This past week I hit my two month mark as your Mac Kid Publisher and our youngest son turned two-years-old. We worked so hard the past couple of weeks to teach Colin to say “I’m two” that if he now hears anything close to the sound of “two” he will yell “I’m two”. While at the Nature Center last week with friends, one of the kids we were with said, “it’s true” Colin didn’t miss a beat and yelled, “I’m two”. This made me smile for several reasons as our little man has worked so hard this past year and should yell “im two” any chance he gets. If you see our family around town you may notice in addition to my husband and I using long white canes to navigate; our sons both wear hearing aids. When our oldest son Brennan was born we were surprised to learn he was hard of hearing in his right ear. When our son Colin was born we were even more surprised to learn that he was also hard of hearing but in both ears. Saying the past three years has been a journey for our family would be an understatement…but I will save more of that story for future articles!
In January 2016 we moved our family from Springfield, MO to Vienna, VA; which is just outside D.C. in hopes of finding better resources for our boys. Very long story short we weren’t finding services to be any better for them so when we found ourselves moving back to MO and Jefferson City of all places I figured we would just have to make the best of the situation. I never imagined the amazing resources we would find when we got here. The past year our weeks have been filled with physical therapy, speech therapy, lessons with a teacher from Missouri School for the Deaf (MSD), and lessons with a private Educator of the Deaf. While living in Vienna, we saw one teacher twice a month and the quality of services didn’t come close to comparing to the therapists and teachers we have worked with here. Thanks to all of the wonderful ladies that have come into our home for the past year Colin is now running and climbing and learning to listen the best he can, sign, and use his words to communicate. We still have some hurdles to cross but I know he is getting some of the best services available; believe it or not here in Jefferson City! If you or a friend are looking for support these are some of the people/programs that have significantly impacted our life this past year.
Dr. Keri Low Aud.D..
Audiologist
Dr. Jason Showmaker M.D.
ENT-Otolaryngologist
Capital Region Medical Center
https://www.crmc.org/services/ent-and-audiology/
Our boys have probably seen at least half a dozen different audiologists and four ENTs the past three years. Dr. Low and Dr. Showmaker are hands down the best medical care we have had! Dr. Low found several settings that were wrong on Colin’s hearing aids and after making the changes Colin more then tripled his words in a week. Dr. Showmaker was the first to take the necessary steps to determine the cause of Brennan’s hearing loss. He was also the first doctor to find that our boys have two different causes of their hearing loss. Both of these doctors have been amazing to work with and our boys enjoy going in to see them every time! I can’t forget to mention Damien Bexten who works with Dr. Low. She makes every visit fun…Brennan is still talking about the last time we were in the office and she found monkeys in his ear!
Thank you for taking such good care of our Boys! We will see you Friday Dr. Showmaker for Colin’s surgery.
Families First Early Intervention
Resource Center on Deafness
Missouri School for the Deaf
Families First is a free early intervention program serving families of deaf and hard of hearing children from birth through age 8 who live anywhere in
Missouri. Families requesting assistance are assigned a parent advisor who typically meets with them in their home for one hour per week. Visits are family oriented and focus on learning new skills through natural environments and routines.
Learn more at: http://msd.dese.mo.gov/resource-center/families-first.html
Missouri First Steps
First Steps is Missouri's Early Intervention system that provides services to families with children, birth to three years of age, with disabilities or
developmental delays. The program is designed to meet the needs of families related to enhancing their child's development, learning, and participation
in family and community life.
Learn more at: https://www.mofirststeps.com/
The Special Learning Center
Many of Colin’s great therapists work at the SLC!
“Whether helping a child with cerebral palsy learn to walk or giving a child who is deaf the gift of sign language, the Special Learning Center is here
to help expand the abilities of every child.”
Learn more at: https://www.speciallearningcenter.com/
Capable Kids and Families Program
Our boys have loved the events held by CK&F this past year and the lending library has been a great resource. If your family qualifies for this program I hope you will consider getting connected with them.
This program is a free program designed for families with children who have been diagnosed with a developmental disability or delay.
Who Is Eligible?
• Children birth - age 6.
• Children on an IFSP or IEP
• Children with a professional diagnosis of a disability and/or developmental delay
• Children living in one of the following counties: Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Miller, Callaway, Osage
Learn more at: https://www.speciallearningcenter.com/programs-and-services/capable-kids
