Ask the Magic 8 Ball: Is It His Age or His Hearing Loss?
Posted Aug 18 2010 7:27pm
We play this game at least once a week. He's my first kid, so all the developmental stuff that the been-there/done that Mama's handle aren't necessarily second-nature to me yet. I usually defer to one of my best friends who has 4 kids and seriously has seen it ALL. She usually commiserates with me, wine glass in hand, reassuring me that it IS completely normal for an almost 4 year old to throw himself on the ground when I deny him an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba, and it's NOT because he can't hear me say so.
Then there are the times when I don't think it's an "age" thing. He leaves me guessing, and wondering if maybe he really is frustrated and acting out because he can't hear everything. Is he really asking me "What?" because he REALLY can't hear me, or is it because he's just almost 4 and too busy daydreaming of Spiderman and Batman? Is that little lisp that we sometimes hear just leftover baby stuff, or is it because he's a deaf kid? I just don't know. The thing about Christian is that while he is profoundly deaf, we rarely can place blame on his hearing loss affecting ANYTHING in his life. Most days his actual hearing loss is a non-issue (AND HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!). He has no language delays, he's doing great in school, and socially he is my superstar.
Once he starts school in 2.5 weeks, we'll get another audiogram done and have all his equipment double checked. I don't think we are having any issues, but it is one more thing that I can cross of my list. The testing will give me a window into where he is, although I'm pretty sure not much has changed. Then I can really just chalk all of this up to him being my sweet, sassy, silly and absolutely crazy TYPICAL almost 4 year old.
Then there are the times when I don't think it's an "age" thing. He leaves me guessing, and wondering if maybe he really is frustrated and acting out because he can't hear everything. Is he really asking me "What?" because he REALLY can't hear me, or is it because he's just almost 4 and too busy daydreaming of Spiderman and Batman? Is that little lisp that we sometimes hear just leftover baby stuff, or is it because he's a deaf kid? I just don't know. The thing about Christian is that while he is profoundly deaf, we rarely can place blame on his hearing loss affecting ANYTHING in his life. Most days his actual hearing loss is a non-issue (AND HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!). He has no language delays, he's doing great in school, and socially he is my superstar.
Once he starts school in 2.5 weeks, we'll get another audiogram done and have all his equipment double checked. I don't think we are having any issues, but it is one more thing that I can cross of my list. The testing will give me a window into where he is, although I'm pretty sure not much has changed. Then I can really just chalk all of this up to him being my sweet, sassy, silly and absolutely crazy TYPICAL almost 4 year old.