Brian and Sean
We are forever grateful to the HEAR In Dallas staff for their work with our family. We have 3 sons: Philip, age 12, has normal hearing; Sean, age 6, and Brian, age 9, are profoundly deaf and have bilateral cochlear implants. In addition to hearing loss, Sean has language processing and oral motor challenges. He was implanted at age 2 and had received other therapies for 3 year; yet he struggled to repeat simple phrases and could not formulate or speak his thoughts. A host of therapists in our community had worked with him for several years without success. Though they attributed his struggles solely to hearing loss, I suspected something else lie beneath his difficulties.
After a few diagnostic therapy session, Linda explained that Sean heard very well with his implants but his brain could not sort out and organize what he heard and express his thoughts. Her skilled staff knew how to help him work through his learning and processing issues and helped me understand why Sean’s development was different than Brian’s. Viewing Sean as a whole child, they uncovered his learning strengths and used them to organize what he heard and wanted to say. This unlocked Sean’s learning potential and after a short year of making 400 mile round trips to Dallas, Sean is speaking in up to seven-word sentences and expressing himself to his brothers and parents. He is so much happier as are his brothers, my husband and I.
Brian also has benefited greatly from the therapy approaches used at HEAR In Dallas. When he started in therapy there at 5 1/2, he could only speak like a 2 year old. Within 3 years of therapy, his language level was like that of an 8 year old! He LOVES going to HEAR In Dallas and has so much fun he doesn’t think he’s in “therapy.” Philip’s life as well has been improved by our HEAR In Dallas family experience. Linda shared with Philip her own experience as a sibling of a brother with a communication disorder; this gave Philip a sense of relief, knowing he’s was not alone with the frustrations he feels when he tries to communicate with his brothers. Somehow this made it easier for him to face his challenges and frustrations. Our challenges are not over, but our family will continue to make the drive to HEAR In Dallas. Seeing all of our boys flourish and enjoy talking and laughing together makes EVERY mile worth the effort!
