Hi
I have a 12 year old DS who is GT, Hearing Impaired and ADHD. It can be a lot to deal with. We actually have a family history of sensory - neural progressive hearing loss. He began losing his hearing around age 3. I started losing my hearing at 10 years old. I know it seems awful but it's not the worst thing in the world. My DS and I both are of the opinion that we adjusted easier to the hearing loss than adults do to it. If his hearing loss is sensory a Cochlear Implant maybe a very good option for the in the bad ear and a hearing aid (high quality digital) in the other ear. My DS and I both wear binaural hearing aids and most people would hardly notice if they couldn't see them. It is an added challenge but one that technology has meet a lot of the needs of hearing impaired people. My Mother and Aunt both have 2 cochlear implants and do amazing with them. Many insurance companies pay for 2 now. If the hearing loss is conductive the BAHA is a wonderful option and again most insurance companies cover it. I have a hearing loss ranging from moderate to profound and my DS is moderate to severe. 90 dB is not deaf. They can measure well over 100 dB before deaf. We will both get Cochlear Implants at some point but still are highly functioning with hearing aids.
Mild:
for adults: between 26 and 40 dB HL
for children: between 20 and 40 dB HL
Moderate: between 41 and 55 dB HL
Moderately severe: between 56 and 70 dB HL
Severe: between 71 and 90 dB HL
Profound: 91 dB HL
Totally Deaf: Have no reading at all.
He does amazing and it has not negatively effected his education. He uses an FM system at school in classes he needs it and we both have different things at home. I have things that hook up my TV to my hearing aids directly that are wireless, Links for my iPod to play directly to my hearing aids, Alarms that shake the bed to wake up in the morning. There are so many options. Advanced Bionics actually just came out with a water proof Cochlear implant that you can swim with it on!
My son is learning Mandarin and speaks it better than anyone in his class according to his teacher. He plays violin and piano. High quality hearing aids can make a huge difference. I know it feels really overwhelming but they can succeed with a hearing loss. He goes to a school that has a fully integrated deaf and Hard of Hearing program. He doesn't participate in the program because it's academically a bad fit. Most of the kids in the program had a delayed diagnosis and delays in their academics. It has been a plus anyway because the students and staff are used to hearing impaired & deaf kids. I would not necessarily recommend a deaf school for a HG kid.
Please feel free to private message me. I have worked with hearing impaired stuff for many years and would be happy to help answer any questions you have about it.
I would absolutely request an IEP from the school. It allows for FM systems, preferred seating and other things.
Jtooit
