Are Hearing Aids Best Not Seen and Just Used to Hear?

A friend called me from the middle of an appointment with his preschool-aged child to find out what type of hearing aid he should get for his newly-diagnosed child. I told him a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid. He asked “But the little ones they have here are so small, you can barely see them?” I [...]

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Why Fathers are So Important for Kids with Hearing Loss

There is a lot of research that demonstrates how the mother’s role is crucial in the development of children with hearing loss. This should not come as a big surprise – mothers are unarguably very important in the lives of ALL children, with hearing loss and without hearing loss. There is also a significant amount [...]

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No, Spanish is Not the Same as Greek: Responses to Readers

A reader wrote: “I do want to point out that there are many Spanish or other kind of family growing up in America and the Spanish/Mexican kids speak Spanish with their parents and family and have to go to school and use ENGLISH. Is that any different??” Yes, dear reader, I think it is.  As [...]

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Imagine Speaking Greek: Why I Don’t Think Sign Language Helps Most Children with Hearing Loss

Imagine: you and your spouse have given birth to the most beautiful baby girl. She is perfect, with 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes and a little dimple on her chin – just like her dad. Everything went smoothly and as you prepare to leave the hospital and take your baby home, there is [...]

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Questions and Suggestions from Family and Friends about Your Baby with Hearing Loss

“We found out three months ago that our baby is deaf. We are still taking her to follow-up appointments and trying to sort out exactly what she needs. We are also slowly getting over the shock of it all – it was a perfectly normal pregnancy and no one in our family has a hearing [...]

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Grandparents and a New Grandchild with Hearing Loss

Dorothy and Richard lived nearby their son and daughter-in-law and cherished their close relationship with their 4-year-old granddaughter Sophie. When the new baby Jordan arrived they were thrilled to be able to see their grandson grow up from day one! He looked perfect, with ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. But right away something [...]

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