First Review of Not Deaf Enough
Review
by Deborah L. Woodward, MA, CCC-A,
in ADVANCE for Speech-Language
Pathologists & Audiologists, January 20, 1997
This book offers insights that usually take parents and professionals years to discover.
The author is the mother of four children. Her youngest, Reid, was diagnosed as hard of hearing with
an asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. The parents' thoughts are shared as they push
professionals to identify the hearing impairment and then search for services.
Although very supportive of the hearing, medical, and educational professionals that were consulted,
the book obviously benefited a great deal from the author's extensive library searches.
She wants parents to understand that what a child with impaired hearing learns and becomes is based
largely on the decisions that are made when the child is very young. It is critical that the parents
become well informed quickly. This book goes into practical detail about hearing tests, hearing aids,
battery safety, and educational choices for individuals who are hard of hearing. It is an excellent guide
for any parent or professional.
The first of several important sections details why both parents should attend the hearing test. Being
in the booth, with the tones getting louder and the child not hearing them, gives them a level of
understanding about their child's hearing loss that is difficult to convey verbally.
It helps to avoid having one spouse be the gatekeeper of information, because the other may remain
in denial about the hearing impairment.
Once the hearing loss is identified, amplification decisions must be made. The section on the parental
vs. the educational viewpoint on amplification systems is an eye-opener. Hearing professionals
generally think of FM systems as classroom systems to reduce the background noise for students
with hearing loss so they can hear the teacher. The author, as only a mother could do, makes the
point of how much auditory input is lost when a student is out of earshot.
She makes a good case for the use of an FM system at home, in the car, and in stores.
It is important to test a child's hearing aid each morning and throughout the day. The hearing device
can be tested using Ling's five-sound test (ah, ee, oo, sh,ss). The book addresses how to do this test
and what it means to the child if he or she cannot hear these sounds.
Battery safety is another area of emphasis. Candlish relates several incidents
of battery ingestion by Reid that caused a few harrowing runs to the hospital. Suggestions for battery safety are provided.
Various means by hearing aid manufacturers to keep battery doors closed while in the possession of
a young child are included, along with photographs.
The final chapters of this book are devoted to educational choices. The author's frustration is evident
here. She initially thought that all children with hearing loss, ranging from hard of hearing to deaf,
would have similar educational opportunities and their families would bond together. Candlish
explains why this is not the case.
The author skillfully describes Deaf culture. She goes on to illustrate various methods of teaching a
child who is hard of hearing. Presented as an overview and then with how-to portions, this section is
what parents of children who are hearing impaired need to know.
This book offers important facts and parenting strategies for raising a child who is hard of hearing.
About the reviewer: Deborah Woodward has a private practice in
McLeansville, NC.
The process of writing a book, and finding a publisher
takes a long period of time, especially if the publication is
"academically inclined". In the period of time in which
Princess Diana had an affaire, and the tell-all non-fiction book was
written and published by some indiscrete person, I waited to hear
from people who had been sent my manuscript. Authors are supposed to
send the manuscript to one publisher at a time, or write multiple
submission on the envelope. The manuscripts which come into publishers
as multiple submission are not looked at. The other manuscripts have a
chance.
I waited by my mail box for more than two years, on a daily basis,
waiting for someone to recognize my brilliance.
During the publication process at A.G.Bell, my publisher, most of the
really important people in oral education of the deaf had a chance to
read my manuscript. I was not told who they were. I do know that one
mother read the manuscript and scathingly commented that she hoped that
my problems had been eradicated by catharsis. She did not like the
emotions which I felt were the denied part of the process. Fortunately
there were many people, especially Carol Flexer and Judy Simser, who saw
the potential value for parents.
The hit and miss process of getting a review for an academic book is
ridiculous. The author, and editors have poured heart and soul and their
fingerprints into keyboards, the book gets an aura of life, gets
published, and then, one must wait for the reviews?
Ross, my husband was home when the first review arrived on the fax.
He pulled it off the machine, read it, and said very seriously,
"You had better sit down and read this."
Prepared for the worst, expecting to see terrible comments, I read
through the review once, and asked him, "What is the matter? That
is a wonderful review. Wonderful. wonderful, wonderful, wonderful,
wonderful!"
I am so grateful to Deborah Woodward because she gave my book life.
Thank you for ever.
Get my Book
