Storrs---re: Evan

[Guest guest]

,

Evan's story sounds very familiar..... It also took a long time for

us to get information on our son 's hearing as well (he is 2

1/2 now and wears a BAHA). He failed numerous BAER screenings early

on and we finally were able to get two very thourough evalations

under sedation. We paired the evals with surgerys.

you mention that Evan is wearing hearing aides. May I ask what

type? Is his hearing loss partly or fully conductive? Is the loss

mixed? Has he tried the BAHA?

(mom to 2 1/2 CHARGE, 6 years, wife to Pat)

>

> Rita,

>

> It took us a long time to figure out Evan's true level of hearing-

-in fact, we still don't have a great baseline, and he's 17 1/2

months old now! Part of the reason it took so long was that he had

many different issues, most of which had the potential to be more

life-threatening or life-altering than hearing loss...so the hearing

testing was placed on the back burner for awhile.

>

> Evan failed 2 hearing screenings, and then failed a BAER while he

was an inpatient all before he was 4 months old. Because his ears

were so small and the left canal was mis-shapen, the validity of the

results was questioned (it showed severe loss bilaterally, with

possible improvement by bone conduction). At 6 months he failed

another BAER as an outpatient--this time he wouldn't stay asleep.

Because he also had frequent ear infections and pretty much constant

fluid in his ears, his ENT put tubes in his ears and they repeated

the BAER under general anesthetic after the placement of the tubes to

get a good " baseline. " This didn't take place until Evan was 11

months (it was initially scheduled at 8 months, but we had to cancel

because of a respiratory infection). This BAER showed severe to

profound loss in the right ear and profound loss in the left ear. We

finally got his first pair of hearing aides just before his first

birthday. He has been tested behaviorally

> once on the left side with the hearing aide, and he had improved

with amplification to moderate loss (the right ear had an infection,

so we couldn't test it!). His ENT would like to get another BAER

under anesthetic with and w/o hearing aides, to see what he can hear

now that the tubes have been in for awhile and his ears are

completely free of fluid.

>

> So it takes a while to determine what the level of hearing is in

a baby. We were always advised to treat Evan as if he could hear,

talking and interacting with him, using lots of gestures and facial

expression. It's never too early (or too late) to start signing

either, and even if Caitlyn's hearing turns out to be OK it's not

like it would be time wasted. Lots of parents of hearing children

teach their kids sign.

>

> (mom to Evan, 17.5 months)

>

>

> hi do i read wright that a 13 month old charge baBY CAN SIGN

MAMMY

> DADDY I HAVE A1 YEAR OLD GRAND DAUGHTER WHO has not even had a

> hearing sorted yet they not sure if she can hear or not never mind

> sign lang tell me more please rita gran of caitlyn 1 year old

charge

>

>

>

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