School

My daughter will start school soon, and we are busy considering the different options we have for her.  As we are in Dubai, we have to consider the curriculum we put her in (International, British or American) as well as a host of other factors.  She is an incredibly bright, confident little thing and I know she will thrive in most environments.

About six months ago I had a discussion with Henry’s therapist about pre-school options for him.  Australia has some excellent pre-schools aimed specifically for deaf children learning to listen and speak and I wondered if we should start getting him enrolled in one of these.  Melissa advised me that most likely Henry would be able to go to a ‘normal’ pre-school.  At this point Henry had not yet been implanted, seemed worlds apart from hearing children, and while I found this encouraging, I wasn’t totally convinced.

However now, six months on, Henry is progressing beautifully with his listening and speech and I have no doubt that he, like his sister, will be able to attend and flourish, at any school we choose for him.  Henry’s hearing impairment, while still an important factor in any decision we make, not only about him, but about our family, is just one of the many issues that we consider.  

This week I hosted playgroup, attended by a diverse range of children; different nationalities, religions, backgrounds, parents, abilities, strengths, weaknesses.  Every child comes to us with their own personality, and is shaped by their experiences.  Amongst all these children, Henry was like every other child; unique.  His deafness is part of who he is, but it doesn’t define him.