VOICE Review of Not Deaf Enough
Review by
Norma
Brem of VOICE for Hearing-Impaired Children in Sound Matters, Nov 1997
No parent of a
hearing—impaired child is ever likely to forget the barrage of
emotions felt when told of their child’s diagnosis. As parents,
our job is suddenly not just to love this child, as is the usual
case with nature taking care of the rest, but to be their advocate,
teacher, resource person, liaison, ENT paramedic, amateur hearing
aid technician, etc., etc. So begins the long journey of parenting
a very special child.
Pam
Candlish is the mother of four children. The youngest, Reid, is
hearing—impaired. She is also an in-home teacher and writer, to
mention but two of her “hats.”
Not Deaf Enough is a wonderful, useful book - a sort of” everything you wanted to know about your hearing—impaired
child.” In this case, it’s not that you were afraid to ask,
but more likely that you didn’t have enough time to ask, or that
even when you did ask, you didn’t get a satisfactory answer. Pam
puts it together for us in a humorous, easy-to-read, well-researched book.
Subjects
covered run the gamut from the specialists who will enter your
family’s life to hearing tests, the school experience and the
anatomy of the ear. All are dealt with in an informative but
highly readable manner from the perspective of a parent and
consumer.
Pam’s
account is a worthwhile read for parents of newly diagnosed or
older children and it
contains
strategies and useful tips on a variety of subjects.
Although
the book is comprehensive in scope, one senses that Pam, at heart,
is just another parent with a family very much like our own. She
has been down the same road and fought the same battles. She has
gone to great lengths to document her journey to make it
easier
for those who follow. The dust jacket of her book says “the
story of Pam Candlish shows what a remarkable difference a
dedicated, informed, imaginative and loving parent can make in the
life and the future of a child who is hard of hearing.” An
accurate summary indeed.
Author's Note
Dr.Daniel Ling read my manuscript first, and suggested that
VOICE should publish it. Judy Simser spent the summer on her dock
working on the manuscript, and concluded VOICE should publish it. VOICE
declined.
The book was Canadian, and intended for parents
who had little access to help. I was told by several Canadian publishers
that we did not have hard of hearing children in Canada, and therefore
no market.
The book became American with Canadian references in second
place.
I handed out over 200 copies of my book in Canada for purposes of
getting a review. The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association lost their
copy. The CBC was given three copies, and buzzed for a brief minute
until they discovered that the book was not in Coles. The Education
Editor of MacLeans told me the book had no application worth sullying
his pages. I cancelled my subscription, and have not read Maclean's
since.
I put a copy of the book in the VOICE library, Eventually they got
around the reviewing the book, and they even liked the book, as you can
see. I am grateful that Norma Brem wrote such a wonderful review. I am
also grateful to VOICE for providing auditory/verbal therapy to Reid, so
many years ago.
Get my Book
