The Deaf Advocate - Cassandra Wright-Dole

The feelings that come with starting your parenting journey are not one but many. Excitement, nervousness, joy and fear are all some of the many emotions you may feel in the lead up to your child's arrival or even when in the planning stages of starting your family. When you are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing, you may have some extra concerns, like  how you will be able to respond to your baby if you don't hear them. When I was expecting my son, I admittedly hadn't thought too hard about that in the planning stages, but I most certainly did in the lead-up to his birth. While there is a lot of information around, people with moderate hearing loss often have less engagement with the Deaf community and awareness of the technology available to them to assist them with day-to-day life. Although profoundly Deaf, my limited involvement with the Deaf community meant that I had less awareness of the technology available to me in the lead-up to becoming a Deaf parent. In the end, I found (a...

Hearing the words “your child has hearing loss” can feel overwhelming. Many parents describe a flood of emotions all at once — shock, grief, confusion, fear, relief at finally having answers, and an urgent need to know what happens next. The good news is that there is support available in Australia, and you do not have to navigate this alone. Whether your child is hard of hearing, Deaf, uses hearing technology, uses Auslan, or may eventually use a combination of communication approaches, early access to information and support can make a significant difference. First Things First: You Do Not Need to Figure Everything Out Immediately You do not need to make every decision at once. Many families feel pressured to decide immediately: hearing aids or cochlear implants spoken language or Auslan mainstream or specialist education therapy pathways technology choices But your child’s journey will evolve over time. What matters most right now is: ensuring your child has access to communication ...

You know your child better than anyone. S ometimes it starts with a feeling that something is different; they do not respond to their name consistently, they seem to miss parts of conversations, their speech is delayed, or they turn the TV up louder than expected. Other times, hearing changes happen suddenly after illness, infection, or injury. If you think your child may have hearing loss, trust your instincts and act early. Early support can make a huge difference, not just for communication, but for confidence, learning, relationships, and emotional well-being. Signs That May Suggest Hearing Loss Every child is different, but some common signs include: not responding consistently to sounds or voices delayed speech or unclear speech frequently saying “what?” or misunderstanding instructions turning one ear toward sounds watching people’s faces closely to understand becoming tired or frustrated in noisy places difficulty followi...