Lately when we've taken Norah to her audiologist, her hearing tests have been pretty good. So, she ordered an ABR test (Automated Brainstem Response) since the last ABR was done when Norah was about 6 weeks old. This last test is the one that the school district has been using to qualify her for special education services through the district. The ABR test requires her to be under anesthesia, so we went to the Gilbert Surgery Center and had her otolaryngologist/neurotologist do the test. He told us after the test was done that he is a strong, firm believer in being aggressive with having kids wear hearing aids that have a deficit with hearing...and he really didn't feel the need to have Norah continue with hers. Her hearing loss is mild, and when we first found out about her loss, Boys Town told us they were on the fence, too, with the hearing aids. Well, we wanted to be proactive, and thought better to be that way, than to try to play catch up when she is 3 or 4. Considering we really haven't been that compliant with having Norah wear them, & her developmental scores are well within the average range, we felt comfortable having her not wear them, as well as deciding to pull her from the CHIC (Center for hearing impaired Children) preschool program in the fall. So, at the follow up appointment, (today, 7-1)Dr. Marleigh and Dr. Fucci wrote a very nice letter to the school district letting them know that due to Norah's current ABR, they would be discontinuing the need for Norah to wear her hearing aids, and that they would be continuing to follow and monitor her hearing annually.
Now, if this only could have happened BEFORE she flushed them down the toilet and we had to replace them! : )
