Friday, June 16, 2006
Miss America 2005 speaks out for hearing loss
Story from 49abcnews.com:
It is horrible that our children with hearing loss are teased or treated as different. They wear the aids to help them hear normally and you would think that doing so would help them to fit in more normally. But that is not the case. What is really sad is that not only do these kids have to deal with social and emotional problems because of wearing hearing aids; but also the negative impact hearing loss can have on their verbal language, reading, writing and overal academic performance. Kids with a loss often miss social clues; so without their aids they fit in even less. And they cannot listen and learn properlly--at least 10% of classroom instruction may be missed. Academic losses occur in children as early as kindergarten and first grade. Most children with losses begin to show real learning difficulty by the third grade. The symptoms of a hearing loss can even be mistaken for Attention Deficit Disorder. The problems are endless. These kids need help with their hearing and no one should make them feel different or unequal because of their hearing impairment. People like Miss America 05 are making great strides and need all the help they can get.
Deidre Downs grew up as a tomboy. Downs played sports, and had a loving, supportive family in Alabama. Downs also grew up with a hearing impairment.
“I started wearing hearing aids when I was in kindergarten, and I quit wearing them when I was 10 or 11 because I was teased,” Downs said.
Now as an adult, Downs takes a stand to try and get rid of the stigma that goes with hearing loss.
“People wear glasses and there’s really no stigma,” Downs said. “But hearing aids continue to be a real stigmatized handicap.”
Click here for Video of Miss America 2005 and the full StoryIt is horrible that our children with hearing loss are teased or treated as different. They wear the aids to help them hear normally and you would think that doing so would help them to fit in more normally. But that is not the case. What is really sad is that not only do these kids have to deal with social and emotional problems because of wearing hearing aids; but also the negative impact hearing loss can have on their verbal language, reading, writing and overal academic performance. Kids with a loss often miss social clues; so without their aids they fit in even less. And they cannot listen and learn properlly--at least 10% of classroom instruction may be missed. Academic losses occur in children as early as kindergarten and first grade. Most children with losses begin to show real learning difficulty by the third grade. The symptoms of a hearing loss can even be mistaken for Attention Deficit Disorder. The problems are endless. These kids need help with their hearing and no one should make them feel different or unequal because of their hearing impairment. People like Miss America 05 are making great strides and need all the help they can get.
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