Hearing Our Way: Fall 2022

The magazine for kids and teens with hearing loss

ing m o c ver acles bst

Meet ! on s w a D

fun & s e m a g

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Contents 4 Things

Hi from Mel!

We Love

6 O vercoming Obstacles

10 Fun & Games 12 Sophie’s

Spotlight

Contributors Melanie Paticoff Grossman • Editor in Chief Magazine Design • N-KCreative.com Overcoming Obstacles • Dawson Eva’s Bookshelf • Eva ith special thanks to all of our W featured H W friends

www.HearingOurWay.com info@hearingourway.com PO Box 13, Greenlawn, New York 11740 Volume 9, No. 3 ©2022 Sophie’s Tales, LLC. All rights reserved.

Hearing Our Way is published quarterly and is a publication of Sophie’s Tales, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. See p.11 for more information about subscriptions for homes, schools, and offices or visit www.HearingOurWay.com. For promotional © or other customer opportunities, change of address, service, contact info@hearingourway.com. • All comments and suggestions received by Hearing Our Way become the sole property of Hearing Our Way and may be used without compensation or acknowledgment. Hearing Our Way disclaims liability for any losses or damages that may result from using information in this magazine. • Inquire today about sponsorship and advertising opportunities. Contact Info@HearingOurWay.com.

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Dear Readers,

Maybe you l year out of the park?! oo sch s thi k oc kn to dy Are you rea hanging , traveling, stay-cationing, mp ca at s nth mo le up co spent the past to ring nature. Now it’s time plo ex or y, vit ati cre ur yo g with friends, exercisin ool year yet! making this your best sch o int y erg en er mm su ive channel all of that posit ar. In fact, he loves team player this school ye a be to dy rea is on ws Our cover kid Da les, Dawson Overcoming Obstac In . all seb ba d an ll tba foo , and at team sports, especially and teammates to help him s he ac co his on ts un co use shares how on the field, he ble Player). Together they lua Va t os (M VP M his is ey Linds school, his hearing teacher ke Dawson's istive listening devices to ma ass ce bra em d an y ac oc dv strategies for self-a grand slam! transition back to school a r summer reading first day of school with he the on ng ivi arr is o wh We know one kid And if you’re her review of Fish in a Tree. s are sh o wh a, Ev — ed n assignments complet ool year, look no further tha sch w ne the e for be u yo e looking for stories to inspir 9.

Ka m ar ia ’s story on page the plate ! don’t be afraid to ste p up to so se, fen of od go a is se y They say the best defen plan filled with self-advocac me ga g on str a th wi ar ye l oo Get ready to kick-off this sch on. With that wi nn ing ort system you can count pp su a d an , gy olo hn tec skills, assistive re to be a home run! co mb ina tio n, this year is su

an, M.S.D.E. Mel Paticoff Grossm Editor in Chief and maltipoo, Sophie

Look for these symbols throughout the magazine for special tips!

Hearing – Info about hearing aids, cochlear implants, and listening devices Talking – Tips for speech and language Self-Advocacy – Ideas for sharing your hearing loss story with others

Did you receive this issue from a friend, school, or office? Sign up for your own subscription to continue receiving Hearing Our Way ! www.HearingOurWay.com

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You Are Brave!

You can do anything you set your mind to.

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i n InspiratioN Stat g

very isolatin “ Hearing loss can be ts are a way to and cochlear implan hearing world in walk back into the ere is no way a significant way! Th e I have right now I would have the lif plants.” if I didn’t have my im rd — Dr. Karen Crawfo

al Dr. Craw fo rd is a he

th ca re he

ncy medicine ford is an emerge Dr. Karen Craw Her hearing loss lines of COVID-19. nt fro e th on an ici received phys adult Dr. Crawford an as d an e, ad gr h began in 8t wasn’t until ant in 2014. But it pl im ar le ch co st fir her the added as struggling with w rd fo aw Cr .

Dr n at she 2020, whe g the pandemic, th rin du gs rin ve co challenges of face left ear as well. er implanting her id ns co to ed ed ne knew she no longer ring masks, I could “With everyone wea w with my process speech. No lp he to g in ad re utilize lip lanced and able plant, I am more ba im ™ ar le ch Co nd seco for me to ade it much easier m d an ng gi an ch ly. It has been lifeto hear more clear aff.” my patients and st communicate with de m ic .

ch n ol og y was es ro w h ose he ar ing te

se n ti al du ri ng th e

pa n

ookshelf B ’s a v E : e v L e y of a girl books W laly Hunt is the stor ul M a nd Ly by ee Tr girl from New Jersey who has always loved reading! She has hearing loss in her left ear, but with the help of her Roger d wireless Focus® receiver an lets hearing system, she never ! Ready to loss hold her back favorite discover your next yo u to book? Eva invi te s sh el f. expl ore her bo ok

Eva is a 14-year-old

Fish in a a, a learning ggles with dyslexi ru st ho w ly Al ed mixed up. nam and numbers seem rs tte le es ak m at In fact, disability th allenging for her. ch ry ve ol ho sc es in school. The Ally’s dyslexia mak d stops even trying an id up st el fe to r grandpa she begins eative, just like he cr d an t ar sm ry tary family truth is Ally is ve Ally is part of a mili . ay aw ed ss pa ly who recent ’t diagnosed until so her dyslexia isn n, te of s te ca lo re on. Finally, that izes what is going gn co re r he ac te w lity. I recommend luckily a ne ercome her disabi ov d her people an f el rs he d understand that ot us s lp Ally is able to fin he it e us ca ith hearing loss be ’s thoughts and this book to kids w reading about Ally ed lik I s. ie lit bi sa different di latable! also struggle with d the story very re un fo d an ok bo e ut th feelings througho

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DID YOU

THE NEWS?

We love sharing exciting hearing loss-related updates about celebrities, products, and stories in the news.

Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Troy Kotsur, an actor from the award-winning film CODA, became the first deaf man to win an Oscar for best actor.

Before him, his co-star Marlee Matlin was the first woman and only deaf person to win an Oscar.

Kn oc k it Ou t of the Pa rk

MARCH 2022

©2022 Mattel

Barbie® has released a new doll with a hot pink behind-the-ear hearing aid. This Barbie is part of a new set of diverse dolls that celebrate the importance of inclusion.

Tasha Ghouri, a dancer and model with a cochlear implant, became the first ever deaf contestant on Love Island.

Tasha calls her cochlear implant her ‘superpower,’ and her vulnerability and confidence quickly made her a fan-favorite on the show.

www.instagram.com/talkswithtashax

MAY 2022

JULY 2022 What recent headlines caught your eye?

Let us know @HearingOurWay!

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Language can be tricky, especially idioms, which are groups of words or expressions that mean something different than what they say.

You might hear the idiom knock it out of the park and think of knocking on a door or hitting a ball away from the field, but no! Knock it out of the park means you did something extremely well, maybe even better than expected. It’s inspired by when a baseball player has such an amazing hit that the ball goes soaring out of the park—a homerun! Like this: “I’m bringing my A game to school this year.

I’m going to turn my homework in early, do projects for extra credit, and be the best self-advocate I can be. I really want to knock it out of the park this school year.”

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ng vercomi

bstacls oefs

H W does Dawson hear?

With his football helmet on, his baseball glove ready, and two hearing aids!

Storie Inspiring e You Teens Lik Kids and

All About Me

Dawson's Faves H ACTIVITIES Football Baseball H GAMES Throw Throw Burrito Madden 22 Monopoly H BOOKS Harry Potter The Ballpark Mysteries

Hi, I’m Dawson! I’m a 4th grader from Deerfield, Illinois. I love playing sports and spending time with my friends.

Hearing My Way I was born with severe sensorineural hearing loss. I received my first set of hearing aids when I was just 3 months old and have worn bilateral hearing aids ever since. Without my hearing aids, I can’t hear speech or any sounds except really loud ones like my dog barking, fireworks, or a rock concert.

H TEAMS Cubs Bears Michigan State

H FOOD Pizza Bagels Pita crackers with hummus

I like to work with my educational audiologist, Dr. Sandi, to troubleshoot difficult listening situations by using different assistive listening devices. At school I use 2 receivers and audio shoes to connect to my Phonak Roger Select, which has 6 different microphones that I can control to change what and who I hear during large and small group activities. Without it, I would have a really hard time hearing in background noise and at a distance from the speaker. My next technology mission is to try out the Phonak Table Mic which may be helpful when I am working with a partner but also need to hear instructions from my teacher. Stay tuned !

Sport Court I love to play baseball and football. Since my Roger Select stays at school, I’ve had to find other ways to hear my friends and coaches on the field. This includes standing close to my coaches, lip reading, and using a mini mic. Sometimes my dad, who is one of my football coaches, uses signals and hand gestures for me from a distance; it makes me feel like we have our own secret language.

H TV The Thundermans The Haunted Hathaway Pup Academy H PLACES West Palm Beach, FL Mackinac Island, MI

Ear Gear

p Remi.

Dawson loves his pu g: do s hi d an y bo A

Overcoming Obstacles There have been some really tough challenges for me in sports. Last year when I played travel baseball, the first weeks of practice were outside and very

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windy, and my coaches and teammates were all wearing masks. It was a really difficult hearing situation. I worked with my parents and coach on a plan to help me. We decided an assistant coach would repeat directions for me if I missed them and that during drills, I wouldn’t go first.

Instead, I would have an opportunity to watch one of my teammates ahead of me so I would know what to do. We ended up having a great season thanks to great communication and planning. Having hearing loss can make playing sports more challenging, but if you advocate for yourself and tell people what you need, you can definitely be successful.

D AW S O N

Sibling Spot My little sister Finley is 6. She thinks my hearing aids are really cool. If I don’t hear something the first time, she will repeat it for me. I like to use closed captions when I watch TV shows and movies, and Finley doesn’t mind—in fact, she likes them, too.

She also likes to help me pick new colors for my ear molds. Together we love playing with our puppy Remi who is adorable and very mischievous!

Hearing Teacher Lindsey is my hearing teacher, and she gives me lots of helpful strategies to use at school. I have learned how to identify communication breakdowns, use repair strategies, and advocate for myself. For instance, indoor recess is extremely challenging for me because of all the background noise. Sometimes I try to read a book in a quiet spot. Other times I take out my hearing aids for a quick break from the noise. If I am overwhelmed, I know I can tell the adults around me how I feel and ask for help. Luckily my friends in class are there to help me if I need something repeated or rephrased. Using hearing technology at school is a lot of responsibility. I have to take care of my equipment including my receivers, Roger Select, and mic. I take them off the charger, give them to my teacher, and help get everything set up.

I have to remember to bring them

!

with me when I move rooms to art and gym. With Lindsey’s help I have learned to be really organized and responsible.

Fun Fact Did you know my birthday is September 10th, 2011 or 9-10-11?

Pretty cool!

#Goals When I grow up, I want to be a professional athlete or a scientist like a marine biologist. I know being a professional athlete will take dedication and time. Being a biologist would require lots of hard work, especially in math and science. I know I can work hard, concentrate, and use my advocacy skills.

Hearing loss won’t stop me from reaching my dreams!

Dawson is ready for the big game.

Be on our next cover! info@hearingourway.com

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Little sis Finley is Dawson's #1 fan

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TWO PAWS UP FOR RHETT Karlie Waldrip, 27, is passionate about raising awareness of deaf dogs and inspiring others to consider adopting them. Karlie was diagnosed with hearing loss and received her first hearing aids at 11-months-old. At the age of 9 she received her first cochlear implant and loved it so much that she got a second cochlear implant at the age of 18. In third grade she began learning sign language through her regional day school program for the deaf. Today, Karlie is an itinerant teacher of the deaf and proud mom of pup Rhett, a deaf dog she adopted and now has become her ‘whole world.’ Check out Rhett's story ‘in his own words’ below!

Hi, I’m Rhett! Did you know that you and I have something in common?

No, it’s not four paws or a tail! It’s hearing loss. Dogs and other animals can be born deaf or lose their hearing later in life. I was born in a small town in Texas.

My fur-dad and a couple of my fur-siblings were also deaf. We are Australian Cattle dogs, which means we love to work, sometimes on ranches with cattle.

For many months, I lived at an adoption shelter, waiting for a family to take me home. One day, a young girl named Karlie came by to meet me. I was so excited that I jumped up on her for a big ol’ hug and kiss, then plopped down for some belly rubs and scratches. Karlie decided to adopt me. We had an instant bond because Karlie is deaf, too. She has cochlear implants and can listen and talk, and she also knows sign language. The first sign she taught me was ‘thumbs up’ which means ‘good job.’ Since then I’ve learned potty, walk, food, water, sit, down, shake, car, mom, and dad. I am four-years-old and understand about 30 signs, and I am still learning more.

When my mom and I go on walks, people often see my ‘deaf dog’ vest and stop us to ask questions. We love raising awareness about deaf dogs and educating others about our abilities.

I love to play with my family and furry friends, swim, play ball, and go for car rides. I can do anything I set my mind to. My mom helps give me a voice through my Instagram account, @rhett_the_heeler. Follow my journey and stay tuned for my book at www.rhetttheheeler.com.

I WOOF you all

Rhett

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Remembering Kamaria Kamaria was a 17-year-old high school senior with bilateral cochlear implants who was looking forward to being featured in Hearing Our Way. Her itinerant teacher of the deaf, Natalie Phillips, shared with great sadness that Kamaria passed away on February 17, 2022 after a courageous lifelong battle with Kearns-Sayre Syndrome. It is our honor to share Kamaria’s story.

All About Me Hi, I’m Kamaria. I live in Arlington, Texas, and I love online shopping, listening and dancing to hip hop music, going out to eat, and spending time with my family and friends. My absolute favorite food is seafood, especially crab legs and catfish. My family and I have a weekly tradition of Seafood Fridays!

Hearing My Way When I was born, I seemed perfectly fine and healthy. It wasn’t until 2nd grade that my mother and teacher started noticing that I was struggling to hear. The school audiologist tested my hearing and diagnosed bilateral sensorineural moderate to severe hearing loss. I got hearing aids at the age of 7 followed by cochlear implants at the age of 10. At first, the cause of my hearing loss was unknown, but after several tests, the doctors diagnosed me with Kearns-Sayre Syndrome, a type of progressive multi-system disorder of the mitochondria.

Ear Gear My favorite thing about my cochlear implants is that they are compatible with my phone! I can stream audio so that I can listen to my favorite artist (Beyoncé!), adjust the volume, and even locate my processors if they get misplaced. I like to say that my cochlear implants are a much cooler version of Apple AirPods. My hearing loss is a part of who I am, and I am grateful for the fact that my hearing loss led doctors to my diagnosis early on.

Overcoming Obstacles You might have heard the phrase, ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ My village is what keeps me moving forward. I am grateful for the strength to overcome so many obstacles in my life. As more challenges come my way, I will face them head on and overcome each one with the help of my village.

THE FIGHT CONTINUES: Kamaria’s legacy continues to live on. Her family has chosen to raise funds in Kamaria’s memory.

Fighting for a Cure My family and I have created a team called Kamaria’s Krew that puts on several events to collect funds and raise awareness for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. I have a passion for raising awareness and helping find creative ways to fight for a cure.

I Have a Vision My dream is to be a history and science high school teacher. Even though I am not technically a teacher yet, I strive to teach others through my life. I try to be a model of

strength, endurance, grit, determination, and unconditional love. You can learn so much

from other people by watching how they live their life and by listening intently to what they are saying. Above all else, I want to be a teacher that demonstrates that you can do anything. Never give up and above all

else, ALWAYS BE KIND.

PLEASE VISIT WWW.CLASSY.ORG/CAMPAIGN/RESEARCH-FUND-KAMARIA-SATCHER/C347575

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HOW l

We all love our birthdays, but kids with hearing loss sometimes have No Prob-Llama a bonus celebration—the anniversaryCupcakes of the day they got their hearing devices—their WHAT YOU’LLhearing NEEDbirthdays.

DIRECTIONS • Your favorite cupcake recipe

1. Prepare your cupcakes and buttercream.

Four-year-old Oaklyn her 3rd hearing birthday • Your favorite buttercream recipe celebrates 2. Roll out your fondant so it is thin but doesn’t break when lifted. nd on October 22 can . Oaklyn to profound hearing loss and • White fondant (you use a has severe 3. Use the #12 tip to cut out 3 fondant circles per cupcake.

• • • •

•

wears bilateral cochlear marshmallow fondant recipe) implants. Her mom says Oaklyn is miraculous, 4. Draw your llama eyes and mouths onto the circles using the and we couldn’t agree(ormore!

Black edible food marker black black marker or black food coloring. Use the pictures for inspiration! food coloring and a toothpick) the other side of the piping to cut out 1 bigger circle per Last year Oaklyn celebrated her 5.2ndUsehearing birthday with thistipbeautiful Piping bag Cut year! it in half—those will be the ears. cake. We can’t wait to see what’s incupcake. store this Happy hearing Wilton star tip #21 6. Fit your piping bag with the star tip #21, and add some buttercream. birthday, Oaklyn!

Wilton circle tip #12 Pipe some stars onto your cupcakes one at a time, starting with the (this will be used edgebirthday and movingcelebration! in.

We want to see photos of youroutside hearing as a circle cutter) 7. Add the eyes and mouths in the middle of each Email them to us at info@hearingourway.com Optional: food coloring for and place your ears just above the eyes. and you may be featured in Hearingcupcake, Our Way. buttercream 8. The new school year will be no probllama when you start off with these cute cupcakes!

Kennedi and Addison love reading Hearing Our Way and you will, too!

ng loss Every child with heari e! in should have this magaz perfect aring Our Way is the An annual subscription to He audiologist! gift for any student, teacher, or available for Single and group packages are d doctors offices. s, an households, schools, hospital

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Sophie loves shining a spotlight on amazing kids with hearing loss around the world.

To shine a spotlight on someone you know, write to us at info@hearingourway.com.

Malcolm is a seven-year-old first grader from Alameda, California with a great sense of humor and

bilateral cochlear implants. He loves spending time with his mom, dad, and two brothers. He even has a deaf cat, Koko, who is learning some signs! He’s a fun-loving kid with many different interests including jumping on the trampoline, swimming, playing ukulele, and stilt-walking!

Malcolm says his cochlear implants are “awesome because they transfer sound to my auditory ner ve and it’s SO COOL!” He enjoys reading Hearing Our Way

with his mom and finding other kids ‘just like him.’ It has helped him learn phrases like SELF-ADVOCACY and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. It has also inspired him to spread awareness about hearing loss and cochlear implants. Malcolm recently met a kid who had never seen a hearing aid before and couldn’t believe Malcolm could talk. Malcolm told him about his cochlear implants, and they ended up playing together.

School can be challenging, but Malcolm is learning to advocate for himself. He has worked hard to learn to read, spell, and sound out words. He knows to say ‘excuse me’ when he needs his teacher to repeat something for him. When Malcolm grows up, he wants to be either a superhero or a wildlife expert. He also wants to act and model, and he likes working with his hands and dreams of building a house.

He thinks being deaf could help him, as he wouldn’t be bothered by all the construction noise. Malcolm, we love how you dream BIG!

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Here’s Your new issue!

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