Caroline

Receiving the news that your child has a hearing loss is a life-altering experience for the whole family.  It can also be very frightening.  The Decibels Foundation and the Hearing Loss Program at Minute Man ARC Early Intervention gave our family the anchor we needed.  Our second daughter, Caroline, was born with mild hearing loss that progressed to severe hearing loss by her second birthday.  We didn’t know where to turn for support and assistance until our audiologist told us about Decibels.

 "We didn’t know where to turn for support and assistance until our audiologist told us about Decibels."

We have been participating in the Decibels-supported Hearing Loss Program for a little over a year.  Caroline is so fortunate to be able to benefit from teachers who have experience working with children with hearing loss and her progress in comprehension and speech have been remarkable.   It has also been beneficial for her to be with her hearing-impaired peers and to realize that she is not the only child who wears hearing aids.  As parents, we are so fortunate to be able to benefit from the expertise of her speech therapists, who are committed not only to working with Caroline, but also to giving us strategies to use at home.

"Caroline is so fortunate to be able to benefit from teachers who have experience working with children with hearing loss."

DJ Caroline at Stink Week Party 2015

The parent support group has been an invaluable resource as we navigated through the diagnosis and then progression of Caroline’s hearing loss, and continue towards transition from EI.  Knowing that others have gone before and succeeded gave us confidence for the future.  Our ability to communicate with Caroline when she is not wearing her hearing aids would be severely impaired were it not for the skills we have learning in the parent sign class.

The Decibels Foundation supports programs that give children solid foundations in speech and language.  It gives help to parents by providing tools and resources to successfully raise a child with hearing loss.  It truly is an anchor for families adrift in an unfamiliar sea.

 "It truly is an anchor for families adrift in an unfamiliar sea."