Being Heard Without Saying A Word

This year my son (and daughter) attend private school. I was concerned at first because my son always has had hearing accommodations in public school because he has moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears since birth and wears hearing aids and has since he was 6 months old. He started speech at 1 and continued until age 7. At age 3 he had speech 3 days a week-2 days through the school and 1 privately. It was always an ordeal-meetings, advocating to continue speech when professionals at certain hospitals were ready to test him out after a few measly weeks to lighten their case load. It always required me to be the advocate not just the parent.


The public schools he went to were great, and the fact that I always worked there was a bonus. However, his needs still required paperwork, IEPs, meetings. Our options were limited. When we inquired about an FM player possibility years ago for him we were shut down saying that was rare for the public school system to provide due to the cost of it.

This year we were ready to let him learn and see which accommodations would be missed if any as we went. After 7 years of speech he was ready for a break. I decided if it was needed we would go the private route so he wouldn't feel isolated being pulled out of class (which he hated because he always felt he was missing something).

Anyway, from week one this year has been great. He works so hard learning his spelling words-auditory learning so far has not been a problem. Every time I see his teacher she asks how he is doing and if he needs any adjustments in the classroom. His class size is ideal! 14 kids which makes a world of difference for a child with certain needs and for a teacher meeting each child's needs.

About the second week of school I was relaying a message to the principal and popped in while volunteering to say hello. I never mentioned W's needs. But the principal did. He asked about his hearing. He asked what resources W had at the old school. He was genuinely concerned and wanted the same resources in place for this year. I was honestly in shock how "easy" he made my job. He took the advocating burden from my shoulders for 10 minutes and did it himself as the leader of the school.

He emailed back and forth the next few days. They didn't have the red cat system at the elementary so he called around to see how to get the system in the classroom. He gave us the option of an FM for W if we wanted or the amp system. No one ever gave us that option, ever.

A week later he emailed and thanked US for responding so quickly and apologized that it took so long (one week!). He let us know that next week the amp system would be in the classroom ready to use. No official meeting. No red tape. No problem. He even talked to W's teacher.

The reason he was so knowledgable was that he used the system as a teacher for a child with hearing needs. This is a qualified, caring leader.

This is simply unheard of but so so reassuring. This is how it should be. Meeting kids' needs because it is the right thing to do and using the parents, teacher, school leader as a team and resource for the students.

I am so very grateful. So very. From day 1 the Lord has placed people in our family's life to make a world of difference for our son. Starting with him being born in the state of TN which has mandatory hearing testing of newborns the day after they're born. From 4 weeks old until W was 3 Deidra Love came from TEIS (Tennessee Early Intervention Services) to our home, and to his daycare and worked with W on Speech and Language every week without fail. At Erlanger his first speech therapist, Sarah, told us one year old was not the norm for starting speech, but if he could sit in the seat for 30 minutes he could take speech. She used barn toys, puzzles, treats, and animal puppets and taught W the H sound and more for a solid year while his sister and I sat and watched.

When he started speech in the school system in Chattanooga at age 3 Holly Wright Cox was amazing. He just had one caring, competent amazing professional after another. His pre-K, K, 1, and 2nd grade teachers are all top notch, caring, and kind.

This shouldn't go without being said. What this principal did for my son and for our family is not the norm at all places. Insurance companies don't just provide the coverage for what children always need. School systems usually require waiting periods and paper work and red tape. What he did lightens the load. The worry, the hurt when your baby says, I wish I didn't have to wear hearing aids. It is a big deal.

It is very few and far between that a parent with a child that has certain needs is heard without saying a word. So I am thankful and appreciative of these blessings!