Implants allow child to move to head of class
PENN TWP — Emily Greb will enter kindergarten at South Butler Primary School this fall just like hundreds of other children. And that's the miracle.
Emily has learned to listen and speak with the help of cochlear implants, a new tool that is bringing profoundly deaf children and adults into the hearing world.
“I can't say enough good about DePaul,” said Emily's father, Bill, referring to the DePaul School for Hearing and Speech in Pittsburgh. “If you didn't know she had processors, you wouldn't know she was born profoundly deaf.”
Emily failed the hearing test given to newborns. Her condition was identified after additional testing.
When she was 12 months old, a receiver and an electrode system were implanted in each of Emily's cochlea, the spiral-shaped part of the inner ear. They are coupled with an external microphone, sound processor and transmitter. Together, the devices mimic the functions of the inner ear.
“She's typically shy,” said her father.
But June 27, she was too busy shouting, running and jumping with her sisters to be shy.
Emily's implants were activated a month after her surgery, and she heard her first sounds.
She began working with teachers from DePaul shortly thereafter. DePaul is an auditory-oral school that provides listening and spoken language skills to its students.
Whenever it can, DePaul emphasizes toddler and preschool instruction to reach children at an age when they are most able to develop listening and speaking skills, according to a media release. Its students range from 18 months to 14 years old.
Emily received early intervention at home and then joined DePaul's toddler program when she was 18 months old.
“She's on par with her hearing peers now,” said her mother, Kelly, noting that Emily's hearing and speech capabilities presently exceed those that would enable her to attend DePaul.
DePaul's small classes offered her daughter individual attention, and Emily learned to speak up for herself and to indicate if she needed help, her mother said. She also learned to change her processor's battery, an essential skill.
In contrast, South Butler has only one other child wearing cochlear implants.
“At South Butler she'll learn new socialization skills,” Kelly said. “South Butler has been very interested in learning about what work she's done at DePaul and how to make her comfortable with her transition.”
In her kindergarten classroom, Emily will use a sound amplification system. Even better, she knows how to adjust her processor to suit different environments, her mother said. Some block noise, and the system can enhance sound from her teacher.
Emily's fraternal twin sister, Lindsey, who did not have hearing loss, also will be in class with her.
Their older sister, Laura, who's in the third grade, will be there to help her sister, too, if need be.
“She's the boss lady,” said Laura of her sister.
It's the start of a new chapter for Emily.
