Childhood Hearing Loss: Superheroes and Overcoming Adversity

Being a parent is tough enough, but when your child has hearing loss that job becomes even more difficult. Children are already predisposed to a certain kind of loneliness. Their vocabulary is limited, making it hard for them to articulate their thoughts and be understood. There’s also a long list of other things they can’t do yet, and adults are often reminding them of these limitations. So, it’s no surprise that children with hearing loss can feel even more isolated because they have yet another roadblock. That’s why, as a parent, it’s important to reach out to your child with hearing loss and show them that they can overcome it. Try teaching them about famous people who have met the disability head on and come out on top. The stories of Ludwig Van Beethoven and Helen Keller can be inspiring. Also, there are characters with hearing loss in the world of comic books. Hawkeye, an assassin who has deadly aim with a bow and arrow, now wears hearing aids after a loud battle. And, Marvel Comics has taken that a step further by creating Blue Ear, a comic book hero who uses his hearing aid to hear crime. Talk to your children to see how they’re coping with their hearing loss. If they wear hearing aids, it’s a good idea to let your child have a little say in the color and style of the devices. Help them make it their own, because it may be their disability, but, if they have the right amount of encouragement and help, they can transform it into a constant motivator; something that drives them to greatness.