| My Hearing Loss... I was first diagnosed with hearing loss around the age of 5. I had 50% loss in my right ear and 10% loss in my left ear. There was never any explanation as to why I had hearing loss or how long I had been hard of hearing. The doctors tried to get me to wear a hearing aid, but I wouldn't. I can remember having to wear "corrective shoes" (I'm not sure why) and hated being "different' from other kids my age. I went to mainstream schools all my life and did fairly well. I had to sit up front in the classrooms, but other than that received no special treatment or modification. I communicated very well by reading lips and my speech discrimination was good at that time as well. My best friend in 7th grade was the person who discovered that I read lips. I hadn't realized it before then. I heard well enough that I could learn speech sounds/syllables and everyone tells me that my speech is very good even today. |