As Ireland’s newborn hearing tests roll out nationally, India has initiatives that show how low-cost services are viable, even if resources are limited. Newborn hearing testing is rolling out in India, where the initiative in the city of Kochi received national attention. Since 2003, over 62,000 babies have been tested in 34 hospitals, with 92
Chicago-based ENT surgeon, Dana Suskind, who oversees pediatric cochlear implants, is researching a thirty-million-word gap she sees among implanted children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. By age 3, these children hear 30 million fewer words than peers from more affluent backgrounds. With babies known to hear in the womb before birth, Suskind has a point. Read
Journalism as a career option is viable when you have hearing issues, with technologies like Twitter, Skype, email and instant messaging. However, YouTube and web-videos are a challenge to access, as this writer notes: Read: Technology gives deaf journalists more options Disclosing (and when to disclose) hearing issues is always a challenge, but the reality
Some families turn a child’s hearing issues into a chance to find and learn language in all situations and environments, according to blogger mum, Kristen Johnson (“No Small Thing“), whose third child has hearing issues. Read SpeechBuddy: How To Help A Child With Hearing Loss Kristen’s top tips for parent-child communication at home: Turn off appliances
Newborn hearing testing in Ireland is progressing well, with potential impact on the lives of children eligible for unilateral or bilateral cochlear implants, the Medical Independent reports – but the system has follow-up ‘shortfalls’. Read: The Sound of Silence Early detection of hearing issues is essential for children to benefit from the cochlear implant programme, the MI quotes
“Hearing-aids are the avenue through which a child can listen [and learn]”, says US-based pediatric audiologist Jane Madell. Children who hear only what someone says directly in front of them, receive just 10 to 15 per cent of the information they need for incidental learning and language acquisition. Read: Helping Families Accept Hearing Technology Madell
NOTE: Since this post at end-2012, HSE access to bilateral pediatric cochlear implants is available to eligible children aged under 18 in Ireland, as a result of this campaign. Last month, the Irish Examiner revealed that over 350 children are awaiting second cochlear implants from Beaumont Hospital’s pediatric service, due to HSE caps on budgets for public
Describing hearing issues to others can be challenging, especially when you (and your family) may be new to the topic yourselves. These links provide some useful words to convey new concepts to friends and family. Read: Five Tips For Explaining Hearing Loss To Others Deciding to use hearing-devices in both ears may be easier on
For teens wanting to listen to music and chat on the phone with friends, Bluetooth can connect hearing-devices with MP3 players or phones. Two products are Nokia’s Bluetooth Neckloop and HumanTechnik’s Bluetooth connector. Nokia is not the only telecom provider in this market, however. With news of Apple’s latest system, iOS6, came whispers of a possible
Parents can be thrown on learning their baby or child is deaf, but with time, everyone finds what works for their family. As parent Lisa Ridge Valentine says, “If somebody told me how Nansi and Annie would be at four and five, I wouldn’t have the same worries I had when we were told they were
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