Early Hearing Screening is Key

So Many Questions

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?

I remember staring at the earmold sheet for the first time, unsure what to pick. “Umm, a beige hearing aid and a clear mold,” I told myself. Something discreet. At the time I was not ready for the questions.

Rare Discovery

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.

Hope Wins with Listen and Talk

Those first few months were overwhelming. We were managing appointments, tests, DSHS applications, and surgeries, while also selecting two birth to three programs. For deaf hard of hearing services, Listen and Talk felt like the best fit for our family. We were matched with an incredible speech language pathologist, Meghan (On Wisconsin!), and together we got to work.

Early Intervention Makes All the Difference

For three years we met almost every week. Meghan was Jack’s SLP, but even more she was the ultimate hand holder. She supported our entire family, listening to our fears, answering questions, and helping us find connections and community. She went far beyond her job title, attending Jack’s playgroups and even presenting at my husband’s workplace. Through her, we learned how much we take for granted in our listening environments and how to work together to support Jack’s needs.

Today Jack is three and a half, and when he enters a room people notice. The fire is not only in his hair, earning him the nickname “The Honey Badger.” He deeply loves animals, especially safari and sea life, so it is no surprise the zoo is his favorite place to go. He is imaginative, determined, and decisive, and we are constantly amazed by everything he continues to accomplish.

As for his hearing, it took time to understand the full picture. At first we were told he had a moderate to severe mixed loss in both ears. After tubes, some growth, and more reliable testing, it turned out to be a unilateral conductive loss. Today he wears an over the ear hearing aid on his right side only.

Jack also has childhood apraxia of speech, which means speaking takes extra work for him. In many ways it feels like a double challenge. He works hard to hear the words around him, and then works even harder to motor plan how to say them.

Making a Difference in the Blended Classroom

We are now halfway through our first year at Listen and Talk’s preschool program, and Jack’s growth has been tremendous. The teachers and staff have been incredible, supporting him not only with language development and hearing loss, but also with the additional speech challenges he faces.

What stands out most is the care and dedication the team brings each day. You can feel the teachers’ passion through the daily picture pages we receive. Those small glimpses into his day show the learning, encouragement, and connection happening in the classroom. It has been wonderful to watch Jack grow in his confidence, and we are incredibly grateful to be part of a program that supports him so thoughtfully.

Looking back now, it is remarkable how much has changed since that moment staring at the ear mold sheet. Somewhere along the way we went from beige and clear to neon and glitter. What once felt overwhelming is now something we share before being asked, all thanks to the support and community we found at Listen and Talk.

A Heartfelt Thank You

Thank you for supporting kids like Jack and families like ours, and for making the extraordinary work at Listen and Talk possible. Your gift to the Alumni Family Giving Campaign ensures that families just beginning their journey will find the same guidance, support, and community that changed ours.

Thank you for contributing to the lives of deaf and hard of hearing children and their families to reach our vision that “no child is limited by hearing loss.”