Sound Advice (as IDK) hosted the first overseas screening of the 95 Decibels film (2013) on January 18, 2014 at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin, to explore the emotional obstacles parents face when they get a diagnosis of deafness for their child.
I also met Susan and Film maker Liza Reznik along with her daughter Miranda. Great film @irishdeafkids #95decibels http://t.co/TRL6DBgwLn
— Jillian van Turnhout (@JillianvT) January 18, 2014
True To Life
In the film, the young (hearing) parents Erica and Dylan, struggle over the path to take for their deaf daughter, Sophia, who is diagnosed at 18 months.
The film by Lisa Reznik, features actor Goran Visnijc from NBC’s ER and is based on a true story in the US. The purpose of this film is to highlight early detection of hearing issues and to improve awareness of cochlear implants.
Production of 95 Decibels was crowd-funded via Kickstarter in July-August 2012, with the I Can Hear You! website launched to tell the film’s back story.
Many thanks to Alicia McGivern at the Irish Film Institute, for all her help with this event, and the Meyers family, who self-financed their travel from the US to Ireland, for the screening.
95 Decibels echoes three vital points Sound Advice makes:
- Digital hearing-devices give babies who are deaf/hoh the best possible access to spoken language and the speech sounds.
- Guidance from audiologists and speech-teachers is vital as deaf babies learn to talk and communicate in a hearing world.
- Auditory-verbal work optimises child outcomes with early detection, family interactions, top hearing-devices and improved literacy.
The Listening and Talking Approach
A theme of 95 Decibels is the Listening and Talking option for deaf children – known as Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT). The 95 Decibels team presents AVT, which seeks to maximise the use of a child’s hearing for learning – and gives access to varied academic, social, and occupational life choices.
AVT emphasises early detection of hearing issues, one-on-one speech work and hearing-device wearing. With guidance, coaching and modeling, parents become the primary enablers of their child’s spoken language (and literacy) progress.
More Reading
- Photos from 95 Decibels in Dublin (January 18th, 2014)
- Ninety-Five Decibels: A Film About Parent Choices
- Four Communication Options For Deaf Children
- The Sky’s The Limit, When Parents Are Informed
- Florida Legislates For The Auditory-Verbal Option
- Insights To The Deaf Education Debate In The US
- Deaf Children ‘Can Learn Their Family Language’
- Two Talented Boys, Living Life To The Full
- BBC Programme On Parent Choices For Children
- ‘There Are Other Educational Choices Available’
