Disclosure: This post made possible through the support of Cochlear. All opinions are my own.
When our youngest daughter was a year old, we began to notice that she wasn’t talking as much as her four siblings had at that age. Others dismissed it to the idea that the others often spoke for her. By two, I no longer listened to what others said about her lack of speech and had her tested. The diagnosis was Expressive Speech Disorder.
Communication is Everything
Now, at 6 ½, Joeli just recently began forming full sentences and carrying on a conversation with us. We still get overly excited at every sentence properly formed and spoken. With each word, we know that she is closer to living a “normal life.” We can rest assured that Joeli will be able to communicate with others outside the walls of our home. This brings us comfort. For us, it took time, patience, work and perseverance.
Communication is an essential step in every parent’s journey is working on speech, language, and developmental milestones. For some families, their communication journey may be different. Longer. Perhaps more technical. Cochlear, the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, knows communication is the crux of everything in parenting. Cochlear’s passion lies in connecting parents who want their kids to get the assistance they need to “live their lives without limits.”
For Joeli, learning to talk was the essential key. We had her hearing tested as an initial step, but found no issues, even though we thought she had a few of the signs:
- No reaction to loud sounds
- No seeking out where sound is coming from
- Not progressing to make understandable speech
It seems her signs were due to other health conditions. But, being familiar with my dad’s hearing loss, I was aware of the signs and wanted to be sure. I’ve watched my dad struggle my entire life with his own challenge to hear those around him. It wasn’t until this past winter when he received his first hearing aid. It was life changing for him — for all of us — when he was finally able to hear everything happening around him. I can only imagine the joy it would bring a parent to know that their child would be able to hear.
Just as we celebrate every word Joeli successfully completes, we now celebrate the words my dad can hear. For both of them, it’s been a journey to new discoveries and a better world through communication. There is an amazing relief that comes when your child, your loved one, can express themselves through words. Simply knowing that they can stay forever connected not only to you, but to the entire world around them. To continue to live their life without limits.
Cochlear provides products (cochlear implants and bone conduction) that are designed to treat a range of moderate to profound types of hearing loss. The company has helped over 450,000 people worldwide have access to sound. Cochlear wants to be a partner to families of children with hearing loss for their lifetime by providing parents with the online support, information, and the connection they are looking for around hearing loss. They want to give every child the opportunity to hear.