I am now a huge advocate for THOROUGH hearing tests.
EVEN if you adopt a child who speaks very little english and maybe you wonder the validity of getting a test done, go and get one done by a "hearing doctor" if you have even minimal hearing concerns. You would think I would know the correct term for a hearing doctor, but honestly we have seen so many different kinds of specialists throughout the last several years that I have stopped trying to remember their correct title.
Even within the first couple of months of bringing Faith home, I remember saying to Sam, "can she hear us?" Well the months and years that followed were full of doctor and hospital visits AND transition and attachment issues ... that the thought that skipped through my mind those first couple of months regarding her hearing, quickly left the forefront of my brain ...
Another piece for us was that we had never been "told' by China that Faith might have hearing loss. And also my world did not at that time include anyone with hearing loss so I really did not know much about it.
Sooo in hindsight, just because you are "told" that your new child does not have a particular medical issue, do not assume that they in actually don't have it. On some level I would advise the opposite, be prepared for
any kind of un-identified medical issue.
Faith has spent years in speech, and spent 2.5 years in a specialized preschool ... Faith was also severly delayed when she came HOME. All through this time, no one ever brought up any concerns about her hearing.
When Faith entered kindergarten she started failing the hearing screenings at school, but every time she had an ear infection. Also any time that our AWESOME pediatrician did a screening we weren't sure if it was accurate because of Faith's lack of understanding. In hindsight part of her lack of understanding was as a result of her lack of hearing ... sigh!
Looking back, the signs were all there but we missed them.
I believe we missed them because of lack of education, & initially because we were completely overwhelmed.
Another one of the signs of potential hearing loss is when a child talks louder than normal most of the time, Faith has always done this. We have constantly told her that she doesn't have to talk sooo loud.
When Faith started kindergarten I was BLOWN away by how well she did academically. I really thought our sweet daughter did not have cognitive processing ability to do acquire some of the academic school concepts. Now in 1st grade, Faith is at the top of her class with reading ... and a lot of things. I honestly did not expect that.
AND she has been doing IT ALL with significant hearing loss in both of her ears. We have another appointment at Children's in a couple of weeks where she will get fitted for hearing aids.
OH MY HEART, does my daughter blow away, on many levels. Soooooooooo many things make sense now ... no wonder she was so afraid when she first came home. Now I believe that one of the reasons was that she wasn't able to fully hear what was being said, and consequently then did not understand. Sigh ...
Since beginning this process I have suggested to another girlfriend to take her 5th grade adopted daughter who has been home for a couple of years and their results were the same.
If you have ANY hearing concerns regarding your child (bio or adopted) followe through with your concerns, and ask for a referral to a "hearing doctor."
I am EXCITED to see the difference the hearing aids will make for Faith ... as now she clearly tells us, "mom, I can't hear."
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