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 […]
January 2, 2019
mild hearing loss

How my child’s mild hearing loss led to my hearing loss diagnosis

Six years ago, or maybe 26, my journey with hearing loss began. It was six years ago that I concretely learned my daughter failed her newborn hearing screening. I’m glad […]
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 […]
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 […]
September 11, 2018
Phonak Roger accessories

How Roger helps with my children’s listening fatigue

I don’t remember the exact moment that I learned that there was an actual word that described the energy and exhaustion I noticed in my children with hearing loss, but […]
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 […]
August 15, 2018
what is the difference between deaf and hard of hearing

Watch: Baby hears mom for the first time and can’t stop smiling

  Baby Alex Denman heard his mother’s voice for the first time with his new Phonak Sky hearing aids and his eyes immediately lit up with happiness. The 5-month-old was […]
August 14, 2018

How Roger helps with my children’s listening fatigue

I don’t remember the exact moment that I learned that there was an actual word that described the energy and exhaustion I noticed in my children with hearing loss, but […]
June 4, 2018
hearing loss journey

Baby Raina’s hearing loss journey

When the nurse wheeled our daughter Raina’s bassinet away for her newborn hearing screening I said, “Go ace your first test baby girl!” Forty-five minutes later, she came back with bad […]
May 11, 2018
raising children with hearing loss

These mothers share the most rewarding parts of raising children with hearing loss

  Mothering a child with hearing loss has broadened my perspective. As a hearing person, I used to take certain things for granted. Now I understand that not everyone experiences […]
May 8, 2018
teaching children about hearing loss

New Professor Hallux videos are a fun way to teach children about hearing loss

When you are a child with hearing loss, sometimes understanding exactly what hearing loss is can be difficult. Phonak partnered with UK radio station Fun Kids Live, to create educational YouTube […]
May 3, 2018
hearing loss artwork

Mom advocates for hearing loss by sharing artwork on Instagram

This mother, Doris Ziegler, took to making art and posting it on Instagram to spread hearing loss awareness after finding out about her two-year-old, Hannes, son’s hearing loss. If you […]
April 26, 2018

Mom finds hearing loss support for her son on Instagram

  Having a child with a hearing loss sometimes can feel isolating but mom Macey Kibbey has found kindred community through Instagram. The hearing loss journey for Macey’s son Oliver […]
April 12, 2018

How exploring instruments can help develop listening skills for children with hearing loss

My daughter, Sayge, and I have been diving into the BabyBeats app created by Phonak and Advanced Bionics. Babybeats™ app is an early intervention resource that helps children with hearing loss […]
April 2, 2018

Music-based early intervention app makes listening exercises fun

When I first found out about Ayden and Sayge’s hearing loss diagnosis, one of my first questions was, how do I help them; how do I get them the resources […]
March 30, 2018
Easter with deaf people

4 Tips for a Hearing Loss Friendly Easter Egg Hunt

Holidays can be overwhelming for my deaf toddler. Here are ways to ensure these special events are inclusive and fun for them!
March 23, 2018
hearing aids waterproof

Are my child’s hearing aids waterproof?

It is time to clear up a hearing aid mystery for parents by answering the following questions: How waterproof are my child’s Phonak Sky hearing aids?   The answer is that child’s […]
March 14, 2018
roger pen

How children with hearing loss can hear 5,300 more words every day

Did you know that children need to hear approximately 45 million words by age four to be ready for school? In fact, research shows that the more words child hear […]
February 16, 2018
hearing loss community

Finding our place in the hearing loss community with our hard of hearing children

In the beginning of my children’s hearing loss journey, I had no idea the complexity of hearing loss. Frequencies, decibels (dB), audiograms, pitches – were just random words that would […]
January 3, 2018

Watch: Chatting with my cochlear implant kid

Harry recently turned four and it is clear that his speech and understanding is very good for a four-year-old with cochlear implants. How did Lucie and Harry get to this point?