Your years, days, hours, every minute of hard work helping your child hear & mainstream will not be in vain. Go above and beyond, ask every question, advocate advocate advocate.... trust your instincts & when God nudges, you act/listen/ask.
Trust the process and get your child into the best, no matter the cost.
THEN AND NOW..... YES IT IS ALL WORTH IT. The tears, putting their ears on all waking hours, hours studying the best speech therapy techniques, fighting for them to get what they need in the classroom & for LOVING YOUR CHILD WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING LEFT.
Lexi is now 13....was recently ranked 7th in the country for pitchers in the class of 2026. She hears exceptionally well, her speech is amazing & she LOVES her friends and HEARING.
She was missed for nearly two years.
I’m so thankful to God for revealing things and allowing her to be implanted bilaterally.
PARENTS & CAREGIVERS— keep it up!!!!! KEEP PRAYING & fighting!
SUCCESS TIPS:
0-1 YEAR - all waking hours!
- Keep those cochlear implants and hearing aids on every waking hour.
- Narrate everything you do. Be a radio commentator.
1-4 YEARS - mainstream, mainstream, mainstream and LANGUAGE
- continue narrating everything. Expand on every word
- put your child in extracurricular activities with typically speaking children
- if your other child has a sports practice, take your hearing-impaired child. Put them in social settings to naturally develop language
- READ and read more.
- take that speech therapy home and do it again and again
- make sure every day isn't a theme of learning. Try to transition them into natural learning environments as you would with a normal hearing child.
5-7 YEARS -
- you'll start to see some mental fatigue at the end of the day, so let your child tell you when they need a listening break. keep it brief 10-20 minutes a couple times a day.
- KEEP NARRATING AND EXPANDING ON LANGUAGE
- classroom and natural learning will be a process; be patient
- learning to read is happening NOW! read, read, read.....
- SOCIAL skills are important; help your child learn to advocate for him/herself. Engage the teacher. Encourage a day they can share their story with you in front of the class. Kids are more embracing when they understand something. TRUST ME ON THIS.
PART II COMING NEXT WEEK!
