The magazine for kids and teens with hearing loss
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Contents 4 Things We Love
6 O vercoming Obstacles 10 Fun & Games 12 Sophie’s
Spotlight
Contributors Melanie Paticoff Grossman • Editor in Chief Magazine Design • N-KCreative.com Overcoming Obstacles • Gwendylan Mark it with an E • Evelyn Books We Love • Eva With special thanks to all of our featured H W friends
Hi from Mel! Dear Readers,
HIGH and now it’s time to KICK IT INTO , 18 20 to e by od go d sai We’ve u want to accomplish you thought about what yo ve Ha 19. 20 R GEAR FO t year? What goals nt to do differently than las this year? What do you wa GE T IN TO AC TI ON . IS A GR EA T TI ME TO NG RI SP ? elf urs yo for are you setting in Overcomi ng ugh Gwendylan, featured ho alt , ive act t ge to e tim Gwendylan has a Spring is also a great sport, karate, all year long! te ori fav r he ce cti pra to Obst acles, is able o her balance. This affects her hearing but als ly on t no t tha er ord dis l karate rare chromosoma ics, and baseball. However, ast mn gy , cer soc e lik rts spo made it challenging to play d karate trophies. ’s passion. She’s even earne en Gw me co be s ha d an fit is a perfect ! Keep it up, Gwendylan n’ It Karate Cake Evelyn’s new recipe for Kicki try , rit spi ate kar l ful the o To get you int to PACS Pa ls, where more inspiring stories, head r Fo . to become Pops in nt Christy inspired her de stu ate du gra n tio uca ed Tionna shares how deaf , a hardworking teen otlight, meet sp 's ie ph so a teacher of the deaf. In ams. softball player with big dre rt give this season a kicksta g, rin tee lun vo or g kin ba , ate Whether it’s softball or kar u love. with a fun new activity yo
, M.S.D.E. Mel Paticoff Grossman Editor in Chief
and maltipoo, Sophie
www.HearingOurWay.com info@hearingourway.com PO Box 13, Greenlawn, New York 11740 Volume 6, No. 1 ©2019 Sophie’s Tales, LLC. All rights reserved. Hearing Our Way is published quarterly and is a publication of Sophie’s Tales, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. See page 11 for more information about subscriptions for homes, schools, and offices or visit www.HearingOurWay.com. For promotional opportunities, change of address, or other customer service, contact info@hearingourway.com. • All comments and suggestions received by Hearing Our Way become the sole property of Hearing Our Way and may be used without compensation or acknowledgment. Hearing Our Way disclaims liability for any losses or damages that may result from using information in this magazine. • Inquire today about sponsorship and advertising opportunities. Contact Info@HearingOurWay.com.
Look for these symbols throughout the magazine for special tips
Hearing – Info about hearing aids, cochlear implants, and listening devices Talking – Tips for speech and language Self-Advocacy – Ideas for sharing your hearing loss story with others
Sophie
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Did you receive this issue from a friend, school, or office? Sign up for your own subscription to continue receiving Hearing Our Way ! www.HearingOurWay.com
Connecting Made Easy Enjoy talking on the phone – confident that you’ll catch every word! CapTel® shows you captions of everything they say. It’s like captions on TV – for the phone!
APPS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR SMARTPHONE
CapTel 2400i includes Bluetooth® connectivity and Speakerphone.
www.CapTel.com l 1-800-233-9130 FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON. IP Captioned Telephone Service may use a live operator. The operator generates captions of what the other party to the call says. These captions are then sent to your phone. There is a cost for each minute of captions generated, paid from a federally administered fund. No cost is passed on to the CapTel user for using the service. CapTel captioning service is intended exclusively for individuals with hearing loss. CapTel® is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. (v2.5 7-18)
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books We L ve: Eva’s Bookshelf
Eva is a 10-year-old girl from New Jersey
who has always loved reading! She has hearing loss in her left ear, but with the help of her Roger Focus® receiver and wireless system, she never lets hearing loss hold her back! Ready to discover your next favorite book? Eva invites you to explore her bookshelf.
by K.E. Ormsbee is a The Water and the Wild an orphan girl named omenal series about
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phen end Eliot is sick with Lottie Fiske. Her best fri d her doctors. pe a disease that has stum s apple iou er st Lottie lives near a my s and er tree that sends her lett e sh birthday gif ts. One day, ee, tr ial ec sp e journeys into th r he ve sa on an adventure to out ab s friend. If you enjoy book y, ntas magic, mystery, and fa is th d en I would recomm le series—you won’t be ab to put the book down!
Sibling sp t Meet four siblings
Jersey who never from Oaklyn, New in the way of fun ! let hearing loss get
not have hearing loss but love to help Big sisters Helena, Camille, and Violet do lants. Together they play, sing, and little brother Adrian with his cochlear imp experience ! turn everything into a language learning been like ‘another mother’ to Helena: Even though I am only 11, I have always ian’s appointments with him and Adrian. My sisters and I go to many of Adr help him catch up with his listening try to be very interactive and involved to and language. my little best friend. I help him Camille: I am 10 years old, and Adrian is like in the morning, correct his speech put his cochlear implant processors on t, and draw shapes and pictures when he doesn’t pronounce something righ together. h Adrian. We play ‘family’ and Violet: I am 7 years old, and I love to play wit processors- I even know how to ‘investigators.’ I like to help him with his comes to watch my soccer change the batteries! I love when Adrian s still too little! games—he wishes he could play, but he’ , and go bowling with my Adrian: I am 2 years old, and I love to play, sing ny family! big sisters. They help me, and we are a fun er kids like him to be proud to One Last Word: We all want Adrian and oth s cool to be different. We hope have cochlear implants and know that it’ loss and that people underthat he is never bullied for having hearing and language will continue to stand. We think in the future his speech fire engines, police cars, and improve and that he will follow his love of or an engineer! garbage trucks and become a firefighter family. Hearing loss is part of the whole Share your story with us: info @hearingourway.com
W rds, W rds, W rds Go head to head
Language can be tricky, especially idioms, which are groups of words or expressions that mean something different than what they say. You might hear the idiom go head to head and think two people are touching their heads together… nope! Go head to head is an idiom that means two people who have different opinions are going to have a direct discussion about their opposing viewpoints. Like this: “My brother and I always go head to head about what we should have for dinner. We never seem to want the same thing to eat!”
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ng vercomi
bstacles
f Stories o Inspiring You ! e ik L s Teen d n a s id K
Gwen’s Faves H ACTIVITIES Karate Chess Piano Swimming Camping
H W does Gwendylan hear? With her karate belt on, a chess piece in hand, and two hearing aids!
All About Me
Hi, I’m Gwendylan, a 6th grader from Santee, California. I love school, especially my favorite subject, math. I attend a hybrid program; 2 days a week I go to school and the other 3 days I do homeschool with my mom. I have taken piano lessons since I was 7 years old, and I love to play chess with my dad and my friends. I love nature and the outdoors, and I eat a vegan diet!
Hearing My Way
H BOOKS Harry Potter El Deafo Dream Jumper
H TV SHOWS British Baking Challenge
H MOVIES Jumanji Wonder Harry Potter
H FOODS
I was born with 18Q Deletion Syndrome which is a very rare chromosomal disorder. It has many symptoms, but the biggest one for me is hearing loss. I wear bilateral hearing aids and use an FM system at school. My audiologist also wears hearing aids, and I like that she understands what it is like for me. I think having hearing loss makes me special. It has made me a hard worker and made me more confident and able to speak up. I also love getting a good night’s sleep when I take my hearing aids out at night and can’t hear my little sister!
Gwen takes chess games seriously!
Kickin’ It
My disorder can also cause balance and coordination problems, which meant that sports like soccer, gymnastics, or baseball were challenging for me. My mom and dad searched for a good fit and thought of karate. I am so glad they did! At first it was hard, but the great thing about karate is that you move at your own pace. You practice both old and new skills over and over which is perfect for me. Karate has made me stronger and more confident than I ever thought I could be. Now I go to karate classes almost every day and practice at home, too. I compete and have earned a lot of trophies! I even get to help new kids learn sometimes; it makes me feel so happy. I really look up to my senseis (teachers), in karate because they have all worked really hard to achieve great things. They are serious, but very kind. They help me to achieve my goals, like eventually becoming a black belt. I may have to pay attention more to hear what the instructor is saying, but I know that I can do it. I think that karate is
Quinoa bowls Burritos
te , stress “Don’t r best, do you e rest.” th forget
H Quo
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Gwendylan strikes a favorite karate pose.
especially important for someone with hearing loss because not being able to hear could make you more vulnerable, but karate helps me pay more attention to what is going on around me. I want to be a sensei so that I can help people and inspire other kids. I think I would be a good sensei because I understand what it’s like to have challenges and can encourage others to overcome them.
Overcoming Obstacles
I am a really good listener, but big group conversations can be really challenging for me. There have been times at school when I miss what is said and can’t keep up when a group of kids is talking. It makes me feel left out and even tired from having to pay extra attention. I also know that I go to a lot more doctor’s appointments than most kids. I have been in speech therapy since I was 2. Speaking clearly is still hard for me, but I do my best and never let it stop me from speaking in front of people.
Family First
My family loves to go camping and hiking together. When I was little, some doctors didn’t think that I would be able to do much, but my family never gave up on me. They have always believed in me and supported me. My little sister is very aware of what hearing loss is, and she speaks up for me if needed. In the morning she likes to be helpful and bring me my hearing aids or get me new batteries. The hard thing is that sometimes she will repeat herself so many times thinking that I didn’t hear her when maybe I’m just not ready to answer her yet.
This Is Me
Hearing loss is a part of me. I have always had to work harder at things and be really patient. Because of this, I don’t mind challenges and don’t give up when things may take me longer to accomplish. My best advice is to always try your best, believe in yourself, and be a good person. When things get hard, just keep going.
Gwendylan and her sister pose during a family camping trip.
Be on our next cover! info@hearingourway.com
A seamless connection to life—all they have to do is listen. Give your child access to the latest in hearing technology with the Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor – the industry’s first and only Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor.1
For more information, please call 800-354-1731 or visit online at www.Cochlear.com/US 1.
The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is compatible with iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Pro (12.9-inch), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, iPad mini, iPad (4th generation) and iPod touch (6th generation) using iOS 10.0 or later. The Nucleus Smart App is compatible with iPhone 5 (or later) and iPod 6th generation devices (or later) running iOS 10.0 or later. Apple, the Apple logo, FaceTime, Made for iPad logo, Made for iPhone logo, Made for iPod logo, iPhone, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Information accurate as of April 2018.
©Cochlear Limited 2018. All rights reserved. Trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of Cochlear Limited. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
CAM-MK-PR-376 ISS1 APR18
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Hi bakers! My name is Evelyn, and
welcome to my kitchen. I’m 13-years-old, I have one cochlear implant and one hearing aid, and I live in Canada. I’m here to share my love of baking with you, so whip out your spatula, and let’s get cooking!
Kickin’ It Karate Cake Pops INGREDIENTS
1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared 1 can chocolate frosting 1 bag white candy melts 1 bag cake pop sticks Fondant: karate belt colors
Look out for boLd text to know what supplies you will need!
— TIPS — If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer. If you want to save time, you can use a box cake mix. Always keep an eye on your cupcakes because ovens can be different temperatures and could take a shorter time to cook.
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Prepare and bake your chocolate cake. When cool, add cake to a large bowl. 2. Crumble the cake until it resembles fine crumbs. 3. A dd in chocolate frosting a little bit at a time until cake is moist and can form a ball, yet still slightly crumbly. Use your hands to mix the frosting with the cake crumbs. 4. Use a tablespoon to scoop a ball of cake mixture. 5. Roll the mixture into a tight ball and place on a plate. 6. Repeat until all the cake mixture has been rolled into balls. 7. Melt a small cup of white candy melts in the microwave. 8. D ip the tip of the cake pop sticks into the white chocolate and insert halfway into the cake balls. 9. Freeze for 20 minutes. 10. M eanwhile, prepare the karate belts: cut out thin strips of rolled-out fondant long enough to go around the cake pop, tie, and hang down like a karate belt. 11. M elt the remaining white chocolate in a large cup. Make sure you have enough chocolate to completely submerge the cake ball. 12. Remove cake balls from freezer. 13. Dip cake balls carefully into the chocolate until covered. 14. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Swirl and tap gently if needed. 15. O nce hardened a little, add the fondant belt. Wrap it around the cake pop and tie it at the front. Let the ends hang down like a karate belt.
Enjoy your karate cake pops! HiYa!
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Get baking, then send in your pics! @HearingOurWay
•••
Dear Sophie,
Hi! My name is Tionna Mitchell, and I am 12-years-old. I live in Halifax County, Virginia. I have a mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear. I wear a hearing aid and use an FM system in the classroom. My hearing aid helps me hear most speech sounds that I wouldn’t be able to hear without it. It also helps me to localize sounds and follow general conversations. My FM helps me hear my teacher as well as my classmates during group discussions and activities. My favorite section of Hearing Our Way magazine is PACS Pals. I especially loved Meet Christy from the Winter 2017 issue. Reading Christy’s story encourages me to work with children with hearing loss by becoming a teacher of the deaf. I think I would be a good teacher because I have experienced hearing loss myself, so I can identify with what kids with hearing loss are going through. I also enjoy working with kids because there is never a dull moment! I look forward to studying deaf education and becoming a teacher like Christy when I grow up! From,
PACS PALS • • •
R E PRIN T E1D7 F RO M 20
Meet
! y t s i r Ch
My dream career
My dream job was to be a teacher of the deaf. After growing up in Wyoming and going to graduate school in Missouri, I made that dream come true as a first year teacher in beautiful Hawai’i. However, I learned that Hawai’i is not necessarily ‘paradise’ for a new teacher of the deaf. Hawai’i faces many challenges around education, and children with hearing loss don’t always receive appropriate services. I needed to use my training and experiences to quickly learn to advocate for my students. Now I’ve branched out on my own with a mission to bring awareness for education and technology and provide private services for children with hearing loss.
Hawai’i Hears
After my first year in Hawai’i, I started Hawai’i Hears, an organization designed to bring education about hearing loss and deaf education to teachers, administrators, families, and children themselves. I hope to bring awareness to the state level by reforming laws around deaf education, early intervention, and early amplification. I plan to start a website full of resources for families and professionals and offer one-on-one video chat sessions to serve all of the islands.
Hawai’i Speaks
The first word I learned when I moved to Hawai’i was Kuleana. It means responsibility, or honoring your own self.
Perfect Partners
Even though I sometimes feel far from home, my PACS family is always there to support me, even two years after graduation. When they heard about my need for a resource like Hearing Our Way in Hawai’i, the current deaf education class pitched in by donating the money they raised at the St. Louis Walk4Hearing to fund an annual subscription of 100 magazines. Now I can distribute Hearing Our Way all around the islands. Mahalo Nui (thank you very much)!
Tionna Learn more about Christy’s graduate program in deaf education and audiology:
pacs.wustl.edu
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fun e&s gam
Thank you to Tied to Home for being our 2018 featured sponsor. The Fun & Games Sponsorship is now open for 2019. Get in touch! info@hearingourway.com
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Name the sport! Answers at the bottom of the page.
call you o d What hat does t a pig ? te kara chop Pork
ll a u ca o y t do at does Wha h ep t she e? at kar op bch m a L rate ’t ka watch n o d Why uctors r t s? e ins ovie m i-tiv e d s a n s o se e to r ’ y The rtial e ma good r a y Wh ch ts su artis s? er how sing know y l l rea They out LT it to BE
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An exciting PEN PAL PROGRAM presented by Ryan Brady with Hearing Our Way !
riting,
t, w Send in your ar photos to poetry or
gour way.com info@hearin the next issue . to be featured in
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Pen pals will receive an introductory letter from Ryan and an assigned pen pal. Sign up is free for Hearing Our Way readers at www.HIPPkids.com ANSWER KEY
write T
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Carson, age 16, is a high school junior from South Hill, Virginia who has one cochlear implant. She loves to spend time with friends and family and has a passion for sports. She plays travel softball every weekend and hopes to earn a college scholarship.
Carson used to wear her hair down so people wouldn’t stare at her device, but playing sports has made her more confident about wearing her hair up and showing her cochlear implant to others. She can even laugh about her hearing loss now, like the time when she had the bottom locker, and as she knelt down at her locker, the magnet in her head pulled her towards the locker—ouch! Carson has shared a special relationship with her teacher of the deaf, Elsa Gardner, whom she has worked with since she was 3-years-old. Ms. Gardner says, “Carson is one of a kind. She excels in school and sports, works above and beyond to achieve everything she has gotten, and is a caring, compassionate person who always does the right thing.”
g n' t let hearin Carson does om chasing fr loss stop her her dreams !
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Carson has faced struggles and fears because of her hearing loss, but she never lets it stop her from dreaming big. She hasn’t seen Division 1 athletes with hearing loss and hasn’t met any audiologists with cochlear implants, yet these are her two dreams— to play softball in a Division 1 college and to become an audiologist. She wants to inspire kids like her and watch them hear for the first time. People with hearing loss can do ANYTHING as long as they chase their dreams and don’t let anything stop them, which is exactly what Carson plans to do.