Filed under special needs child

One Thing I Would Have Changed About School

Even though my hearing loss wasn’t diagnosed until I was 27, I remember having difficulty hearing as a child. In grade school, I struggled to hear lessons via headphones. When an audiologist tested my hearing, he told my parents I had normal hearing but had trouble paying attention. A second opinion was not sought. I … Continue reading

Helpers with Paws: A Closer Look at Dogs for the Deaf

As an adult, all of my pets have been rescue dogs. They included long-haired chihuahua ‘Shorty’ (1996-2000), Japanese Chin ‘Sammy’ (1998-2008), and cocker spaniel ‘Jake’ (2005-and still going strong). Although not specially trained, they have helped alert me to these noises around my house that I couldn’t hear because of my progressive hearing loss: knocking … Continue reading

Are You Bullied Because of Your Hearing Loss?

In my soon-to-be-published memoir, Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom, I encountered someone who wasn’t too kind about my hearing loss… As we drove away from the church, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds. With the window cracked, I heard moving cars coming from the nearby highway. That sound had been deaf … Continue reading