Hearing Australia has created a new resource for parents and families: Choices is a free resource for families of children who are newly diagnosed with hearing loss from birth to twelve years of age. The book provides valuable information to help families confidently make the right choices for their child throughout their hearing journey.
Alison King, Hearing Australia’s Principal Audiologist, Paediatric Services says that, “Many parents, and particularly those whose child’s hearing loss is diagnosed close to birth, find themselves swept into a world that is completely unfamiliar.”
“We’ve created Choices to acknowledge that parents and families may be going through a difficult time and to reassure them that their child’s hearing loss is manageable and there is plenty of professional support available.”
Through Choices, Hearing Australia makes it easier for families to understand and find information about the range of hearing technology, communication and support services that are available to help them.
“We are thankful to Hearing Australia for Choices and the way it provides us with easy access to information, for example, the importance of our daughter Ella attending early invention centres and accessing the right technology,” says parent, Nicole Gagen.
“It was great to be able to read stories from other parents who are going through the same thing and find out how important it is to establish a strong support network of family and friends together with other parents.”
Choices builds on resources that Hearing Australia has developed over many years based on input from their audiologists, research scientists from the National Acoustic Laboratories (the research division of Hearing Australia), professionals who specialise in working with deaf and hard of hearing children, parents and community groups.
“Families told us that one of the important things they need and value at this time, is a source of accurate, unbiased information. In response to this feedback we created Choices,” says Kim Terrell, Managing Director, Hearing Australia. “We collaborated with Aussie Deaf Kids, UsherKids, Parents of Deaf Children, The Deaf Society and Deaf Services and I would like to thank everyone for providing their invaluable knowledge, experience and support.”
“If I can share anything with parents who have just found out that their child has a hearing loss, I would say that no matter how you feel now, please find some comfort in the knowledge that it’s going to be OK,” says parent, Bronwyn Doak. “You will get the support and what you need for your children to lead happy, full and normal lives. Every opportunity is open to them.”
Download Choices at https://www.hearing.com.au/HearingAustralia/media/assets/Documents/Choices-Publication_Ebook_HA421.pdf
