Growing Up Deaf: How Kevin Found His Confidence

Two weeks prior to his birth, Kevin’s hospital began administering newborn hearing screenings. Although Kevin failed the screening, his parents were thankful they were able to diagnose his hearing loss so early. Otherwise, it may have gone unnoticed for some time. 

However, there was a misdiagnosis a few weeks after he was born. 

An audiologist had told Kevin’s parents that he could hear and that everything was okay. Six months later, it was discovered that Kevin was profoundly deaf. 

After Kevin’s parents found out the diagnosis, they prepared to get him fitted with cochlear implants. At only 9 months old, he was bilaterally implanted with cochlear implants. 

Later on, his parents discovered that a genetic condition led to Kevin’s deafness. They were unaware of this condition before he was born as nobody in their family has hearing loss. It was a shock to hear, but they knew that with their love and support, Kevin would thrive. 

Kevin’s Time at the CCHAT Center

As soon as Kevin’s parents learned of his deafness, they enrolled him at the CCHAT Center. He started attending CCHAT’s Baby and Me class when he was just 8 months old and mainstreamed after preschool.

The CCHAT Center has helped Kevin grow up with the ability to speak and listen, and thanks to the staff, Kevin has learned how to communicate effectively. 

Kevin loves to give back to the CCHAT community because he knows how much it helped him when he was young. His time at CCHAT helped him develop not only his listening and spoken language skills, but also his confidence. 

Kevin enjoys speaking at various fundraising events for CCHAT, and he also recently completed his Boy Scouts Eagle Project, which was meant to beautify and safeguard the CCHAT campus. 

How Kevin Manages School

Despite the pandemic, Kevin is doing great in school. He also plays for his high school tennis team and enjoys playing volleyball for a local club. 

Socially, Kevin has also excelled. His mom says:

“His friends all think Kevin's 'ears' are cool and love the fact that he can take them off when he wants silence or listen straight from his phone as a streaming feature.”

Kevin’s Greatest Achievements

During 8th grade, Kevin was proud to be chosen to give the school’s graduation speech.

“Kevin has never been shy and has no problems speaking in front of audiences.” 

Kevin was also the Senior Patrol Leader of his Boy Scout Troop in 2020. He decided to set up the first Zoom troop meeting and even learned how to run a Zoom meeting with 60+ people! He was confident he could run the Zoom meeting and had no problems talking on the platform. 

He has also been involved with Destination Imagination where he acted in plays in front of large audiences. 

Tips From Kevin’s Mother for Other Parents  

Kevin’s mom advises parents to talk as much as you can to your child when they’re younger. 

“Every opportunity is an opportunity for language acquisition. I remember going to bed with a sore throat every night from talking so much.”  

There isn’t a limit on what kids with hearing loss can achieve. Whenever you or your child faces a challenge, there will always be a way to overcome it. 

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