After the euphoria of Henry’s switch-on and first ever responses to sound, it is slowly dawning on me that we still have many challenges ahead. I know that there will be years and years of therapy to enable Henry to learn to listen and talk, and this is what I have been focussing on. But even once Henry can listen and talk, there will still be challenges for him everyday.
Henry will always be deaf. He has been given a wonderful, amazing way to access sound, however without his CIs, he is still profoundly deaf. And there are many situations in life where this will pose an issue. Waking in the night for example. When my three year old daughter Imogen wakes through the night, we can quickly discuss what the problem is (she needs a drink/to go to the toilet/she’s hungry because she threw her dinner on the floor earlier in the evening/she wants a hug/she’s cold/etc). Henry doesn’t sleep with his CIs on, so he cannot hear anything through the night. At this age I can usually work out what the problem is, however I wonder how frustrating it will be later on, when Henry will have to get his CIs on at night if he wants to hear what we are saying.
Henry’s CIs are not waterproof either, so he cannot wear them in the bath or the pool. Technology is advancing so rapidly that I have no doubt this problem will be solved in the near future, but at this stage, bathtime and swimming are going to be a quiet affair for him. Flying too, since apparently he can’t have his CIs on when the seatbelt sign is on.
In the big scheme of things, these are just small inconveniences, and I look forward to working with Henry to come up with ways to deal with these situations.
Hi Sarah, I can think of some instant benefits though - When his sister does wake up hungry because she still hasn't eaten her lunch through stubbornness, she will not wake him up! A quiet bath and flight is always preferable. He will also have another advantage that you haven't even listed - when he doesn't want to hear you (Usually when he's up to something he shouldn't be!) he will purposefully remove his CIs himself - annoying but you have to laugh when it first happens! I've chased many kids across a field as they run away, shouting at them until I trip over their CI kit and realise that I just have to run faster! Hope you're all well, speak soon x
ReplyDeleteJames, you are very right. It can be very helpful! Imogen and Henry are sharing a room, and she doesn't wake him through the night. And Henry does sleep soundly on the plane, at the shopping centre, whereever, because I just take his CIs off and it's nice and quiet for him. And yes, I can't wait to see what sort of mischief he will get up to!
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