“Mum, I’m ready to play in a football team!”
As a foundation, we have been supporting Chloe’s and Sophie’s Special Ears Fund charity, to deliver their fantastic support service, like Soundfield Systems for Deaf children in schools across Flintshire and Wrexham, for nearly a year now, and what a difference they are making!
We were absolutely delighted to receive this case study from Karen Jackson, their CEO, this week.
They will soon be expanding their services into further North Wales counties, so watch this space for updates…
2021 – First Meeting with Child JL
When we first met Child JL, they were in a classroom that was very noisy and had poor reverberations. Child JL was using what we call ‘Sheep Peering’. He was intently looking at his teachers face struggling to lipread her, and she was sitting on the same table as him. He was unable to capture what was said and was seen to look to his left to see what his hearing peer had written (sheep peering). This showed us that he was working super hard to try and access communication, but was relying on others to confirm what was being taught in group work.
The ALNCO Teacher informed us that JL had poor hearing aid use, and rarely wore them at home. Sometimes JL would turn up to school with his hearing aids and sometimes he didn’t. If his batteries ran out, Mum would need to come to school to change them.
JL had never met another Deaf child, or Deaf adult, before. This meant that he had low self-esteem and withdrew from opportunities being suggested, such as playing in a football team, as he felt embarrassed to be seen wearing hearing aids.
JL showed signs of anxiety and wasn’t able to meet our eyes when saying hello.
2021 – CSSEF Interventions
We introduced a few character books for the ALNCo teacher, to have in school. This needed to be a slow introduction, to build up their knowledge of all things Deaf. We introduced a teddy bear, with hearing aids on, to be present in school as well, so that when Child JL had intervention with their ALNCo teacher, he would be able to see another representation of himself, but in a teddy, that was happy to have hugs if welcomed.
2021 – Deaf Adult Peer
A priority was made for JL to have Deaf popstar, Fletch@ attend their school to do a Sign Song Workshop. Fletch@ spent the whole day in school so that JL could go and see Fletch@ whenever he wanted to. JL has siblings in the school and they too got to meet Fletch@.
Hearing peers ask questions about hearing aids, and being Deaf, to Fletch@, enabled them to be more ‘Deaf Aware’ going forwards. Often hearing peers have lots of questions about being Deaf, but don’t have a safe space or access to a Deaf adult to ask these questions.
2022 – Deaf Book Assembly
CSSEF attended the school again to provide every child in the school with a Deaf character book to take home with them. The reason we do this, is to give every child the opportunity to learn about being Deaf in their own time, and through using their own imagination, whilst reading a story.
91 children received a book of their choice from our Deaf character books, which included books like ‘Harriet Vs The Galaxy’, ‘Freddie and the Fairy’, ‘Ali and Aidy Go To The Beach’, ‘Issac and Lilah’ and ‘Dachy’s Deaf’.
2022 – Soundfield System Installation
We recognised at the first meeting in 2021, that the sound in the classroom needed to be reduced to give Child JL opportunities like their hearing peers, to access the communication from the teachers. Child JL is not applicable for a Radio Aid, so a Soundfield System was the solution chosen to provide them with a better clarity of sound from their teachers in their classroom.
The ALNCo Teacher said “The Soundfield System has been something of a revolution in class. The way the system evenly distributes sound throughout our (fairly odd shaped) classroom has enhanced delivery of curriculum to one of our Deaf pupils. The pebble, which is discreet and easy to use has been worn by teachers, teaching assistants and supply teachers and has gone a huge way to remove the ‘variable’ of the presenter’s voice having a negative impact on learning. In fact, the response has been so positive all learners in class find it beneficial, too, and are taking responsibility for the charging of the pebble and reminding and explaining to new adults that they need to wear it!”
Child JL said “I think it helps me a lot, because when it’s noisy, and you speak into the speaker, it makes me be able to hear what’s being said. I give it a 9 out of 10.”
2022 – Event for Deaf Children to Attend
We created events for Deaf children to attend along with their siblings. This is to help boost their self-esteem and to encourage them seeing themselves as being Deaf is normal, and that it is going to be ok. Child JL was unable to come to our first charity event and joined us at our second event at Deeside Leisure Centre.
We recently spoke with Mum of Child JL, after they attended our event at Deeside Leisure Centre. We spoke about finding an opportunity to go to a match for Child JL, and his passion for football and the journey to wanting to join a football team!
Mum said “Any opportunity there is to play football, JL does not pass it up. Although JL has never played for a football team, his passion shines through when he watches Liverpool on the television. JL has always wanted to play football for a local football team, but due to him having low confidence and being self-conscious about his hearing aids, he would never take the step to go and train with a team to get the potential to play for a team.
JL is such a loving and caring boy who has a very sensitive side. Wearing hearing aids hasn’t helped his self-esteem and confidence.
Up until a few weeks ago JL had never met or even seen another Deaf child or anyone wearing hearing aids. Thanks to CSSEF charity, and I mean thanks to the charity from the bottom of my heart, he has managed to attend events which are giving him the opportunity to see other children, that he would class, are the same as him. This is already helping him with his self-esteem, confidence and well-being. As JL has asked if I am able to take him to football training, fingers crossed he takes the step and goes.
JL has struggled at times to wear his hearing aids as he is the only one in his school to have aids, but feels so much more confident in wearing them now. At times, he has felt self- conscious and embarrassed, and has spoken about when he goes to high school, what will happen there. I don’t want JL to become anxious about wearing his aids as he gets older, and I know, attending events is now crucial to change his prospective of hearing aids users, and giving him an opportunity to attend a real live football game would encourage and develop his outlook on wearing them.
Anybody who has the pleasure of meeting JL would fall in love with him immediately. He really is a ray of sunshine and deserves the world. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
More importantly, thank you for being you, and everything you do. I cannot explain how full my heart was after the last event.”
Summary
It’s so important to recognise that the biggest impact made has been as a result of JL learning that he isn’t alone, and that CSSEF is now there for him.
- JL now wears his hearing aids in school, home and out
- JL is changing his prospective of hearing aids to a positive one
- JL is using positive language such as feeling confident to wear his hearing aids
- JL understands the impact the Soundfield has for him to access his school work
- JL is advocating for himself and asked for a second Soundfield for his assembly and learning room
