COMMUNICATIONS W/ EDUCATIONAL AUDIOLOGIST IN FLORIDA 4-1-2010

I had emailed Karen Anderson when we found Alex's Bone Conduction Aid was not going to be of much help for him, but his audiologist was not willing to give him traditional hearing aids.  It was part of what triggered my emails with Arkansas Children's Hospital's Director of Audiology, Patti Martin.

Karen,  

I  feel my son is need of your help.  I have read your entire website and from it I strongly believe my son needs a hearing aid.  I am hoping that you would be able to be a second opinion for us and then help us find someone who could get him hearing aids.  If you are willing, I would be glad to email you all of his history, but for now here is a basic history of his hearing.

Failed Newborn screening 2001.

2 yrs old - 20-25dB both ears, Failed OAE, type B tymp, clear ears

4 yrs old - 20 dB both ears, Failed OAE, type As tymp, clear ears

7 yrs old - 15 dB better ear 20dB worse ear, failed OAE, type As tymp, clear ears

8 yrs old - 35 dB better ear 40dB worse ear for low frequencies, and 15/20 for high, failed OAE, type As tymp, clear ears (this was the first test given with his back to the examiner; I requested it, because I feel that he is a strong body language reader and was reading examiners movements/lips in past testing.)

We have done 3 tests over the last 4 months with the same audiologist and all of the tests came up the same.  He has been in speech therapy since 2 years old.  In group instruction starting at the ECI  center since 3 yrs old. 

I was relieved when his loss was 35/40 dB in the lower frequencies, because I 'knew' they would finally give him hearing aids.  So then the Audiologist ordered him a Bone Conduction aid. I was elated!! He would finally have access to all information down to his bone conduction scores (the worst was at 15 in only a couple of places). I soon found out that Bone conduction aids were not all I thought they were.  So we left the office with the Bone conduction aid after testing showed that the BC aid only helped him by about 5 dB in the areas he needed most. Then not satisfied, I brought this up to her and she did more testing; if he is wearing it in exactly the right spot (which is not guaranteed), the lower frequencies are helped up to 15dB.  But then also, only one ear is aided at a time.  I brought up my concerns to her and asked her about Air conduction aids, but she said that he was not in need of these aids and that they were too powerful for him.  

In school he is behind in oral instruction topics (like reading).  He is on target with math if you do not include word problems. The school and I have found that he only learns in 1-1 environments for literacy and mostly small group for math.

From the information sheets on loss configurations on your website, I strongly believe he needs hearing aids.  Can you clarify for me if I am misunderstanding your website and am wrong? Can you guide me with what should be done?

Thank you for your help.

Sara Solis