Our Journey with Progressive Hearing Loss: In-between Two Worlds

by Amanda Case

It is hard to believe that it has been 6 1/2 years since we first received our daughter’s diagnosis of hearing loss. I still remember the fear that washed over me, suddenly feeling unequipped to be her mom. I had never known a Deaf person, I didn’t know ASL, what do we do next?

At age three, we had her fitted for her first hearing aid, enrolled her in the Special Education Preschool in our district, and met with an ENT and geneticist to see if we could see what was causing her hearing loss. Just as we were settling in to our “new normal,” we found out our daughter has Pendred Syndrome, which is characterized by progressive hearing loss and possible Goiter that presents in early adulthood.

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The Road We Travel TOGETHER: Our Family Journey

By Rosabel O. Agbayani, MPH

Sometimes we think that in order to make change we have to make a lot of noise. What I have learned from my experience of raising my children, and especially raising my deaf child, is that you have to be able to drown out the noise and listen to your heart.

We found out my son was deaf in September 2010. I’m not sure why I was so shocked because after almost 6 months of testing we finally had an answer. But I still remember that feeling when I heard the words “Your son has a hearing loss.”

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Why Do I Think It Is So Important to Encourage Parent Support?

by Nancy Grosz Sager

California Department of Education (retired Spring 2018)

This is actually a no-brainer to me. We all know that the # 1 predictor of whether or not ANY child does well academically, socially, and vocationally is PARENT INVOLVEMENT. For a child who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing, strong parent involvement is even more important. And yet, young parents who have just learned that their beautiful little baby is Deaf or Hard of Hearing are uncertain about what to do, how to do it, and what is in store for them.

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The Funny Things on my Ears

by Michelle Hu Lapid

Pediatric Audiologist & Bilateral Cochlear Implant Recipient

If you told my mother 30 years ago that her daughter would graduate high school and college with honors, she actually might have had some doubts. This is because, thirty years ago, when the doctors confirmed my hearing loss, they also told her that I would likely not go beyond a 3rd grade reading level.

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What I Wish I Knew When I was Sixteen Going through the College Search Process

by Brittany Comegna

Admissions Counselor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology

I did everything that I now tell students to NOT do.

I was a senior in high school at California School for the Deaf in Fremont. I was encouraged by teachers and school staff to attend a certain university after having submitted my application. I concurrently applied to California State University at Northridge (CSUN) where my older Deaf brother was attending. I had my heart set on a career in the film industry and believed CSUN could offer a lot in this area. I graduated from CSUN in December of 2010.

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Staying Organized from the Start!

by Cora Shahid

California Hands & Voices Membership Chair

All parents intuitively want to be good advocates for their child but in the beginning, we might not know exactly how to do that. Here are some steps that you can take to help you be effective while becoming more experienced. Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses, the law and how it relates to your child, be courteous and respectful while standing up for your child’s rights, stay organized, keep track of conversations and be prepared for meetings.

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