The magazine for kids and teens with hearing loss
fun & games
Melanie Paticoff Grossman • Editor in Chief Magazine Design • N-KCreative.com
Overcoming Obstacles • Mark Mark it with an E • Evelyn Books We Love • Eva
With special thanks to all of our featured H W friends
www.HearingOurWay.com info@hearingourway.com
PO Box 13, Greenlawn, New York 11740 Volume 8, No. 2
Dear Readers,
Summer is here, and boy, am I glad! No matter how old you are, this was probably one of the most challenging school years of your life due to the pandemic. Our theme for this issue is just keep swimming because that’s how it felt for so many of us this year—just keep going, just keep going, we just have to make it through! Now, with summer here, we can enjoy being outdoors, having lots of fun, and being with friends and family again.
One person who is very excited for summer is Mark, featured in Overcoming Obstacles, because he loves to swim. In fact, he has competed in swim tournaments and earned many medals for swimming. He even has a nickname of ‘Mark the Shark!’ Mark wears one hearing aid and lives in New York City, and one thing he has missed most during the pandemic is seeing Broadway shows.
Someone else who just keeps swimming is Abigail Heringer, the first contestant with hearing loss on The Bachelor. Abigail is deaf and uses one cochlear implant. She worked hard to learn to listen and speak as a child, and she had to advocate for herself when she went on TV. She is a great role model who is featured in Inspiration Station.
Did you know that people with hearing loss can be great musicians? Mary, a 13-year-old clarinet player with hearing loss, shares her Top Tips for Young Musicians with Hearing Loss. Don’t forget, when times get hard, just keep swimming—you will get through it! And this summer, take some time to relax and let your stress float away… we all deserve that!
©
©2021 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 opportunities, change of address, or other customer 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.
Look for these symbols throughout the magazine for special tips!
Mel Paticoff Grossman, M.S.D.E. Editor in Chief and maltipoo, Sophie
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
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YOU ARE AMAZING! You can do anything you set your mind to.
Did you know that there are waterproof accessories that can be used with cochlear implants? These accessories can be really great, not only for talking and playing with friends in the pool, lake, or ocean, but most importantly for safety so that you can hear the lifeguard’s whistle and instructions. Which accessories work with your hearing device(s)?
Cochlear offers Aqua+ waterproof reusable silicone sleeves for Osia 2, Kanso 2, and Nucleus 7 sound processors.
Advanced Bionics offers Neptune waterproof sound processors as well as Aquacase accessories.
MEDEL offers WaterWear, a fully waterproof cover that can be applied to OPUS 2, SONNET, SAMBA, or RONDO series audio processors.
Most hearing aids (including bone anchored devices) are not designed to be used in water at this time.
Eva is a 12-year-old girl from New Jersey who has always loved reading. She has hearing loss in her left ear, but with the help of her Roger Focus® receiver and wireless system, she never lets hearing loss hold her back! Ready to discover your next favorite book? Eva invites you to explore her bookshelf.
OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon M.
Draper tells the story of Melody, a fifth grader with a disability called cerebral palsy that makes her unable to walk or talk. Inside, she is brilliant, but she just needs a way to express herself to others. Readers follow Melody and get to see her inner thoughts on her journey of navigating life with an extra twist. Throughout the story, Melody faces challenges like getting bullied and feeling frustrated when she can’t communicate. As someone with hearing loss, I can relate to Melody’s frustration at times and also her perseverance as she powered through and didn’t let her struggles get the best of her. I recommend this book to kids who enjoy realistic fiction and want to read about a main character who struggles with a disability but doesn’t let it stop her.
“I was born profoundly deaf so it means… if I take my cochlear implant off I can’t hear anything. I don’t use sign language. I’m able to communicate vocally. I was really scared when I decided to come on [The Bachelor just because I think people kind of view the hearing community and then the Deaf community- with a capital D- as black and white. And I’m kind of that gray space in the middle that hasn’t had a lot of light shown on.” —- Abigail Heringer, The Bachelor Women Tell All
Have you been following the story of Abigail Heringer, the first Bachelorcontestant with hearing loss? Abigail is profoundly deaf but can listen and speak with the help of her cochlear implant. Both she and her sister, Rachel, have hearing loss and attended Tucker Maxon School as young children. Abigail earned the first impression rose from Bachelor Matt James the very first night and ultimately was sent home just before hometowns. We loved watching this beautiful role model raise awareness about hearing loss, cochlear implants, and listening and spoken language. Abigail, will you accept our rose?
Want to learn more about Abigail? Look out for our next issue with Abigail on the cover!
Cobb, Wisconsin who never let hearing loss get in the way of fun!
Lyla, 10, has hearing loss in her left ear and wears a hearing aid. Her sister Ella, 7, and brother Reilly, 4, do not have hearing loss. Together they love to spend time outside jumping on their trampoline and playing with their three dogs: twin dogs Sophie and Mabel and new puppy Chance!
Lyla: When I was in second grade, I did not pass my hearing screening at school. At my hearing test, the audiologist recommended that I get fitted for a hearing aid in my left ear. I picked out a hot pink and glitter hearing aid, inspired by Poppy from the movie Trollswhich was popular at the time! My family and I didn’t know anything about hearing loss at first. We used books and magazines like HearingOurWayto help us learn! I was inspired by kids who wrote that their hearing loss is a ‘part of me.’ It helped me like my hearing aid more. Now that I am older, my educational audiologist, Jenny, and teacher of the deaf, Pam, help me understand my hearing loss and technology.
Ella: Lyla is a good big sister who plays games with me like Roblox and Minecraft. We like to ride our bikes and watch movies together.
Reilly: Lyla is my best friend. I like going camping and going on waterslides with her. I feel happy that Lyla can hear using her hearing aid!
Chance the Dog: Woof, woof, woof, woof, WOOF! (I didn’t know that Lyla has hearing loss. She is my human, and I love her!)
One Last Word: Lyla loves being a big sister, even though there are times when her family can be kind of loud and crazy! She loves listening to music and wants to take guitar lessons in the hopes of being a musician. Lyla is one of only two kids with hearing loss in her whole school. Wearing masks with her hearing aid has been challenging, but she prides herself on being a positive person and role model for her younger siblings.
Hearing loss is part of the whole family. Share your story with us: info@hearingourway.com
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 swim upstream or against the current and think it’s about a swimming lesson, but no! Swim upstream or against the current means that while most people are going with the flow, moving in the same direction along an easier or simpler path, you are moving the opposite direction and working harder against the norm to get where you are going. Like this: “Most of the time I can hear well at school, but sometimes in noisier environments or group discussions, it can feel like I’m swimming upstream, just trying to keep up and listen to the fast-paced conversation. Luckily, my FM system and/or mini mic help me a lot.”
Inspiring Stories of Kids and Teens Like You!
With his electric guitar, first place ribbons for swim, and hearing aid!
Hi, I’m Mark, and I am almost ten-years-old and going into fifth grade in New York City. I like to play sports, especially swimming; I even qualified for eight events at the Junior Olympics! I also enjoy playing electric guitar and piano.
My moderate sensorineural hearing loss was not diagnosed until I was five-years-old, but I probably had it all my life. Once my family and I found out, it explained some of the struggles I had been having early on. My audiologist suggested that I use a unilateral hearing aid on my right ear. When I got my hearing aid, I realized how much more I was able to hear with it! At school, I use a special microphone called an FM system that sends sound straight to my hearing aid.
In the water, I cannot use my hearing aid. I can’t hear all of the cheering in the audience, and I can’t hear my coach. Instead, I lift my head out of the water to glance at my coach. Sometimes she uses her arms to coach me, like lifting her arms up and down to tell me to kick my legs!
Last spring, I qualified to go to the Junior Olympics for swim, but it was canceled because of the Coronavirus lockdown. This was so disappointing, but I look forward to participating when it’s safe. Virtual schooling was a new learning experience. On Zoom meetings, people sometimes talked over each other, and it was really hard to hear everyone. I asked my friends, “Can you please be quieter?” or asked them to repeat what they said.
I have been swimming since I was six-years-old. The strokes that I swim include butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. I am really proud of the accomplishments I have made in swimming. When I was in the 8 and Under group, I got a team record in the 50-yard freestyle. I am currently on the top 25 list in 8 events in the metropolitan area. I am also on a team of four people for the 200 Medley Relay (MR), an event in which one person has to do backstroke, another does breaststroke, another butterfly, and another freestyle. At every meet I’ve done, I have been able to drop at least a second off my best time.
When people ask me about my hearing aid, I tell them, “What you see here is my hearing aid that actually helps me hear better because I have trouble hearing in this ear.” Wearing a hearing aid does come with challenges. Sometimes it gives feedback, a loud whistling noise. During really loud noises like fire alarms, I feel startled and nervous with my hearing aid in because it’s just too loud. When it rains, I have to get inside quickly so my hearing aid doesn’t get wet. And of course, when I swim, I have to take my hearing aid out. On the other hand, having hearing loss has given me some great tools, like my hearing aid, FM system, and Hearing Education Specialist, all of which help me so much. Sometimes I even overhear conversations that I’m not supposed to be involved in because my teacher is still wearing my FM microphone… oops!
My mom is my role model because she always supports me. She always knows when I can’t hear something and helps to advocate for me.
I have a special earmold that features my favorite colors and animal. It’s a blue and orange shark earmold in honor of my nickname, Mark the Shark!
My best advice is don’t stress about having hearing loss because there are helpful solutions like hearing aids, FM systems, and specialists who can help you. If you can’t hear something, always advocate for yourself!
My dream for the future is to be one of the greatest swimmers of all time! I also hope to be an advocate for people with hearing loss so that we can all be treated based on who we are inside and our abilities, not our disabilities.
Top, left to right:
Mark celebrates his 10th birthday with a Mark the Shark-themed lawn sign while visiting his best friend in Texas.
Since Mark can’t wear his hearing aid in the pool, he relies on his swim coach to give him cues.
In addition to swim, Mark also enjoys playing baseball on his team, The Cardinals.
Below: Another win for Mark!
Hi bakers! My name is Evelyn, and welcome to my kitchen. I’m 16-years-old, I have one cochlear implant and one hearing aid, and I live in Canada. I’m here to share my love of baking with you, so whip out your spatula, and let’s get cooking!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
• 1 box of blue Jello
• Water, according to box directions
• Honey Teddy Grahams
• Gummy Lifesaver candies
• 1 can of whipped frosting
• Blue food coloring
• Clear plastic cups
1. Follow the directions of your Jello packet to mix Jello. Pour liquid Jello into each cup about halfway. Let set in fridge for a few hours.
2. Take a gummy lifesaver and stretch it over a teddy graham to make it look like the bear has a pool float around him. Make 2-3 bears per cup.
3. Add a small amount of blue food coloring to frosting. Don’t fully mix it—it should look like a marble effect to represent waves of water. Top each cup of Jello with the marbled frosting. Use a spoon to make ‘peaks’ to resemble waves.
4. Place the floating bears in the frosting.
5. Enjoy on a hot summer day.
And remember — just keep swimming!
Mary, 13, is a seventh grader from Michigan with mild to moderate bilateral hearing loss who plays clarinet in the All-Star Band at her school. She earned excellent ratings at the Solo and Ensemble Band festivals and was ‘first seat’ all three years of middle school, a high honor!
When I was in fifth grade, musicians from a local music store came to school to show us a variety of instruments to choose from. I approached the man who was playing the clarinet. He happened to have hearing loss and took the time to show me how to play the clarinet. He inspired me to play an instrument, even with hearing loss!
2. Take it One Step at a Time
Having hearing loss as a student is already a challenge. Adding a new instrument on top of that can be overwhelming at first, but if you take baby steps, you can eventually learn to play your instrument.
Don’t use your hearing loss as an excuse not to try something new. Even though you have hearing loss, it should not stop you from playing an instrument. You can do anything. It might be more challenging for you at first, but you will build strength and confidence as you improve and will show yourself that you can overcome your disability.
My hearing consultant has worked with me since kindergarten. She has helped teach me about my hearing loss and how to live with it successfully. This has built my confidence and self-advocacy skills so I can participate in things like music.
If listening is challenging, try feeling the vibrations as you play. Be patient with yourself when trying something new!
Just like good writers read often, good musicians listen to music often. I especially love listening to music using my Bluetooth hearing aids, so the music streams directly to my ears!
Don’t be afraid to try accommodations and accessories that might help you in music class, such as a DM system or preferential seating. I ultimately chose not to use a microphone during music because it felt too loud, and I am able to manage without it, but I am glad that I gave it a try.
Join the Band!
Being in band has forced me to use my ears and my brain to listen and pay attention. It has been like a form of auditory training! Band has made me a smarter, better listener.
I want to be a musician when I grow up. It will be hard work, but it’s just another hurdle to jump over.
Hearing loss can never hold you back from doing what you love. I love music, and hearing loss hasn’t stopped me at all! In fact, it has made me a hard worker, a stronger person, and a great listener.
What did the ocean saytothebeach? Nothing,it justwaved. What kind of stroke canyouuseontoast? Butter-fly! Whatisthebest exerciseforswimmers? Pool-ups! WhatdidCinderella wearonherfeetwhen shewentswimming? GlassFlippers.
Hi, my name is Cassara, I am 17-years-old. I was adopted, and I live in Gilbert, Arizona with a big family including my mom, dad, and 11 siblings! The three oldest are triplets. Four of my siblings have special needs. My younger brother is my role model. I love to take walks with my therapy dog, Bella.
write T us !
Sendinyour art, writing, poetry or photos to info@hearingourway.com to be featured in the next issue.
Looking for awesome educational resources designed just for kids with hearing loss? Check out TOD on Wheels, where you can find worksheets, games, teacher’s guides, and more! www.todonwheels.com • @todonwheels An exciting PEN PAL PROGRAM presented by Ryan Brady with HearingOurWay!
I have bilateral hearing loss. I wear a cochlear implant on my left ear and a hearing aid on my right ear. They help me listen and talk to people. I went to a Deaf school and understand sign language. I use captions whenever available. I have a best friend with special needs. We like to hang out, ride bikes, and watch TikTok videos together.
My favorite thing to do is make birthday cakes for friends and family. I learned by watching people cook and bake. I would love to go to culinary school to learn to become a chef.
I have been reading Hearing Our Way , and I think it is amazing! I love helping other kids, especially kids with hearing loss, and I think it’s one thing that makes me special. I hope that my story helps other kids with hearing loss feel like they are not alone.
sincerely, Cassara
We all love our birthdays, but kids with hearing loss sometimes have a bonus celebration the anniversary of the day they got their hearing devices their hearing birthdays.
Jaime, 7, is celebrating her 7th hearing birthday on August 15th. She has had her first cochlear implant for seven years and had bilateral cochlear implants for five years. Jaime’s mom describes her as cheeky and spirited. Happy hearing birthday, Jaime!
We want to see photos of your hearing birthday celebration! Email them to us at info@hearingourway.com and you may be featured in Hearing Our Way.
Parents, want to surprise your child with a hearing birthday shoutout?
Get in touch via email: info@hearingourway.com
Azalea loves reading Hearing Our Way and you will, too!
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Isaac, 10, is a third grader from Taunton, Massachusetts with cochlear implants. Isaac comes from a Brazilian family and can understand both English and Brazilian Portuguese. He loves to play soccer and football with his friends.
Isaac was born profoundly deaf and received his cochlear implants as a baby. He learned to listen and speak with the help of early intervention and auditory verbal therapy. Isaac attended Clarke School for Hearing and Speech for a couple of years before being mainstreamed. Isaac has an IEP, and his accommodations include a teacher of the deaf and DM system. He works with his speech language pathologist, Tracy Vale, on higher level comprehension skills and self-advocacy skills. She thinks he is “a great kid!”
Isaac says, “It’s cool having hearing loss because I have help to hear,” like his cochlear implants, AVT, audiologist, and family. He can do everything his friends do; hearing loss doesn’t stop him. He wants other kids with hearing loss to know, “Be whoever you want to be. Having hearing loss doesn , t change you.”
