Do you hear me now?

My youngest child, Squiggle (now 13mo) has never passed a hearing test in her right ear. I kept getting told it could be fluid, just wait and test again, etc etc. She failed test after test, but she does respond to sound. They said she cannot hear below 1000 hz, and that her left ear is also probably compensating.

At 6 months of age, she got  nasty ear infection (both ear drums ruptured, pus coming out, etc). It didn't go away until late February/early March. They suggested tubes since it didn't respond to antibiotics well and since she had a hearing loss. They figured it would help. She had double tubes placed in march. She has had continual ear infections (complete with pus) since (so much for tubes!), and the tube in her right ear isn't even in the ear drum anymore (so much for them helping with hearing!)... it's just chilling in the canal. The left ear is the one that keeps getting infections. You know, the one she can hear out of just fine.

Just hours after her double tube placement.

I don't know what to expect in the future with her. She seems to be doing just fine and I've refused the sedated tests where they measure something with her bones. I just didn't feel it necessary. She responds to us. She mimics us. She signs well. Thank goodness we already owned Baby Signing Time, Signing time, Potty Time, and had done ASL with Bobble. I wasn't sure how to respond to the notion that she might not hear out of one ear when she was first born, but my husband had the best response: Good thing we were learning sign language and already owned Signing Time!

He took it with that attitude. He wasn't upset or concerned. He was simply positive about it. This gave me more incentive to start watching the videos more with Bobble again. I will probably go ahead with the bone hearing test when she is older, or just wait until they can test her some other way. I feel she is doing well enough to not see the need for a sedated procedure.

Do you sign with your children? If so, what is your reason for using sign language?

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