| Around 14 million Americans today suffer from | | | | their children each day. |
| hearing loss to a certain degree, and this interferes | | | | The program also enables parents to learn sign |
| whenever they communicate with other people. | | | | language as they foster a speech and language |
| September 21 to 28 also known as the Deaf | | | | lesson suitable for the people at home. So that |
| Awareness Week will be an astounding success and | | | | hearing impaired kids can gain some confidence, the |
| this is something guaranteed by the counselor coming | | | | Deaf Awareness Week was pushed by the center. |
| from the East Harris County coop for the deaf. | | | | It's not really a handicap if they don't want it to be. |
| Hearing impaired kids in that area are lucky to be | | | | Open your eyes to who they are as children first and |
| attended by this dedicated counselor. This humble | | | | not on the deafness for that is just a small part of |
| and serviceable woman never bragged about her | | | | these kids. I intend to make a difference in that sea |
| degree in teaching both the hearing impaired and | | | | of challenges, she shares. She will also let you in on |
| hearing children, as well as her master's degree in | | | | the contraptions especially made for the deaf. |
| counseling which comes with a certification on special | | | | Hearing contraptions like hearing aids and similar items |
| education. | | | | as well as caring for these will be the gist of their |
| The coop was formed to give the best kind of | | | | discussion. With sign language, the deaf can be able |
| education to deaf individuals from 0 to 21, she shares. | | | | to communicate. |
| Another lady is tasked to oversee the quality of | | | | Isn't sign language just amazing? She recounts how |
| work produced by reading specialists in interpreting | | | | they listen to her whenever she tells that even if |
| and diagnosing, advisors, guidance counselors and | | | | they are busy with something or their mouths are |
| speech pathologists all of whom are part of the coop. | | | | full, as long as they can communicate effectively, |
| She explains that they work together as a | | | | then they possess a definite advantage. Other |
| team. She declares that other school teachers are | | | | devices available to help the deaf communicate are |
| also very crucial in this. These experts in teaching the | | | | closed caption television and flashing lights for |
| deaf students are It is a must for all hearing impaired | | | | telephones and fire alarms. During the week |
| kids no matter what degree of deafness they have, | | | | dedicated to Deaf Awareness, the local municipal |
| to be enrolled in the program so that they can | | | | library shows their support by exhibiting special |
| benefit from it. She makes her students get into | | | | publications and bulletin boards. |
| speech, speech reading, auditory training, skimming, | | | | The people working in the library has a deaf co |
| sign language, spelling with the fingers, gestures and | | | | worker and this enabled them to value the Deaf |
| also makes them do skits, pantomimes and body | | | | Awareness Week. As soon as she got diagnosed |
| language exercises as soon as she looks into their | | | | with spinal meningitis, she became deaf. She recalls |
| special needs and does everything to exhaust this | | | | how she lost her hearing back when she was living in |
| total communication philosophy as her guide. | | | | Washington and got spinal meningitis. Thirty years, |
| Working closely with the family of the deaf kids is | | | | my sense of hearing worked well but now, it is |
| something very important in the program. It is | | | | already gone. She said, I did not know how I would |
| important that these parents truly know what | | | | manage without my sense of hearing and this made |
| deafness is and they are able to communicate with | | | | me so afraid. |