward to chatting with many of you.
 
hi Ashli.....it all coming to fast for you,step back take deep breath,i am english so we have different surpport networks but i know america has samething different names...first have they given you a diagnosis?if so then go from that a surpport group....afraid looking at to much online is daunting and moderate hearing loss is not the end of the world ,you be surprized how your son will adapt good speech therapy back up at school..Asl always a good thing to learn, in england at this stage we use 'Makaton'and Portage at your infants stage,just take it stage at a time
 
WELCOME!!!! The first thing to do is contact your state's School for the Deaf. They can hook you up with early intervention so your son can learn ASL....there may be a deaf mentor program so you can learn ASL directly from a native signer. There's also the advantage of perhaps working with a speech therapist who is familiar and experianced with working with dhh kids. (as opposed to a general early intervention speech therapist who might not have a lot of experiance in that area) All the info is overwheming yes..... but at least there's a lot of info.....I think its awesome that you've decided to add ASL!!! Most of the time hoh kids only get speech and solotaire mainstream schooling. we get SO MANY hoh as kids folks coming in and going " I wish i'd gotten ASL and Deaf schools/classes. Instead ALL I got was speech therapy."
There's a lot of resources out there... please check out :American Society for Deaf Children - Home
and Hands & Voices
 
Thanks all! I knew right away that I wanted our family to sign. What if his hearing loss progresses, and signing is a way to begin communicating now. I don't know how long it will be before he's fitted for hearing aids and I don't want to delay his language.
The children's hospital that performed his BAER facilitates getting early intervention in touch with families so I know there will be much to come our way but I am just so anxious. My biggest question is how on earth we all learn ASL. I want to start signing with him asap but don't know what to do. I guess I will see what early intervention says and take it from there.
Worried about daycare too, he starts in a month.
 
Welcome, as a person who was born with a profound hearing loss 33 years ago and able to talk and read lips, your child will grow up to be a productive kid as long as you sign him up for speech therapy.

Check out Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and see about attending one of their conferences. You might find some helpful information and advice for your child!
 
Ashli said:
Thanks all! I knew right away that I wanted our family to sign. What if his hearing loss progresses, and signing is a way to begin communicating now. I don't know how long it will be before he's fitted for hearing aids and I don't want to delay his language.
The children's hospital that performed his BAER facilitates getting early intervention in touch with families so I know there will be much to come our way but I am just so anxious. My biggest question is how on earth we all learn ASL. I want to start signing with him asap but don't know what to do. I guess I will see what early intervention says and take it from there.
Worried about daycare too, he starts in a month.
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Exactly!!! It's also a VERY useful second language for hoh kids. It is hard to learn ASL as a second language, BUT there are a ton of great resources out there....like deaf mentor programs....Maybe contact your state's association for the deaf and see if they might have someone who could come out and teach your family ASL....dig around in your area and see what is out there!
 
A Nihilist said:
Welcome, as a person who was born with a profound hearing loss 33 years ago and able to talk and read lips, your child will grow up to be a productive kid as long as you sign him up for speech therapy.

Check out Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and see about attending one of their conferences. You might find some helpful information and advice for your child!
Click to expand...

A Nilist, I know you think you're being helpful, but her son has a moderate loss. Meaning he doesn't need the intense speech therapy that deafer kids may need. Many if not most audilogically hoh kids don't require intense spoken language therapies. It's pretty much a given that virtually ALL hoh kids get speech therapy. There's no lack of hoh kids getting speech therapy. ...and AG Bell is very audist, and doesn't reconize a lot of problems with their approaches.
 
And that's not saying that I don't approve of speech therapy. I do think that dhh kids have the right to develop speech skills....it just shouldn't be the sole focus of their lives.
I do think it is a good idea to find a speech therapist to work with, who is familiar with how to teach dhh kids, and who isn't one of those old ladies with rhinestone cat's eye glasses and lace up black oxford shoes. Meaning not one of those garden variety speech therapists (meaning general early intervention or general public school speech therapists) and not one who is REALLY boring. But NiHilist........you're missing that there are very few audilogically hoh kids who don't get speech therapy. Guess what? They offer speech therapy (and good quality speech at that) at schools for the Deaf where they use ASL!
 
I think he is moderate--severe actually. Just received the paperwork from his BAER and it describes one ear as moderate and one as severe. The audiologist only mentioned moderate at the appt. Will learn more next week. They're referring us to early intervention. My great.concern is communicating with him. He can't hear me and i want to talk to him and it is a little overwhelming as to how we will communicate, how much he will hear with aids, and how the family can learn to sign.
 
Ashli said:
I think he is moderate--severe actually. Just received the paperwork from his BAER and it describes one ear as moderate and one as severe. The audiologist only mentioned moderate at the appt. Will learn more next week. They're referring us to early intervention. My great.concern is communicating with him. He can't hear me and i want to talk to him and it is a little overwhelming as to how we will communicate, how much he will hear with aids, and how the family can learn to sign.
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As a Deaf activist I don't think it really matters (with the ASL debate) if a kid has HOH hearing levels. Most HoH kids can and do respond well to speech therapy....You really don't need to worry. Speech will not give them perfect speech....it will give them that tool, and that's good...Nobody is saying "Sign only!"
ASL is an AWESOME language to have for any dhh kid.....and i strongly believe that the gross majority of dhh kids can and should learn ASL as a language growing up. Even if he hears well with aids, the world is not a soundbooth.....he 'll be able to function well both with and without his aids. He can have a signed conversation in difficult listening situtions, he won't have to panic if his hearing aids break or are in the shop and so on.....he'll have the best of both worlds!!!! I know it's a little overwhelming but soon you'll be hooked up with all the info....and please be adamant that you do want Sign for your son......sometimes parents of hoh kids are told that "Oh they don't really need sign....all those kids need is speech therapy!" *rme*
 
Ashli said:
I think he is moderate--severe actually. Just received the paperwork from his BAER and it describes one ear as moderate and one as severe. The audiologist only mentioned moderate at the appt. Will learn more next week. They're referring us to early intervention. My great.concern is communicating with him. He can't hear me and i want to talk to him and it is a little overwhelming as to how we will communicate, how much he will hear with aids, and how the family can learn to sign.
Click to expand...

whoa! that's where I am right now LOL!!! but I'm pretty borderline severe if ya'll see my old charts from 09 and 10.
 
Ashli said:
I think he is moderate--severe actually. Just received the paperwork from his BAER and it describes one ear as moderate and one as severe. The audiologist only mentioned moderate at the appt. Will learn more next week. They're referring us to early intervention. My great.concern is communicating with him. He can't hear me and i want to talk to him and it is a little overwhelming as to how we will communicate, how much he will hear with aids, and how the family can learn to sign.
Click to expand...

There is no reason you can't sign and talk with your son. He will do well with early intervention and early access to language and communication. Once some time has passed and you've gained more knowledge and insight, you'll feel better about everything. Your son will do great, so have no fear. Welcome to AD :) :wave:
 
Ashli, do not let posts like these scare you. Your child will be just fine, speech or not.

A Nihilist said:
Welcome, as a person who was born with a profound hearing loss 33 years ago and able to talk and read lips, your child will grow up to be a productive kid as long as you sign him up for speech therapy.
Click to expand...
 
rolling7 said:
Don't forget to put hearing aids on him ASAP. No implants.
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I don't think he would qualify for implants anyway. And hoh kids don't need immeditate aiding.....they still have quite a bit of residual hearing..
 
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