Hearing Our Way: Summer 2024

HEARING

UR WAY

The magazine for kids and teens with hearing loss

VERCOMINEGS BSTACL

EVAN

SPEEDING INTO SUMMER 2024

Summer 2024 / Volume 11, No. 2

HI FR M MEL!

4 Things We Love

Eva’s Bookshelf: Eva Sibling Spot: Danica, Amelia, & Reed

6 Overcoming Obstacles Featuring: Evan

8 Special Features

Sophie’s Spotlight: Lorelei Education Station: Dr. Purdy

10 Fun & Games

Dear Sophie: Ronan

The Celebration Continues Wow! It was so exciting to debut Hearing Our Way’s new magazine design. And there’s more to come as we continue to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, including The BIG Book of Hearing Our Way, a keepsake 100-page hardcover book filled with some of our favorite articles and interviews we’ve done over the last 10 years, plus new bonus content. Be sure to check out a sneak peek on page 11 !

Speeding into Summer

I am so excited to share Evan’s Overcoming Obstacles story. He is such a great role model and self-advocate who never lets his hearing loss stop him from racing around on his motocross bike! Summer is a great time to explore your interests, just like Evan found his in motocross. What activities are you excited to race into this summer?

Things Mel Loves

Did you receive this issue from a friend, school, or office and want to sign up?

I felt really inspired by Lorelei’s story in Sophie’s Spotlight. Despite having over 20+ surgeries by age 9, LoLo has such an amazing positive attitude and doesn’t let her challenges stop her.

SUBSCRIBE NOW! HearingOurWay.com

Did you know there are competitive math competitions? I didn’t, until I read Ronan’s Dear Sophie letter all about his passion for math. Now it all adds up!

Founder and Editor-in-Chief Melanie Paticoff Grossman, M.S.D.E. Magazine Design Peggy Nehmen, N-Kcreative.com With a helping paw from Maltipoo Sophie And special thanks to readers like you!

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities, content submissions, change of address, and customer service: contact info@hearingourway.com.

Mel Paticoff Grossman, M.S.D.E.

Hearing Our Way PO Box 13 Greenlawn, NY 11740 USA

Editor in Chief and maltipoo, Sophie

©2024 Sophie’s Tales, LLC. All rights reserved.

Hearing Our Way is a quarterly publication of Sophie’s Tales, LLC. Reproduction or distribution in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

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.

Every issue of Hearing Our Way includes listening, language, and self-advocacy strategies. Just look for the symbols!

Listening strategies and hearing technology Speech, language, and communication Self-advocacy skill building

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HEARING OUR WAY

SOPHIE

You Are Inspiring!

You can do anything you set your mind to.

Daisy Kent

BOOKS WE L VE: EVA’S BOOKSHELF Eva is a 16-year-old girl from New Jersey who has always loved reading. She has hearing loss in her left ear, but with the help of a crossover hearing aid, she never lets her hearing loss hold her back. Ready to discover your next favorite book? Eva invites you to explore her bookshelf.

sworth © Disney/Richard Middle

INSPIRATI N STATI N “Losing my hearing was the loneliest pain I have experienced…

[However] losing my hearing [also] helped me see my ability to connect with people… to look at myself and realize how strong I am, how capable I am, how I have the ability to take something difficult and create something beautiful.”

Daisy Kent lost her hearing at the age of 15 due to Meniere’s Disease, and got her cochlear implant as a young adult.

She is a fan-favorite on season 28 of The Bachelor.

— Daisy Kent @daisyykent, The Bachelor, written in honor of International Cochlear Implant Day

Show Me a Sign is an enlightening middle grade novel

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HEARING OUR WAY

IN THE NEWS

Last fall, wireless carrier AT&T announced the exciting news that the company had partnered with Gallaudet University to create an innovative football helmet to ease communication on the field. Using AT&T 5G technology paired with augmented reality, coaches can use an app to send a message to players that would then appear on a small screen in the helmet.

This new technology has the potential to change the game for players both with and without hearing loss, as any player can be more connected to their coach and receive communication more clearly and directly. It wouldn’t be the first time players with hearing loss changed on-field communication for all: in 1894, the football huddle was actually invented by a Gallaudet quarterback who asked his teammates to form a tight circle so their opponents, who also were deaf and signing, wouldn’t be able to see what they were signing.

Source: AT&T

written by deaf author Ann Clare LeZotte. The story is set in Martha’s Vineyard in the early 1800s, when there was a large deaf and signing community on the island. In fact, at the time, even people with typical hearing who lived on the island could communicate in sign language, too.

The main character, Mary, is deaf and has lived there all her life, so she has never seen herself as being different or having a disability. Until one day an outsider comes to do research on her community, and her world is suddenly shaken up.

She is shocked to learn that outside of her hometown, most people do not know sign language, and therefore life looks very different on the mainland. Though I only have hearing loss in my left ear, I related to Mary because when I was young and first learning about the world, I didn’t understand that I might be treated differently because of my hearing loss. Mary’s message is even if others view you a certain way—know who you are and always stay true to yourself.

W RDS W RDS W RDS

SIBLING SP T IBLINGS MEET THREEnSesota, who from Tracy, Min ss get in g lo never let hearin the way of fun !

Danica, 13, and Amelia, 8, both wear hearing aids. Their brother Reed, 5, does not have hearing loss. The sisters have a lot in common, like both being diagnosed with hearing loss in kindergarten, being born exactly 5 years and 1 day apart, taking dance classes, and working with the same amazing teacher of the deaf, Ms. Rosemari Kroll.

Danica: My hearing loss was first identified at my school hearing test in kindergarten. After almost two years of testing and evaluations, I received my first pair of hearing aids. As the oldest sister, it is nice to know that I’m not the only one with hearing loss in my family. I help Amelia with her FM system sometimes, and I enjoy playing with Reed—he is so funny.

Amelia: When I was in kindergarten, I started asking, “What?” to my classmates multiple times. My mom took me to the hearing doctor who said I needed hearing aids. It’s cool to have hearing aids just like my big sister, and it’s fun when we choose the same earmold color. One thing that’s different is that my hearing aids are rechargeable!

Reed: My sisters are my best friends. I love to play with them after school. I help find their hearing aids if they get lost!

Up to Speed

Danica: My family has some funny hearing loss stories, like the time I was at dance and took off my hearing aid because it wasn’t working.

When I got home I couldn’t find it anywhere—it was lost. We had to buy a new hearing aid. A few months later, we found the one I had lost—it was in my coat pocket, and even after all that time thinking it was broken, it actually still worked! It had even gone through the wash—twice!

One Last Word: Living in rural Minnesota with 7 cats and 2 dogs has inspired Danica to want to own her own pet store one day. She wants it to have everything a pet could need, like a training area, groomer, and veterinarian.

Amelia would like to be a dance teacher or a veterinarian when she grows up— Danica has already offered her a job at her business!

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 up to speed and think it’s about race cars, but no! Up to speed means that something is working at its best. It can also be used in the form of bringing someone up to speed, which means you are helping them catch up on something they missed.

Like this: “My phone isn’t working up to speed anymore. I think I need to upgrade to the newest version.”

OR “I was absent and missed the last math class, can you catch me up to speed?”

Hearing loss is part of the whole family.

Share your story with us: info@hearingourway.com

HEARING OUR WAY

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VERCOMINEGS BSTACL F

ORIES O INSPIRING ST S LIKE YOU N KIDS AND TEE

H W DOES EVAN HEAR? With his hands on his dirt bike, his sisters by his side, and two cochlear implants.

ALL ABOUT ME

EVAN’S FAVES ACTIVITIES Motocross Video games FOOD Ice cream Uncrustables SHOWS Supernatural Outer Banks Lost in Space PLACES Florida St. Louis, MO ADVICE Don’t let others stop you from doing what you want to do. If they think you can’t succeed, prove them wrong!

Want to be on our next cover? Email your story to info@hearingourway.com

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HEARING OUR WAY

Hi, I’m Evan! I am 15-years-old and in the ninth grade. I live with my mom, dad, older sisters Alayna and Valarie, and dog Libby in Garner, Iowa. I love video games, baseball, and hanging out with friends, but my biggest passion is motocross.

HEARING MY WAY I was diagnosed with a profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at three-months-old, and started receiving services from a teacher of the deaf right away. I received both of my cochlear implants before my first birthday. When I turned three, my family made the decision to leave Iowa and move to St. Louis, Missouri so that I could attend the Moog Center for Deaf Education to improve my listening and language. I stayed until I was ready to mainstream in first grade, and we moved back to Iowa.

When I was little I learned some signs, but as my listening and spoken language improved, I stopped using sign language.

At school I use a Roger DM system.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Since my first implantation, I have had to have my right implant repositioned twice.

This was a challenge because I had to be without my device on that side while waiting for it to heal. But it was worth it to correct things and be able to hear on both sides again. My recent processor upgrade was the best one yet—I love connecting my cochlear implants to my phone and computer.

Evan shared a sweet moment with his Great Grandma Val outside the Moog Center for Deaf Education when he was a little boy.

FAST FRIENDS Even though I’m the only student with hearing loss at my school, I feel comfortable here and have made a lot of good friends. At the same time, there was something really special about being at the Moog Center, where I fit in so well with all the other kids with hearing loss like me. My family and I love to go back to St. Louis to visit my old friends and some of our favorite places there. I even attended a special baseball camp for kids with hearing loss there for many summers. Even though I don’t get to see my friends with hearing loss that often, when we do get together it is like we were never apart. They are like family.

SELF-ADVOCACY STAR School can be challenging. Noisy classrooms, loud lunchrooms, and hopping hallways can make it hard to

hear. If I need to concentrate during free work time but it’s too noisy, I like to use Bluetooth to listen to music to help me focus, or I’ll ask to go to a quieter setting. It’s really important to advocate and let teachers know what you need. I have a Google Slide Deck that I created with my teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing. It explains my hearing and what I need to be successful at school. We use it to share information with my teachers. If a class is too loud, or the teachers forget to wear the microphone, I remind them of what I need to hear. If I miss something the teacher said, I’ll ask them to repeat it. It’s also really helpful when teachers repeat what other students say.

When I was young, my teachers always made sure that I sat right up front in class—the middle of the front row, to be exact. This was good for seeing and listening, but it was hard to know what my classmates were doing and saying behind me. I would always turn around to see, but then I would miss information. We decided that a better place for me to sit would be close to the front but on the side of the room, so that I could easily see the whole class without turning around.

THAT’S JUST THE WAY I HEAR Even though I have lived in my hometown of Garner, Iowa most of my life, I still have people ask me about my cochlear implants. This used to make me feel self-conscious. I would wonder what they think of me. It has gotten better, and now I explain that I was born deaf and my CIs help me hear.

Having hearing loss comes with having extra responsibilities. At home I am responsible for charging my implants every night before I go to sleep. At

Evan doing what he loves most: motocross !

school I have to keep track of all of my assistive listening devices every day. If I misplace them, I have to stop everything and retrace my steps. And of course, no matter where I am, I am responsible for advocating for myself.

MUST LOVE MOTOCROSS I have really found my passion in motocross. Less than a year after I started riding, I won my first race at the local track. Since then, I’ve competed in races in three states and typically finish in the top 5. Motocross has become something we enjoy as a family. On the weekends we travel to other tracks to participate in races. For my birthday, I got my very own bike!

Motocross is really fun, and my hearing loss does not affect my ability to be successful. I am not sure what I want to do when I get older, but I hope it involves motocross.

SIBLING SPOT My sisters are always there to help me if I miss something. They understand my hearing loss and what I need to be successful. But we’re also just like typical siblings, and thanks to my cochlear implants, I can also ignore my sisters if they are being annoying… just kidding!

INSPIRATION STATION My dad inspires me. When he was a teenager, he was in a car accident that left him disabled. He uses crutches to get around. Nothing stops him from doing what he wants to do. My dad has shown me that you can do anything you want to do if you put your mind to it.

I know my hearing loss won’t stop me!

HEARING OUR WAY

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S PHIE'S SPOTLIGHT

Life with LoLo Lorelei, (nickname “LoLo”) is a fourth grader from Dorr, Michigan, who

wears hearing aids. LoLo is always on the move and full of high energy. She loves gymnastics, singing, bike riding, playing games, and doing headstands.

She only slows down to read–which she does often–going through a few chapter books a week, often reading during mealtimes. LoLo is an only child who loves spending time with her family (mom, dad, Grandma and Grandpa Miller, and Grandma and Grandpa Hall) and playing with her pet hamster, Ginger, and fish, Captain America.

LoLo knows all about overcoming obstacles. She was born with two syndromes—Pierre Robin Sequence, which can cause cleft palate, underdeveloped jaw, and dysphagia, and BOR Syndrome, the cause of her bilateral conductive hearing loss. Her first few years of life were incredibly challenging, filled with surgeries, inpatient therapies, night nurses, and more.

LoLo says, “When I was a baby and toddler, I had many medical problems.

Some went away and others got fixed, but there are still some left today.

Though if I don’t think about them it will feel like they’re not even there.

So if you asked me how things are going today I would say it’s going pretty good!”

Lorelei is in the mainstream setting at her local elementary school and uses an FM system with Roger pen/microphone at school. She learned to listen and talk at a specialized oral deaf preschool, and hasn’t stopped talking ever since!

She’s even been referred to as ‘the mayor’ for her ability to chat with ANYONE. Her mom, Angel says, “LoLo is a natural fit to the phrase ‘bigger than life.’ She is full of love, commonly has neighbor friends over, can command a room of people she doesn’t even know with her smile or chatter, and is an old soul who loves Michael Jackson music and writing old-fashioned letters. She has overcome SO much in just her first nine years of life.”

rms Fun Fact: LoLo learned about ‘hearrings’Our(chaWay about Hearing that hook to your hearing aids) in them ever since. ring wea d five years ago, and has love pairs, including She now has a collection of about 30 ! special ones for each holiday/season

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HEARING OUR WAY

LoLo’s Tips & Tricks: Here’s a tip if you wear earmolds:

outer ear is hurting 1 ifyou,youralways tell your parents,

because it might be time to get a new, bigger earmold. Good news, you can pick a new color!

2 Here’s a really amazing trick for anyone who uses hearing aid batteries:

If you are swapping batteries, and you get the old and new batteries mixed up, drop each battery on the table. If when you drop it, it doesn’t bounce, that means it’s heavy and full of energy, so it’s the new battery.

If when you drop it, it bounces, that means it’s empty, so it’s the old battery.

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.

EDUCATI N STATION

Hi, I’m Dr. Purdy,

Audiology Manager of Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego.

For kids and teens with cochlear implants, going to the audiologist for programming mappings are a really important way to achieve the best hearing possible. But, they require taking time away from school or activities and extra time spent driving to and from appointments and in the waiting room.

Our Cochlear Implant Center had the opportunity to become a trial site for Cochlear’s new Remote Check, a way to connect patients with their audiologists virtually through an app.

At first audiologists were concerned: would the patient relationships be the same if they didn’t see each other in person?

But in fact, families reported feeling more of a connection, because they felt less stressed, more relaxed, and even booked appointments more frequently if needed. Kids and teens reported feeling happier, more confident, and empowered—help is at their fingertips, and they don’t have to rely on their parents to drive them to appointments. When they go off to college, they can easily continue working with their audiologist remotely.

Even babies are happy! They can sleep peacefully at home while their device electrodes are remotely checked. For families that require interpreters or captioning, Remote Check makes all of this possible and easy. An interpreter can be invited to the call, and captioning can simply be turned on through Microsoft Teams.

Of course, there are some things that can’t be done remotely.

Sound-booth testing and in-ear testing have to be done at the office. The program works best as a hybrid—some appointments in person, with remote appointments sandwiched in between; that gives everyone the best of both worlds. Remote Check isn’t offered nationwide yet, but Rady Children’s Hospital is always happy to share information about their program with other hospitals wanting to start their own remote programs.

The future of hearing technology gets better every day.

What an exciting time to be a kid with hearing loss!

HEARING OUR WAY

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DEAR S PHIE Hi, my name is Ronan.

FUN &S GAME Why didn’t the motorcycle make it cross country?

It was two tired!

What do you say to a frog who needs a ride?

Hop in!

I am 13-years-old and in seventh grade. I live right outside of St. Paul, Minnesota with my 2 cats and family! I enjoy camping and backpacking as well as competitive math, reading, and outdoor activities. My hearing loss is a small part of my life. I like people to know more about me than just my hearing loss.

Math has been something I have always enjoyed. I compete in math in many different ways. I do MathCounts (a competitive math program) and am in the Roseville High School Math League. I also attend a highly advanced math class at the University of MN in place of my middle school math classes. Even though these classes and competitions may be outside of school, I always use my self-advocacy skills to request accommodations such as sitting in the front, wearing my hearing aids, and asking for clarification if something is missed.

My bilateral hearing loss was acquired after I went through cancer treatment at age 3. Having hearing loss can be a burden at times, like when I have to change my hearing aid batteries often due to short battery life. It also can be tiring to explain my hearing loss when people ask questions. At the same time, I’m lucky to have friends who know about my hearing loss and will repeat things when necessary—plus they’re very loud!

I have big goals I hope to accomplish in life. I hope to get an A+ in my U of MN math class, and I would like to place in the top 15 in the MathCounts state meet next year. My desired profession is to be a Pediatric Oncologist Neurologist.

Your friend, Ronan

Dear Ronan,

to become a doctor It’s really cool that you want inspired by your own who helps kids with cancer, forward! According cancer journey. Way to pay it do anything you set to my calculations, you can your mind to!

Love, Sophie

Why do DJs make terrible drivers?

They keep changing tracks!

What brand of motorcycle is the funniest?

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HEARING OUR WAY

Answer on back cover.

Yamahahahahaha!

Wondering what you can expect in The BIG Book of Hearing Our Way ?

Here’s your exclusive first look

Baby Emily is all grown up!

Jacob married the love of his life!

Azalea was on TV !

HEAR FOR Y U HEARING OUR WAY is dedicated to supporting the next generation of young self-advocates with hearing loss.

Our products feature educational content and resources that parents and teachers seek in fun and engaging ways that kids and teens love! To learn more and purchase our products, visit hearingourway.com.

’s a t i . h.. peek h h S eak sn

These exclusive updates and so much more can only be found in The BIG Book of Hearing Our Way!

Add this new keepsake book to your collection by pre-ordering today: www.hearingourway.com/bigbook or scan the QR code.

HEARING OUR WAY

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UR WAY

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LEARN THE LINGO Hearing Aid: A digital device that als converts sound waves to electrical sign kes and sends them to an amplifier that ma the the sound louder and clearer and sends signals to the ear through a speaker.

is issue: Search for these words in bold inside th iologist Program Mapping: working with an aud grams by to make changes to cochlear implant pro t user gets providing feedback as a cochlear implan r better in used to their device and to help them hea ts. certain situations such as noisy restauran

ted Cochlear Implant: A surgically-implan device with an external processor that t converts sound into electrical signals tha ve. are delivered straight to the auditory ner

HEARING

UR WAY

PLEASE OPEN!

Acquired Hearing Loss: Hearing loss that you are not born with but happens later in life.

Here’s your new issue