Photo of a toddler with short red hair looking at a penguin in green water. The toddler is wearing a black headband with hearing technology around his head. He is wearing a beige t-shirt and beige and black patterned shorts with black sneakers.

Jack’s Story

Jack was one month old when we were handed the book. I can still see the cover etched in my mind, big and spiral bound, the one they give parents after discovering their child has hearing loss. The anxiety and fear were overwhelming. What now? How do you even read these charts? What is a BAHA? How accurate is this testing?

In addition to hearing loss, Jack was born with a rare and poorly understood chromosomal variant, EFTUD2, also known as mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM). Hearing loss is a shared trait among nearly all diagnosed individuals. There is not really a word big enough for how it felt in that moment. We had been thrown headfirst into a world we knew nothing about, and we needed to figure out how to navigate it.

Gretchen Krenn

Photo of a preschool aged boy with shoulder length blonde hair. He is wearing a light blue knit hat with a pom pom on top and a navy blue sweater with grey pants and white sneakers. He is standing outside on a sidewalk with plants lining the path.

Landon’s Story

Landon was diagnosed with mild-moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at two months old, after failing his newborn hearing screen. The journey to get his diagnosis was a challenge, but we eventually received confirmation that he was born with a genetic mutation, involving deletion of both the STRC and the neighboring CATSPER2 gene. This condition makes it more difficult for Landon to access higher frequency sounds, like running water or the letter S. Landon has worn hearing aids since he was 17 months old.

Our family started services with Listen and Talk when Landon was three months old. Meghan, our Birth to Three program specialist, was an immense support from the very beginning. She feels like part of our family now.

Pat and Mallory Mixdorf

Photo of a preschool aged boy wearing a navy blue hat and puffy jacket with a light green fleece pullover. He is wearing jeans and snow boots. There is snow in the background and he is holding his mittened hand up to the sky while he looks up.

Raiden’s Story

“Our son, Raiden, was diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder in his right ear shortly after birth. We are still understanding what this diagnosis means for Raiden, however, what we’ve learned so far is that there are certain pitches where he has moderate to severe hearing loss, and he is also slightly delayed in his speech and communication. While we continue testing and learning more about what Raiden can hear, he currently wears a hearing aid in his right ear to support his development.

We began with Listen & Talk in their Blended Classroom this past fall, and we have truly been impressed by the level of care, compassion, and dedication every member of the staff and faculty pours into the children each day.

Lace Yamamoto

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