My story
Zelna & James Black
PretoriaSouth Africa
About me
We are the parents of Mitchell Black, a six-year-old deaf boy.
My Story
Mitchell looked like an angel when he was just three months old. He had hair like snow, pure white skin, rosy cheeks and sky-blue eyes. He was an extremely calm child and seldom cried.
By this time we have mentioned Mitchell’s lack of response to sounds to our paediatrician several times. “Do not worry”, he said, “a brainstem test can only be performed when the child is a year old and it is very expensive. It is your first child and you are over-reacting.”
After a series of ear infections, James put his foot down and we took Mitchell to a specialist. Finally, someone took us serious! The doctor commented that parents normally have good instincts about their children, but Mitchell had lots of pressure behind his eardrums and we need to fix that first. If the hearing loss continues after the infection clears, further tests will be recommended.
Grommets were inserted in both Mitchell’s eardrums, but even after a month Mitchell still had no response to sounds. He was quick to pick up movement of ones lips, but did not respond to noise behind him. The specialist then referred us to an audiologist practice, which performed a brainstem test.
Our biggest fear was confirmed – Mitchell had a severe hearing loss and was, for all practical reasons, deaf in both ears. The news was devastating, but we made a firm decision that our son will speak normally. We would do everything in our power to ensure that he will have as normal life with his hearing impairment as he possibly can.
Our search started with a visit to Trans-Oranje, a school for deaf children in Pretoria. Our first experience with the deaf community was not good. Although the school does wonderful work with children, the first child we spoke to signed and we could not understand his words or what he was trying to say.
We simply could not imagine our beautiful boy not be able to speak or make himself understandable. We were also treated well by all the staff, but we could not leave our seven-month-old baby at a hostel to go to school there. At that stage we still resided in another town and we were 300km away from the school. We also had an appointment at the Ear Institute in Pretoria. Mitchell was tested and fitted with hearing aids the very same day. The look on his face was incredible when the hearing aids were switched on! His eyes rolled around in his head and his whole face said, “Mom, Dad, I can hear!”
He was not to impressed with the ear pieces in his ears, pulled at it the whole time, but soon realised that the benefit of the sounds far exceed the new experience of feeling something in your ear the whole time.
We also visited the Carl Du Toit Centre in Pretoria. This organisation discourages sign language and teaches deaf children to speak. Monthly parent sessions followed, where we commuted from Mafikeng to Pretoria. We learned a lot, but we felt that Mitchell needed much more directed attention and a more structured learning programme.
By the time Mitchell was three year old, we learned that the Ear Institute would be opening a new school made possible with donor funds, mainly from Switzerland. This would be a unique school, as it catered for deaf and normal hearing children. The ratio of the normal hearing to the deaf children would be 3:1. Deaf children would receive a one-to-one session in the morning, the classrooms were acoustically designed to enable deaf children to get the most out of the class situation and all deaf children will receive further tutoring in a small group on a daily basis as well.
Each classroom was fitted with a FM system that further enhances sound and increases the range of the hearing aids. Parent guidance is also provided. The school has a holistic approach and wants every child to reach its full potential. Deaf children are treated like normal children and they must be equipped to be normal functioning members of the community. Our minds were made up: we would move to Pretoria and enrol Mitchell and Christopher, our other normal hearing son, (2 years) at the RIHS EDC school.
Mitchell has now progressed extremely well and is speaking normally, he cannot sign and he will be going to primary school next year. He turned six in March 2004. South Africa was fortunate enough to receive more donor funding and a primary school was build on the same grounds. The primary school also caters for deaf and normal hearing children. The pre-primary & primary schools are known as Eduplex. There is a possibility that Mitchell will have a cochlea implant in the future, but constant monitoring and the use of a FM apparatus at home will determine if this will become a reality. We will only consider the implant if we are sure that it will benefit Mitchell more than the hearing aids. Mitchell goes to primary school next year and a decision will soon be made on the way forward.
Mitchell is a shining example of how a child can progress if hearing loss is detected in time. He is a balanced, very active, intelligent, extremely stubborn little man, but has a wonderful personality and we know that he will, without a doubt, make a success of his life.
The important thing is that parents get to the right people in time. Whenever we speak to new parents, the only advice we will be giving is to trust your instincts. If you think that something is wrong with your child, do not give up the search – there are wonderful organisations and people that can help. Stay a parent and let your instinct and your child’s progress guide you.
By this time we have mentioned Mitchell’s lack of response to sounds to our paediatrician several times. “Do not worry”, he said, “a brainstem test can only be performed when the child is a year old and it is very expensive. It is your first child and you are over-reacting.”
After a series of ear infections, James put his foot down and we took Mitchell to a specialist. Finally, someone took us serious! The doctor commented that parents normally have good instincts about their children, but Mitchell had lots of pressure behind his eardrums and we need to fix that first. If the hearing loss continues after the infection clears, further tests will be recommended.
Grommets were inserted in both Mitchell’s eardrums, but even after a month Mitchell still had no response to sounds. He was quick to pick up movement of ones lips, but did not respond to noise behind him. The specialist then referred us to an audiologist practice, which performed a brainstem test.
Our biggest fear was confirmed – Mitchell had a severe hearing loss and was, for all practical reasons, deaf in both ears. The news was devastating, but we made a firm decision that our son will speak normally. We would do everything in our power to ensure that he will have as normal life with his hearing impairment as he possibly can.
Our search started with a visit to Trans-Oranje, a school for deaf children in Pretoria. Our first experience with the deaf community was not good. Although the school does wonderful work with children, the first child we spoke to signed and we could not understand his words or what he was trying to say.
We simply could not imagine our beautiful boy not be able to speak or make himself understandable. We were also treated well by all the staff, but we could not leave our seven-month-old baby at a hostel to go to school there. At that stage we still resided in another town and we were 300km away from the school. We also had an appointment at the Ear Institute in Pretoria. Mitchell was tested and fitted with hearing aids the very same day. The look on his face was incredible when the hearing aids were switched on! His eyes rolled around in his head and his whole face said, “Mom, Dad, I can hear!”
He was not to impressed with the ear pieces in his ears, pulled at it the whole time, but soon realised that the benefit of the sounds far exceed the new experience of feeling something in your ear the whole time.
We also visited the Carl Du Toit Centre in Pretoria. This organisation discourages sign language and teaches deaf children to speak. Monthly parent sessions followed, where we commuted from Mafikeng to Pretoria. We learned a lot, but we felt that Mitchell needed much more directed attention and a more structured learning programme.
By the time Mitchell was three year old, we learned that the Ear Institute would be opening a new school made possible with donor funds, mainly from Switzerland. This would be a unique school, as it catered for deaf and normal hearing children. The ratio of the normal hearing to the deaf children would be 3:1. Deaf children would receive a one-to-one session in the morning, the classrooms were acoustically designed to enable deaf children to get the most out of the class situation and all deaf children will receive further tutoring in a small group on a daily basis as well.
Each classroom was fitted with a FM system that further enhances sound and increases the range of the hearing aids. Parent guidance is also provided. The school has a holistic approach and wants every child to reach its full potential. Deaf children are treated like normal children and they must be equipped to be normal functioning members of the community. Our minds were made up: we would move to Pretoria and enrol Mitchell and Christopher, our other normal hearing son, (2 years) at the RIHS EDC school.
Mitchell has now progressed extremely well and is speaking normally, he cannot sign and he will be going to primary school next year. He turned six in March 2004. South Africa was fortunate enough to receive more donor funding and a primary school was build on the same grounds. The primary school also caters for deaf and normal hearing children. The pre-primary & primary schools are known as Eduplex. There is a possibility that Mitchell will have a cochlea implant in the future, but constant monitoring and the use of a FM apparatus at home will determine if this will become a reality. We will only consider the implant if we are sure that it will benefit Mitchell more than the hearing aids. Mitchell goes to primary school next year and a decision will soon be made on the way forward.
Mitchell is a shining example of how a child can progress if hearing loss is detected in time. He is a balanced, very active, intelligent, extremely stubborn little man, but has a wonderful personality and we know that he will, without a doubt, make a success of his life.
The important thing is that parents get to the right people in time. Whenever we speak to new parents, the only advice we will be giving is to trust your instincts. If you think that something is wrong with your child, do not give up the search – there are wonderful organisations and people that can help. Stay a parent and let your instinct and your child’s progress guide you.
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