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HOH2000

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Hello! :wave:

My name is Caitlin, and I am 14 years old, going on 15 (yes, I am younger than most of you :lol:). I have a severe hearing loss in my left ear (somewhere between 20 and 25 percentage of hearing) and profoundly deaf in my right ear (0% hearing). I have a hearing aid for my left ear, which gives me a good 30 percent extra hearing. I used to have a hearing aid for my right (I was first diagnosed with a severe hearing loss in there at 3 before losing it all before age 7 or 8) then I got a cochlear implant surgery summer before second grade. I hated it as I never adapted to the sound of it, and last year I gave it up. I have a BICROS I use when I go out in public (I don't wear it at home). Anyway, for some reason, when I was born, I never had a hearing test. Mom suspected that I couldn't hear because I was speech delayed and I didn't respond to noises and voices and all. She told my doctor about it, but he chalked it up to just being developmentally slow and I would catch up soon. I never did. Finally, mom took me to a new doctor, got my hearing tested, and ta da, I was diagnosed. I was 3 at the time. I kinda remember getting hearing aids and going through speech therapy, but sorta fuzzy. My parents and siblings are all hearing, and I've done years and years of speech therapy (l'm still doing it). While I appreciate it, it gets frustrating sometimes. I am learning ASL as I have a few culturally deaf friends who communicates with it and I just find it fascinating. :P I've been a lurker here, and I finally decided to join and become an official member. It is wonderful to be surrounded with deaf, Deaf, and HOH people I can relate to. And hearing folks that are interested in our culture. I am so excited to be apart of this community. :laugh2::laugh2:
 
Hello.ther are others young like you on site.Try find out what going on locally you make friends
 
Welcome!!!! Are you looking into resources? You're actually very lucky...... you have the chance of going to Deaf Camps, and if you really wanted to, you could see about maybe going to a dhh program or even a Deaf School. .... There's a LOT of great resources out there to enhance your learning ASL! If you're interested, I'll post the resources later! Being immersed in the language will help you get fluent faster!
Just a word of advice....don't be afraid to look into Deaf stuff b/c you think you're "too hearing" ...HOH kids ARE accepted in the Deaf community and can attend Deaf camps and Dhh programs and schools.
Stuff like that can REALLY....and I mean REALLY enhance your life, especially socially. (a really big area of concern with almost ALL dhh kids)
Again welcome!
 
:wave: HI! I just can't believe that your doctor pass off you being HOH !
I would hope by now doctors were smarter than I was a kid in the 40's and 50's .
 
:wave: HOH2000 I'm hoh
but I'm old:lol: <42>

-I also very delayed speech and folks thought I was deaf. I was a tiny preemie; doc.'s told my mom I was missing inner ear bones. Don't know if I had mild or minimal hearing loss as a baby/young child. As far as I'm aware, I noticed change in my hearing about 5 years ago-
 
dogmom said:
:wave: HOH2000 I'm hoh
but I'm old:lol: <42>

-I also very delayed speech and folks thought I was deaf. I was a tiny preemie; doc.'s told my mom I was missing inner ear bones. Don't know if I had mild or minimal hearing loss as a baby/young child. As far as I'm aware, I noticed change in my hearing about 5 years ago-
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And I am older 69 ! You're young to me . My daughter is the same age as you and I don't think she is old. :wave:
 
thanks:ty: WDYS!
though for a 14 yr. old, anything over 20 is old-
 
dogmom said:
thanks:ty: WDYS!
though for a 14 yr. old, anything over 20 is old-
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:laugh2: Yes that is true ! I had a neighbor that was in her 90's and she said I was young ! So I guess it really depend on who you're talking to. I only wish I would younger when I am told I am younger ! Wouldn't that be horrible if we were to ages just by what a person say we are
We would be getting older and younger all the time . LOL !
 
dogmom said:
thanks:ty: WDYS!
though for a 14 yr. old, anything over 20 is old-
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Agreed.... But just b/c we're older, it doesn't mean we don't have anything in common with you. The dhh experiance seems pretty much universal... I have dhh friends who could be a 14 year old's grandparents, and they went through pretty much the same things. I talk regularly with a HOH 17 year old on FB....She went through exactly what I went through!
 
whatdidyousay! said:
:wave: HI! I just can't believe that your doctor pass off you being HOH !
I would hope by now doctors were smarter than I was a kid in the 40's and 50's .
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Nope, they still think that HOH= pretty much hearing, don't need other disabilty specific stuff.....things really haven't changed all that much.
 
Thank you everyone for the awesome greetings!!

@deafdyke for the last two summers, I've participated in a deaf camp, which was fun, and which inspired me to learn asl. I am attending asl lessons and I've joined an asl website, and I ask my deafies for signs I don't know. I just need to remember and keep track of the signs I learn. :P

@whatdidyousay! . Yep, my doctor was, um, ignorant to say the least. That is why my mom took me to a different, more experienced Doctor. A few days ago, my mom told me that when I was a baby, about six months old, that she took me to the doctor because she was concerned about my hearing. She asked for a hearing test, and all my doctor did was stand 3 feet away from me and clap his hands loudly. I turned around to the sound and vibrations of the clap, and he said that my hearing was fine. Unbelievable!

@dogmom I have to admit that I'd say anybody over the age of 30-40 is old. ;) but I don't care much about age.

I hate it when people think HOH equals hearing, which isn't true at all. It is hard to identity myself. I am fully deaf in one ear and about 20% hearing in the other ear w/o my hearing aid. With it, I am half-deaf. So I don't know whether to identity myself as HOH and deaf...plus, I am raised as hearing. I used to be intimidated by the deaf community because they're deaf and fluent in asl, but I learned that they're open and friendly, which is a relief. :)

Thanks again for the welcome, guys! :)
 
HOH2000 said:
Thank you everyone for the awesome greetings!!

@deafdyke for the last two summers, I've participated in a deaf camp, which was fun, and which inspired me to learn asl. I am attending asl lessons and I've joined an asl website, and I ask my deafies for signs I don't know. I just need to remember and keep track of the signs I learn. :P


@dogmom I have to admit that I'd say anybody over the age of 30-40 is old. ;) but I don't care much about age.



Thanks again for the welcome, guys! :)
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Oh that's AWESOME!!!! I was going to post a website of Deaf camps, if you were interested.... There are other ones like religious, academic and traditional camps. I can still post the list if you're interested! ... But YAY for being introduced to Deaf culture that way!!!
I've noticed that kids who do well in the mainstream tend to have a lot of really good Dhh specific supports, including Deaf camp. Are you interested in any Deaf ed options, (including dhh/regional magnet program at a public school), or are you OK with school for now? I know school, especially socially can be tough for middle and high schoolers in general. Sometimes it's good to know that there are other options, other then your local hometown school.
And above 30 is OLD?!?! *feels old*
 
@deafdyke thank you for the offer! But I am at a public school with a hearing impairment (I know, the word is practically outlawed in the deaf community, but you know what I mean...) program. And yes that is why I have DHH supports like deaf camps because I go to mainstream and am not part of deaf Ed. It can be tough just for middle and high schoolers in general socially and my deafness added to that can be hard sometimes (though I don't like to view my hearing loss as hard), but I do like it. I did go to a school in my zone, but I had a hard time there with no support from hearing services whatsoever then I was transferred to a mainstream school nearby with a great hearing service there along with other DHH students (there are about 8 of us in total - 5 signers, 3 orals). But thank you for the offer of deaf schools. :) Oh and sorry. But hey age brings wisdom!
 
HOH2000 said:
Thank you everyone for the awesome greetings!!

@deafdyke for the last two summers, I've participated in a deaf camp, which was fun, and which inspired me to learn asl. I am attending asl lessons and I've joined an asl website, and I ask my deafies for signs I don't know. I just need to remember and keep track of the signs I learn. :P

@whatdidyousay! . Yep, my doctor was, um, ignorant to say the least. That is why my mom took me to a different, more experienced Doctor. A few days ago, my mom told me that when I was a baby, about six months old, that she took me to the doctor because she was concerned about my hearing. She asked for a hearing test, and all my doctor did was stand 3 feet away from me and clap his hands loudly. I turned around to the sound and vibrations of the clap, and he said that my hearing was fine. Unbelievable!

@dogmom I have to admit that I'd say anybody over the age of 30-40 is old. ;) but I don't care much about age.

I hate it when people think HOH equals hearing, which isn't true at all. It is hard to identity myself. I am fully deaf in one ear and about 20% hearing in the other ear w/o my hearing aid. With it, I am half-deaf. So I don't know whether to identity myself as HOH and deaf...plus, I am raised as hearing. I used to be intimidated by the deaf community because they're deaf and fluent in asl, but I learned that they're open and friendly, which is a relief. :)

Thanks again for the welcome, guys! :)
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OMG ! That doctor is a quack ! My younger sister's daughter wasn't talking or making any eyes contact with her parents and a doctor said she was just shy . She had Asperger's and I was able to tell just from her baby photo something was wrong with the way she was sitting and hers eyes .
I really don't know how DR. pass college . Too shy to made eye contact with her own mother ! :roll:
 
HOH2000 said:
@deafdyke thank you for the offer! But I am at a public school with a hearing impairment (I know, the word is practically outlawed in the deaf community, but you know what I mean...) program. And yes that is why I have DHH supports like deaf camps because I go to mainstream and am not part of deaf Ed. It can be tough just for middle and high schoolers in general socially and my deafness added to that can be hard sometimes (though I don't like to view my hearing loss as hard), but I do like it. I did go to a school in my zone, but I had a hard time there with no support from hearing services whatsoever then I was transferred to a mainstream school nearby with a great hearing service there along with other DHH students (there are about 8 of us in total - 5 signers, 3 orals). But thank you for the offer of deaf schools. :) Oh and sorry. But hey age brings wisdom!
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Well at least you're at a dhh program! You're not a solotaire (ie only dhh kid or enrolled in a formal program) It's not like deaf school no, but at least it has the balance of a formal program and the mainstream....which is awesome for HOH kids!!! It sounds like you've got all the good supports!!!! I think many dhh kids can really benefit from a public school dhh program, and I'v noticed that the dhh kids who attend deaf camp do a lot better socially, (which is REALLY important) then do the solotaire kids........
 
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