Raising a Child with Hearing Loss

I have been the mother of a child with hearing loss (my son Henry) for a little over 5 years now.  I still have an enormous amount to learn.  I am not the best source for technical information, nor can I make any decisions for anyone about what is best for their child.  Having a hearing loss in one’s family is an incredibly difficult thing to accept–in the beginning.  You have many decisions to make.  You have many emotions to go through.  There is no one perfect answer for how to “do” it. 

What I found when my son was diagnosed was that there was very little information available about what it is like to have a child with hearing loss.  What is a typical day like?  What are the painful things you go through?  What are the triumphs?  I wanted to know what it was going to be like, what it was going to feel like…but there was no one to tell me. 

So, I have compiled this listing of posts that deal with hearing loss on some level.  This is a work in progress, and I will be adding to it in the future, so check back now and then.  Henry tends to be ripe with good blog fodder!  Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you want more information.  Contact me at:  dkkwhcs@yahoo.com.

• Happy Little Stars  You don’t have to fix everything.  Some of the quirks are what make life beautiful.
• On Being a Responsible Parent, Which Clearly, I Am Not  We all make mistakes sometimes.  Don’t let it discourage you.  Learn from it.
• This Mama Loves This Baby  How I found a special way to connect with my hearing impaired child when I knew he couldn’t hear me.  Our bedtime ritual.
• Hearing the Rain  What it’s like to see your child hear a sound for the first time.
• Hearing Aids Do Have Some Advantages  Humor.  He figured out that he doesn’t have to listen to you if he doesn’t want to.
• Boogers  This is by far one of the funniest stories about my boy.  In my humble opinion, of course.  He is just like any other little boy — he knows how to embarass me in public.
• Language Sample  A little humor about speech therapy.
• What They Are Missing  A more emotional look at having a child with a hearing loss. 
• 4 1/2  On letting a little boy just be a little boy for a while.   Not everything has to be a “language experience.”
• Accepting the Truth  Coming to terms with the fact that my child had a disability.
• The Invisible Disability  Feeling frustrated that I don’t understand what it’s like for my child.

For more information on Henry, go here.  I think you’ll find he is a beautiful, smart, sweet, impish little boy, not unlike any other.