December 21, 2020
deaf dj

Deaf DJ to host BBC’s Radio 1 for the first time ever

A 22-year-old English man is about to make history as BBC Radio 1's first deaf DJ. Will Kirk will be one of 33 guest presenters to front shows on Radio 1.
December 16, 2020
Biden's name sign

What is Joe Biden’s name sign?

The Deaf community is brainstorming possible name signs for President-elect Joe Biden. There are issues with regional variations.
November 18, 2020
face mask for hearing aid users

Face masks for hearing aid users

It’s no secret that some face masks aren’t very hearing aid friendly. Standard ear loop elastics interfere with the placement of behind-the-ear hearing technology. Clear masks on others provide access to […]
August 3, 2020
Early Intervention for hearing loss if your child is deaf

Early Intervention for hearing loss: How to access ASL services

Note to reader: This author is not a lawyer and is not qualified to give legal advice. This is the author’s recall of her own experiences with Early Intervention services […]
January 24, 2020
hunting with hearing loss

Hunting with hearing loss

The leaves have fallen and it's cold. For many in rural America, this time of year also means it's hunting season. What if you're hunting with hearing loss? 
December 9, 2019
mild-to-moderate hearing loss

Mild-to-moderate hearing loss can change a child’s brain

Research from the University of Cambridge sheds new light on the cognitive effects of permanent mild-to-moderate hearing loss in children.
November 26, 2019
FM system

How I got an FM system for my toddler

An FM system can be confusing for a parent new to the world of hearing loss. What is an FM system, and how can you get one?
October 18, 2019

Are Deaf Child Traffic Signs Effective?

Are Deaf Child traffic signs effective? Do they actually slow down traffic? It depends on who you ask.
September 12, 2019
hearing loss resources in a rural area

Finding hearing loss resources in a rural area

We love our small town with its kind neighbors, babbling creek, and the occasional bald eagle. The downside? We’re far from health care resources.
August 6, 2019

Novel ‘Siren Plays Zeperno’ tells the story of a deaf gamer

Imagine a place where people with a wide range of abilities come together to play an online card-based role-playing game. That’s the core of author Geoff O’Brien’s new novel, “Siren […]
July 16, 2019

This airplane game makes speech learning fun

This fun speech and listening games can help children with hearing loss develop vital skills they need for language development.
June 12, 2019
teaching deaf child English and sign language

Why our deaf daughter is learning both spoken English and ASL

When my kiddo was diagnosed with hearing loss, the health department sent us a chart of communication options. On one side, it said “visual.” On the other, it said “auditory.” […]
June 3, 2019
lost hearing aid

Finding my baby’s lost hearing aid

What’s as small as a paperclip, as pricey as a computer, and as easily lost as the remote control? A hearing aid, of course. Finding my baby’s lost hearing aid was […]
April 24, 2019
learning ASL

Why my husband finally decided to start learning ASL

Cue the trumpets: My husband Kevin finally is learning American Sign Language, or ASL.
February 7, 2019
genetic testing

Stresses and rewards of genetic testing for hearing loss

When our hard of hearing daughter was first referred for genetic testing, I was skeptical.  On the one hand, genetic testing might find a definitive cause of hearing loss. On […]
January 4, 2019
language development

Parent-child dialogue promotes language development in toddlers

New research suggests that frequent dialogue between adults and children strengthens connections between brain regions critical for language development. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience used an in-home audio […]
November 13, 2018
sign language and hearing aids

Why hearing aids and sign language are a happy pair

Communication is tricky and misunderstandings happen. Even with total access to sound, meaning can be lost or confused. Add hearing loss to the mix and the potential for communication breakdown […]
October 5, 2018
hearing loss related Instagram

7 hearing loss related Instagram accounts you should be following

Instagram is a showcase of the knowledge, talent and cultural richness of the hearing loss community. My favorite accounts focus on things like Deaf history, bilingual literacy, and equal access […]
September 11, 2018

What’s On Her Ears?

My daughter Raina had hearing aids for less than an hour when we first got the question: “What’s on her ears?” It was asked by an elderly couple walking by […]
August 20, 2018

Tips for keeping a baby’s hearing aids in their ears

Our 11-month-old baby Raina loves to pull her hearing aids out. Her tiny fingers will grasp at her ears even when she’s not wearing hearing aids! Since consistent hearing aid […]