On Wednesday, Aug. 27, we headed back over to Philly for another hearing test. This time we were also checking Mikaela's hearing with aids in, but each ear separately instead of together. This was an attempt to definitively identify her as a canditate for a CI. Or not.
Well, yet again, the results were inconclusive. Of course she was too tired to consistently respond. I will be making an appointment to repeat the hearing test in Voorhees. Since it is so much closer, we should be able to time it better around her more alert waking hours.
It is really frustrating. If she were profoundly deaf and the hearing aids didn't bring her into the speech banana at all, we wouldn't have to go through this repetitive testing. I just want to be certain of where her residual hearing is before I give the okay to potentially destroy it.
Again, this whole CI thing FOR ME is a really difficult decision. It is becoming less so as we get closer to her first birthday. It is becoming more obvious that she likes having her hearing aids in. She like what sound she does receive from them. Subsequently, she is pulling at them less too! She only yanks them out when she is tired now. So, for me, that is a sign that she prefers to be part of the hearing world. And at this time, the best hearing aids we have available is the cochlear implant.
I am still emphatic about learning ASL. I want to give Mikaela all the tools in her bag to succeed as she grows. As all parents feel, I want her path to be one of least resistance. As a deaf child, I feel she should be able to take advantage of total communication. Of course once she receives the CI, we will focus relentlessly on audio/verbal therapy, but I believe that we can sign too. One tip I remember from some of the list serves to which I belong, said to have certain times of the day where we turn our voices off and only sign. This will allow us all to get better at ASL, while also having part of the day where we are focused on speaking and listening.
If any of you know of a great source for learning ASL, feel free to share. :-)
Gotta run! Today is my Pop-Pop's 86 birthday celebration and I have to get everybody ready. Have a great day and hug your kids an extra time or two today.
3 comments:
We have also chosen TC for Lucas because we want to give him options. Our decision was really solidified last week when we saw "The Sound and the Fury" http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/ - a documentary on cochlear implants. The one little girl in the film visits an oral/aural school where none of the deaf children know how to sign or know what signing is. She was unable to communicate with her deaf peers! We want Lucas to be able to make his own decision whether he wants to sign or not. Anyway, in our journey to learning sign language, we have found the "Signing Time" series most valuable. Check your listings on PBS, because we get it here in Lancaster at 7 AM on Sunday mornings. Thank goodness for DVR! His teacher of the deaf has also been a valuable resource, teaching us daily routine signs, and how to sign books to him. Good luck to you, and let me know if you find any other resources for learning ASL.
I hope the answer for CI eligibility comes quickly for you guys. Being on the borderline has to be very difficult!
Nolan does the same thing with his hearing aids. He pulls them out, but then tries to put them back in. At least he realizes they are offering him sound!
I love the suggestion of "turning off" speaking for an hour (or so) a day and only signing! We're still being pressured to stop signing once Landry's implants are in (possibly a week from today), but feel like TC is the way to go for our family, too. Hang in there!
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