Hearing Our Way: Spring 2024

HEARING UR WAY

The magazine for kids and teens with hearing loss

VERCOMING BSTACLES

ALANA

SPRINGING INTO SPRING 2024

4 Things We Love

Eva’s Bookshelf

Eva Sibling Spot Gia, Frankie, Nico, & Sabrina

6 Overcoming Obstacles

Featuring Alana

8 Special Features

Sophie’s Spotlight Kailey Education Station Cristi McCluney

10 Fun & Games

Dear Sophie Titi

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HearingOurWay.com

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Melanie Paticoff Grossman, M.S.D.E.

Magazine Design

Peggy Nehmen, N-Kcreative.com

With a helping paw from Maltipoo Sophie And special thanks to readers like you!

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities, content submissions, change of address, and customer service: contact info@hearingourway.com.

Hearing Our Way

PO Box 13 Greenlawn, NY 11740 USA

©2024 Sophie’s Tales, LLC. All rights reserved.

Hearing Our Way is a quarterly publication of Sophie’s Tales, LLC.

Reproduction or distribution in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

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.

New Year, New Look

Cheers to 2024! It’s an exciting new year for us all, but a particularly special one for Hearing Our Way — we are celebrating 10 years since the magazine began in 2014. Over that time we’ve featured hundreds of inspiring young people with hearing loss and supported kids all over the world in building their confidence and self-advocacy skills. To celebrate this important milestone, we are debuting a fresh new look for the magazine with all the same content you know and love.

Special Delivery!

Springing into Spring

Alana is an incredibly deserving cover kid who has been Overcoming Obstacles far beyond her hearing loss all her life. She was adopted from an orphanage in Ukraine and couldn’t walk, talk, or hear when she came to the United States at age two. Now she is a thriving competitive cheerleader with bilateral cochlear implants. Inspiring!

Things Mel Loves

In Sibling Spot, I love the way Gia, who has typical hearing, is there for her three younger siblings, who have hearing loss. It reminds me of my relationship with my younger cousin who has bilateral cochlear implants. At Hearing Our Way, we always recognize that hearing loss affects everyone in the family, not just kids with hearing loss. Our readers shared that they would like to see more teachers featured in the magazine. So don't miss the new feature, Education Station, on page 9. There you'll meet Cristi McCluney, an itinerant teacher of the deaf with hearing loss who now works in the very same school district that she grew up in — now that’s a full circle moment.

The newest member of the Hearing Our Way team, Hal Matthew, has arrived. Big brother Ben and furry sister Sophie are thrilled. Baby Hal is named for his great grandparents Harold and Marilyn, who were very proud supporters of Hearing Our Way

Listening strategies and hearing technology

Keep an eye out for these symbols!

Speech, language, and communication

Self-advocacy skill building

WE L VE THINGS

BOOKS WE L VE: EVA’S BOOKSHELF

Eva is a 15-year-old girl from New Jersey who has always loved reading. She has hearing loss in her left ear, but with the help of a crossover hearing aid, she never lets her hearing loss hold her back. Ready to discover your next favorite book? Eva invites you to explore her bookshelf.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick is a beautifully illustrated middle-grade novel. It follows the stories of two characters, both deaf, who live in two different time periods. Despite living 50 years apart, they both share journeys of navigating the challenges of being deaf in a world set to oppose them. Throughout the book, the author narrates the parallels between the stories through text and illustration. I found the book to be compelling, emotional, and especially relatable for me because of my hearing loss.

ENTERTAINMENT WE L VE Accessibility Becomes Mainstream

Did you know that captioning has become more available than ever before on streaming services, apps, and social media? In fact, a recent poll showed that over 57% of people without hearing loss now turn on captions when watching videos. In the past, sometimes people found subtitles to be distracting and didn’t like using them. Now, more people agree that captions aren’t distracting after all but rather a helpful tool that improves understanding.

Captioning isn’t the only accessibility feature around. Amazon Prime Video has a cool new accessibility option called Dialogue Boost. It uses AI (artificial intelligence) to analyze video and identify parts where speech may be hard to hear above background noise, music, and special effects. It then uses the same technology we find in some hearing aids and cochlear implants to reduce background noise and enhance speech.

The more people embrace and use these features, the more we will continue to see expanded accessibility and inclusion for all!

57%

of people without hearing loss now turn on captions when watching videos

MEET FOUR SIBLINGS from Long Island, New York who never let hearing loss get in the way of fun!

Gia (13) has typical hearing, and Frankie (11), Nico (7), and Sabrina (5), along with their mom, all have varying degrees of hearing loss and wear hearing aids.

Gia: My life is always interesting as the only person with typical hearing in my family. At home, we play the ‘look for a sound’ game—whether it’s a missing phone or a buzzing refrigerator, I’m the detective going around the house in search of the sound! At school or camp, if my siblings ever need me, I’m there to help change a battery or just give an extra hug.

Nico: Gia helps me with my homework. Frankie is a good big brother and role model; he works hard in school, and he stands up for me. I love playing laser tag with Sabrina. As her big brother, I am patient with her. I will repeat things she doesn’t hear, and I’ll come closer if she is in a different room. I love playing football, and my hearing loss doesn’t stop me from playing!

A Balancing Act

Frankie: As the oldest sibling with hearing loss, I feel a responsibility to be a great role model. I always have my hearing aids on because it shows my younger siblings how important it is to wear their hearing aids. I love art, specifically sketching, drawing, and making school projects. I also like to play video games on my phone, but instead of using airpods, I connect my hearing aids to my phone through Bluetooth.

Itinerant hearing teacher Ms. Doherty says, “I am so proud of Frankie, Nico, and Sabrina for advocating for themselves and looking out for each other.They work so hard and are doing so well.The sibling love between them, and older sister Gia, is evident. Mom is a wonderful role model and advocate as well.Together, we all make an awesome team!”

Sabrina: I like to play sports with my brothers. Frankie and I like to have sleepovers on the weekends. Nico helps me open my battery doors when my hearing aids die. My favorite part about my hearing aids is that I get to pick out new molds every year. I’ve had hot pink molds to match my pink hearing aids, and I’d like to have sparkly ear molds next!

One Last Word: We want all of our siblings to be happy in the future. Frankie hopes to work in technology and invent things. Nico wants to be a pilot and fly planes. Sabrina wants to be a singer, and hopes that one day her brothers become dads and Gia becomes a mom.

Mom Candice says,“I had a very different experience growing up with hearing loss, so I always want to make sure my kids—and all kids with hearing loss—have it better than I did. Seeing how my three younger kids support each other and thrive means everything to me, and seeing how Gia has played such a strong supportive role in our lives makes me so proud.”

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 a balancing act and think it is about doing gymnastics on the balance beam, but no! A balancing act means trying to accomplish many different things at once.

Like this: “I chose so many after school activities this spring like sports, art, and dance class, that attending all of my activities, getting my homework done, and studying has become a balancing act.”

Hearing loss is part of the whole family. Share your story with us: info@hearingourway.com

VERCOMING BSTACLES

INSPIRING STORIES OF KIDS AND TEENS LIKE YOU

ALANA’S FAVES

ACTIVITIES

Cheer Dance

GAMES Basketball

Uno

MOVIES

Scream

Jaws

(I LOVE scary movies!)

MUSIC

Ariana Grande

Taylor Swift

FOOD

Cupcakes

Raspberries

PLACES

Trampoline Park

Water Park

Want to be on our next cover? Email your story to info@hearingourway.com

HW DOES ALANA HEAR?

With her cheerleading pom poms in hand, friends by her side, and two cochlear implants.

ALL ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Alana! I’m an 11-year-old competitive cheerleader from Grasonville, Maryland. I love art, fashion, reading, and hanging out with my friends.

MY ADOPTION JOURNEY

My story begins in Ukraine, the country I was born in. Before my family adopted me, I was living in an orphanage during a time of war. I was deaf, malnourished (underfed), and cross-eyed. I spent my first two years of life in a crib. When my parents first brought me home to the United States, they weren’t sure if I would ever be able to hear, talk, or even walk. It was a scary time for them, and for me everything was so different. I still remember some of my earliest memories after being adopted of my mom giving me baths and loving bath time so much! With a lot of love, dedication, and teamwork, I turned out to be a fighter and overcame many obstacles. I feel very fortunate to have been adopted and also very proud of my Ukrainian heritage.

Baby Alana lived in an orphanage in Ukraine.

HEARING MY WAY

When I was three-years-old, I got bilateral cochlear implants. It took almost a year and many mappings with my audiologist, nerve stimulation programming, and auditory verbal therapy before I finally began to vocalize sounds. Today, I am in the mainstream. I use an FM system at school and get support from a teacher of the deaf and speech pathologist.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Having hearing loss brings its challenges. It can be hard to hear in certain situations, like if people are talking over each other at the same time. One time, my processor broke, and we had to send it out and wait for it to return. It was hard to wait for it to come back since I rely on my cochlear implants so much.

SELF-ADVOCACY STAR

It’s important to be a strong selfadvocate when you have hearing loss. If people ask me about my cochlear implants, I say, “I’m deaf so I wear cochlear implants to help me hear.” Day to day, there is a lot of responsibility that comes with taking care of my hearing devices. I charge my devices each night, manage my FM microphone with my teachers at school, and switch to my waterproof processor when swimming, just to name a few! I’ve even advocated for myself by doing a big presentation about my hearing loss in front of my entire 4th grade class.

HEAR THIS

Having hearing loss has led to some pretty special things in my life. It brought me my friend Michaela whom I met at Sound Beginnings, a preschool for children with hearing loss. It also gets me a great night’s sleep, and I look forward to my 100% silence when I take off my devices to go to bed each night. Hearing loss is a part of my identity. Not only does it make me special, but it makes me feel part of a special group of all people with hearing loss. That’s why I love reading Hearing Our Way because it features true stories about special people like me!

FULL OF CHEER

I like to be very active. For years I was a competitive gymnast—my favorite parts were floors and bars. Then I picked up cheerleading, and it became a balancing act trying to manage both sports. I decided to transition fully to competitive cheerleading. I am on a small cheer team called IGASC REBOUND. Having a smaller team of only 7 girls makes it a lot easier for me to interact with my teammates and hear my coach without a mic. I feel like I am treated the same as everyone else— I do a lot of stunts and am a flyer, too. I am so lucky to be a part of this team. I have made some really great friends, and I just LOVE competing—it is so exciting, and I love the challenge.

HEARING GEAR

One of my favorite accessories for my cochlear implants are the travel storage bags from the manufacturer because I can keep all of my parts together if I go somewhere overnight. I also use a shaketo-wake alarm clock sometimes. Toupee tape is something I’ve used for as long as I can remember—not just for tumbling and cheer but for everyday use.

INSPIRATION STATION

Someone who inspires me is Lily Watts, a cheerleader who has a cochlear implant like me. I try to be an inspiration to others by not letting hearing loss stand in my way. It’s important to me to be a good role model who doesn’t give up and keeps trying. I have been working hard on my speech and have come a long way. I feel proud of my accomplishments.

MY BEST ADVICE

At times things will be hard— sometimes very hard—but you have to go through the hard times to enjoy the good times. That’s what I did. Now go out there and be the SPECIAL YOU that you are meant to be.

Above: Alana has always loved sports like gymnastics and cheerleading.

Below: Alana has a unique story, but she's also a typical teen.

Self-Advocacy Star

Kailey, a tenth grader from Washington, has bilateral cochlear implants. She loves to play sports, draw, learn programming, and spend time with her friends and family.

Kailey was born profoundly deaf in her right ear and moderateto-severe in her left. She started with just a hearing aid in her left ear, but then finally got her first cochlear implant in her right ear at the age of three. She went to a preschool for kids with hearing loss where she learned to speak, and then mainstreamed into kindergarten. When Kailey was eight-years-old, she suddenly lost the rest of her hearing in her left ear, and soon received her second cochlear implant. In school, Kailey uses an FM system and receives speech therapy. She has a 504 plan in place, and each year her audiologist helps hold an inservice for her teachers.

Kailey enjoys soccer, tennis, and skiing. Communication is really important in sports, and Kailey has learned strategies through the years to better communicate with her teammates and coaches, like going over the plan ahead of time and getting up close before speaking. Another hobby is robotics. Kailey’s team is one of the top 50 in her district. She is the lead scout, which means she talks to a lot of people in order to choose teams to form an alliance with. Kailey is the first deaf student in her robotics district to be part of a hearing team.

Kailey’s hearing loss is a big part of who she is. It has made her stronger and more resilient. When Kailey grows up, she would like to be a lawyer, and she will do anything to make it happen and won’t let hearing loss affect her dreams. She is grateful for the obstacles she has overcome that make her who she is today, and she wants to tell other kids, “Don’t give up. There are going to be hard days, but the next day will be better. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. When you do, it will be worth it!”

Kailey has learned strategies through the years to better communicate with her teammates and coaches.

Sophie loves shining a spotlight on amazing kids with hearing loss around the world. To shine a spotlight on someone you know, write to us at info@hearingourway.com.

EDUCATI N STATION

Hi, I’m Ms. McCluney, a teacher of the deaf from Huntsville, Alabama.

I became a teacher of the deaf because I have a moderateto-severe sensorineural and conductive hearing loss myself. When I was about three-years-old, I got my first set of hearing aids, but it wasn’t until third grade that I got digital hearing aids. That’s when I could finally hear so many more sounds, like the air conditioner, refrigerator, and wind!

I grew up in a public school system. In elementary school, I was lucky to meet one of my best friends, Trisha, who has hearing aids just like me, and we worked with our wonderful teacher of the deaf, Mrs. Zeek. However, in middle and high school, I was the only student with hearing loss, and it was very challenging. I was not allowed to be in band or choir because of my hearing loss. I also struggled with reading. In 11th grade, I was tested and learned that I was only reading at a third or fourth grade level, which has been a common statistic for students with hearing loss who are delayed in language. I was put in remedial reading which helped increase my reading level by graduation.

One additional obstacle I’ve been challenged with in my life is that I have a soft palate that did not develop correctly. The soft palate is in the back of your throat and helps you talk properly. My soft palate allows air to enter my nose when I am talking, so my voice sounds nasally. When I was in middle school, I had the opportunity to have surgery that could improve my soft palate, but I decided against it because it had many negative side effects. I was picked on in middle school because of my voice and my choice not to get the surgery.

It was not easy, but I made it through, and my experience inspired me to help kids like me by becoming a teacher. My story has come full circle, because now I am an itinerant teacher for the very same school system I grew up in, and I get to help my students with reading, language, ASL, and self-advocacy skills. I even get to see my students take band and choir classes, which shows that things are changing in the right direction, and kids with hearing loss today have more opportunities and can do anything they want to do!

In my spare time, I enjoy painting, and I’ve even made some art inspired by my hearing loss. This painting (above) is a combination of all my hearing aids through the years, including cases, batteries, and filters. Putting them all together literally ‘paints a picture’ of my life—how technology has changed, how I’ve grown, and how much I’ve had to overcome.

DEAR S PHIE

Hi! My name is Titilayo, but I go by Titi.

FUN & GAMES

Why did the gymnast help fix the broken wagon?

Because she was great at cart wheels!

Why do so many people buy trampolines in March?

Because it’s spring-time!

How does a frog feel when he has a broken leg?

Unhoppy!

How did the gymnast overcome his fear of the vault?

He got over it!

I’m 15-years-old and a sophomore at School of the Arts in Lawrenceville, Georgia. I am the only person with hearing loss in my family.

From what I’ve learned about myself, I was born deaf but diagnosed when I was about three-years-old. I wear two hearing aids and use HAT (hearing assistive technology).

Growing up, I went to hearing schools with deaf programs, so my mainstream classes had students with typical hearing and students with hearing loss. But recently I moved to a school that doesn’t have a specific deaf ed program. I take all general ed classes and have an interpreter with me at all times—including my after school activities. I have services from an itinerant teacher of the deaf once a week. It’s a completely different school experience!

I have a variety of interests and am always willing to try out something new. I mainly am interested in drawing, acting, and dancing—art that allows for self-expression. I have a dream that I want to figure out for myself: what do I really want to do in the future?

For a long time I struggled with this because I felt like I had to fit into the hearing world in order to pursue my dreams. I no longer feel that way though. I am happy to be me, and I look forward to seeing what my future brings.

Your friend, Titi

Dear Titi,

Thank you for sharing your story. I agree, you can do anything you want to do in the future, like be an actress! Best of all, you don’t have to decide now. Dream big!

Love, Sophie

SPRINGTIME WORD SCRAMBLE

See if you can unscramble these 10 spring-themed words.

COMING SOON: The Big Book of Hearing Our Way

Celebrating 10 years of inspiring stories from kids and teens with hearing loss. Featuring some of your favorite articles, plus new resources and Where are they now? updates. Add this new keepsake book to your collection by pre-ordering today!

HEAR FOR Y U

The BIG book of

The Big Book of Hearing Our Way joins a great lineup of products for kids with hearing loss, including Sophie’s Tales picture books and Hearing Our Way quarterly magazine.

HEARING OUR WAY is dedicated to supporting the next generation of young self-advocates with hearing loss. Our materials are both educational, loved by parents and teachers, as well as fun and engaging, loved by kids and teens. To learn more and purchase our products, visit hearingourway.com .

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• Write to us at Info@HearingOurWay.com

Sensorineural: Hearing loss of the inner ear. Often treated with hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Itinerant: A teacher who travels from school to school to help students one-on-one.

Conductive: Hearing loss of the outer or middle ear. Often treated with hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids, or corrective surgery.

Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT): Devices such as FM/DM systems that help people hear in noisy places like schools and restaurants. They can be used with or without hearing aids or cochlear implants.