How was it struggling with hearing loss as a child?
As an only child with hearing loss, my parents had to find ways to communicate with me. My parents found out when I was about two years old that I couldn’t hear after a hearing test was done. The news was probably jarring to my young parents who were in their early 20’s. I believe the stress of raising me cause a rift in my parent’s marriage that divorce occurred after almost two years of marriage.
As a single mom, my mother refuse to take the time to learn sign language to benefit the both of us. I was raised by my grandmother while my mother worked. It was the decision of my mother to make me “normal” versus “deaf”. I went to a deaf school for a semester or a year and transition to a public school for the rest of my schooling. I wore hearing aids that looked like a box in front of the chest with two earmolds connected to the box. I was forced to learn how to speak with no sign language during my schooling. During the days in elementary school , my speech therapist would pull me out of the class almost weekly to help me learn how to speak clearly with vowels and consonants. The therapist would take my hand and put it on her throat so I can feel the vibrations and tones coming from her throat. I had to replicate that sound with my throat and make sure I mimic the sounds that I felt and enunciate the words as they were given. My struggle was with the “s” sound. There were other sounds that I struggled with but with years of practice I was able to enunciate properly.
After several years of speech therapy from Kindergarten to fourth grade, I was assimilated fully into classrooms where I had to sit in the front of the teacher so I could lipread and understand the lesson that was taught within the classrooms all through high school.
Of course, I was teased, and laughed at during the school day but I had one or two friends that I would hang with. They seems to understand what I was saying and I was able to assist them with their classwork. One thing I noticed about me was that I was able to complete the assignment before others in the classroom and the teacher would ask me to help the others with their work. It goes to show that I had good memory and that I understood the assignment and of course I had good grades too.
I didn’t have a rough childhood. My family were loving and supportive of me and encouraging me to succeed. My grandmother was the one that told me that I could be the best that I could be and that I will overcome the struggles. She was right. There were hiccups along the way but I was able to push my way through with or without the help of others. Life will be a struggle but that doesn’t make one to give up. It is a way for one to grow up, learn from their mistakes and move on.
Today I still struggle but not as much as I used to do when I was a child. We all go through struggles in one area or another. I am just grateful that I still have some push in me to be the greatest that I can be in the eyes of God.
Just don’t give up – keep pushing until you see yourself overcoming the challenge.
I appreciate how openly you shared such a personal experience, shedding light on both the challenges and the resilience it took to navigate them. The part about feeling different yet finding ways to adapt really resonated with me; it’s a perspective many people don’t get to hear. I’m curious, did you have any particular coping strategies or people in your life who made a big difference during that time? Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt story that can help others feel less alone in similar situations.
Thank you for reading my page. Your question just gave me another opportunity to write. I’ll be sure to write a post about coping strategies that I have used. Thank you again!
What a powerful and heartfelt post! Reading about your experiences with hearing loss as a child really highlights the strength and determination it takes to overcome unique challenges. It’s inspiring to see how you managed to push through with the support of family, especially your grandmother, who seems to have played such an essential role in your journey. The dedication you showed in mastering speech and finding ways to excel academically, despite the obstacles, is truly remarkable. Your story reminds us all that even the toughest paths can lead to personal growth, resilience, and a deep inner strength. Thank you for sharing such an intimate and uplifting perspective—it’s a reminder to keep pushing forward and never give up, no matter the struggle.
Thank you for your heartfelt response. We as people should never give up but be overcomers!