Re: H. re Low tone sounds

December 31, 2004

Lydia - that's exciting! Both my boys can now talk on the phone using their

hearing aids and the telecoil loop that's built into the aids. they've called

me from school - it's always such a plesaure to hear their voices!

We actually have had telephone practice sessions. I think the telephone is

somewhat hard because yo ucan't see the caller. If we need to order pizza,

we'll have one of the guys do it. Or if they need to see if a store is open, I

have them call. They don't necessarily like it (particularly Sam, who is shy)

but it's helped them a bunch.

Barbara

--- You wrote:

Here is some good news I have to share -- I went out to run some

errands today and left my boys alone for about an hour. I usually

call and check in to tell them how much longer I will be. Most of

the time, Colin, the older, hearing one answers. To my delight,

answered the phone! (Colin told him to because he himself was

in the middle of a game.) It was such a pleasant surprise! I told

him how proud I was, and he relayed the message to his brother of

how much longer I would be. He can talk on the phone with his

implant, but hardly ever answers it because I think he finds it

intimidating. I will need to teach him how caller ID works so he

can answer when it is me or my husband.

--- end of quote ---

December 31, 2004

Original Message

Can this low tone loss be repairable and improved by

speach therapy later on if needed?

Do you think its solely the fluid causing this loss?

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I think it could be just the fluid causing the loss, or it could be a mild

loss that is made a bit worse by the fluid. I wish you had better answers. And

you don't yet know the status of the other ear. Although you only technically

need one ear for language development, a child will still miss a lot if he/she

can only hear from one side. Even more if the good side has a mild loss. He

doesn't respond to the blender -- does he respond to any noises? Music? His name

called from behind him, but standing really close? Does he respond to visual

things (lights, smiles, waving hands)? I wonder if he just has a low response

level in general, of if it is just noise. My daughter was adopted from China and

spent the first year of her life in an orphanage. When I got her, she did not

respond to anything, visual or noise. She didn't respond to noises that the ABR

said she could hear. For Jessie, that changed rather quickly and she responds to

everything now.

Depending on the deceble level of the loss, it may be improved by hearing aids

and/or speech therapy. A loss in the low frequencies is actually easier to

amplify with hearing aids than a loss in the high frequencies. Speech happens at

many frequency levels but the high frequency sounds tend to be the hardest to

hear and the hardest to amplify with hearing aids.

H

December 31, 2004

Hi ,

The trouble with clapping is it makes wind and shadows that even

profoundly deaf kids might react to.

Here is one thing that should have tipped me off to the fact my son

had a hearing loss but didn't. One time was about 5 or 6

months old. He was awake in his crib with his head turned toward

the wall and he was playing with one of those fisher price crib toys

with spinners and mirrors and stuff. He was looking at that and not

out towards the room. He was absorbed in his toy. I walked into

his room and said his name 2 or 3 times. He did not turn. Then I

finally touched him and he startled. He obviously didn't know I was

there! I should have put 2 and 2 together but didn't. If he was

simply busy and wishing to ignore me, I doubt he would have

startled. I can't remember at what age babies begin to startle, but

if you can sneak up on Ricky somehow....