Hawaii Hears, Paia, HI (2026)

11/11/2024

We are investigating teacher retention in deaf education. Please consider completing this brief 10 minute anonymous survey about working in the field. We are looking for professionals who are current teachers and administrators, as well as those who have left the field. If you have any questions please reach out to Casey Reimer at [email protected]. Thank you for all you do.

https://tinyurl.com/DeafEdRetention

04/18/2023

As of May 25th, the Hawaii Hears website and email address will no longer be available. The Facebook and Instagram pages will stay LIVE. You can continue to follow there for advocacy and educational posts.
When I moved to Hawaii, “Listening and Spoken Language” was a dirty word. Parents who wanted to raise their child to listen and talk were afraid to come out of the shadows and expose this desire for fear of backlash from the community.

I've given many presentations over the years to professionals and parents and heard a mix of reviews such as: “how could you let her speak to our group?!” to “thanks so much for that information. I found it so helpful!"

I started Hawaii Hears in 2017 as a way to spread the word about deaf education services, raise awareness, and advocate for families and their children with hearing loss.

It's been many years of networking with professionals and connecting with families. I have heard countless stories of inadequate services, children not able to communicate with families, and families uncertain where to turn – disheartening stuff.

Nonetheless, I persisted through red tape, minimal support, and difficult systems.

I have seen what is possible when we band together as professionals and families to create change. It is impressive how great of an impact one parent's voice can make. In fact, I was hired and moved to Hawaii because one parent spoke up to advocate for their child who was learning Listening and Spoken Language from a Deaf man who only signed.

Parents are the true advocates for their child. That is the main thing I have learned in my time with Hawaii Hears is that parents can truly make a difference!

I am closing Hawaii Hears services after nearly 6 years not because it is hopeless, but because there is so much hope and opportunities available. New programs are being created, more professionals are coming together and getting trained in Listening and Spoken Language in Hawaii. There's more understanding about the complex needs of deaf children and the need for multiple language options, educators, and more resources.

Continued in comments…

Photo: Feb 2020 at the Women's March on Maui

04/18/2023

As of May 25th, the Hawaii Hears website and email address will no longer be available. The Facebook and Instagram pages will stay LIVE. You can continue to follow there for advocacy and educational posts.

When I moved to Hawaii, “Listening and Spoken Language” was a dirty word. Parents who wanted to raise their child to listen and talk were afraid to come out of the shadows and expose this desire for fear of backlash from the community.

I've given many presentations over the years to professionals and parents and heard a mix of reviews such as: “how could you let her speak to our group?!” to “thanks so much for that information. I found it so helpful!"

I started Hawaii Hears in 2017 as a way to spread the word about deaf education services, raise awareness, and advocate for families and their children with hearing loss.

It's been many years of networking with professionals and connecting with families. I have heard countless stories of inadequate services, children not able to communicate with families, and families uncertain where to turn – disheartening stuff. Nonetheless, I persisted through red tape, minimal support, and difficult systems.

I have seen what is possible when we band together as professionals and families to create change. It is impressive how great of an impact one parent's voice can make. In fact, I was hired and moved to Hawaii because one parent spoke up to advocate for their child who was learning Listening and Spoken Language from a Deaf man who only signed.

Parents are the true advocates for their child. That is the main thing I have learned in my time with Hawaii Hears is that parents can truly make a difference!

I am closing Hawaii Hears services after nearly 6 years not because it is hopeless, but because there is so much hope and opportunities available. New programs are being created, more professionals are coming together and getting trained in Listening and Spoken Language in Hawaii. There's more understanding about the complex needs of deaf children and the need for multiple language options, educators, and more resources.

There's a shift and an opening happening within the field of deaf education and I am genuinely filled with awe to see this movement taking place.

I'll leave you with this: there is no ONE way to raise a child who is deaf or hard of hearing. There are many options, language combinations, therapies, and devices. Each child is unique in how they best learn and communicate. And each family has the right to choose based on what is the best, most ideal for their family environment. It's our job as a community to not shame any ONE way of how a family chooses to raise a child with hearing loss and to grant quality access to care beyond expectations, regardless of race, SES, beliefs, status, education levels, etc.

Thank you all so much for your support and help over the years! If you'd like to follow my journey and other exciting projects I have in the works, feel free to email me here ([email protected]) or follow me on Instagram:
and .essentials

Photo: Feb 2020 at the Women's March on Maui

04/14/2023

The famed 20th century activist and educator was both blind and deaf. She learned from early educators such as Alexander Graham Bell and had an interpreter, friend, and teacher with her named, Anne Sullivan.

She started learning at the age of 6 how to communicate by using sign language and 10 when she began to learn to speak.

She shared about her experience as one of the first deaf-blind people to be educated in the late 1900's and later in life, gave a speech in 1916 called "Strike Against War".

Ways that you can honor Deaf History Month:
1. learn sign language
2. learn more about deaf history
3. partner with the deaf community

04/12/2023

The celebration of the National Deaf History Month is traced to two deaf employees at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington D.C. who taught their colleagues sign language on March 13, 1996.

This event spurred the library management led by the deaf librarian, Alice Hagemeyer — who also initiated Friends of Libraries for Deaf Action (FOLDA) — to create the Deaf Awareness Week in 1997.

In 2006, the American Library Association (ALA) and National Association of the Deaf (NAD) designated March 13 to April 15 of every year as Deaf History Month and a month-long nationwide event.

Since then, both advocacy organizations have continued to clamor for a federal proclamation of National Deaf History Month by the White House and/or Congress. In 2022, NAD changed Deaf History Month to the full month of April.

[Source: NationalToday.com]

04/07/2023

National Deaf History Month takes place in April every year. Although National Deaf History Month is not a federally recognized holiday, it’s a time to raise awareness about the deaf community and their struggles in our society.

The month also focuses on honoring the immense contributions of deaf individuals and the deaf community to our country.

[Source: NationalToday.com]

Who do you know in your life who is deaf or hard of hearing who has had an impact on your life?

03/25/2023

Today, with the help of technology and advancements in education, the possibilities for children with hearing loss are beyond anything we previously imagined.

They can achieve milestones at the same level as children with typical hearing!

Studies show that children who are born with severe to profound hearing loss can develop the same communication skills as children with typical hearing if they receive:

1. Early diagnosis of hearing loss

2. Appropriate hearing devices within the first several months of life -- this includes having a hearing aid fitting within three months and possibly cochlear implants within six to nine months

3. Early intervention sessions where the parent is coached on LSL techniques

4. Meaningful interactions with lots of exposure to listening, talking and the language of the home.

5. Encouragement from actively engaged family members.

(Source: hearingfirst.org)

Even if your child hasn't met some of these milestones, it's not to late to look at the opportunities available with Listening and Spoken Language. If you want your child to listen and talk, send us a message here or email us [email protected]

We offer private speech and language services with specially trained providers who can meet in your home or virtually to provide coaching and LSL strategies to your child.

03/23/2023

LSL or Listening and Spoken Language offers a set of strategies and principles to teach babies and young children with hearing loss spoken language through listening.

Here's the LSL path:
- Get a hearing screening after birth
- Rescreen and get comprehensive testing (like an ABR from an audiologist)
- Diagnose the hearing loss
- Determine the outcome you want for your baby
- Fit with appropriate hearing devices
- Enroll in LSL early intervention
- Keep hearing devices on and fitted properly
- Use LSL strategies to talk, sing, play, and read daily
- Have fun and love your baby

(source: HearingFirst.org)

If you are curious about this path and want support, contact us at [email protected] or visit our website for more resources www.hawaiihears.com

03/14/2023

What to do...

1. Get a hearing screening after birth

2. Rescreen and get a comprehensive hearing test such as an ABR from an audiologist.

3. Diagnose hearing loss

4. Determine the outcome you want for your baby (talk with your family, audiologists, counselors, advocates, d/Deaf mentors, teachers, and speech pathologists)

5. Fit with appropriate hearing devices

6. Enroll in LSL early intervention

7. Keep hearing devices on and fitted properly

8. Use LSL strategies to talk, sing, play, and read daily

9. Have fun and love your baby

(source: list inspired by HearingFirst.org)

Learn more about Hawaii Hears services and resources at our website HawaiiHears.com

Message us if you have questions.

03/10/2023

Hearing is a complex ability. We hear at various levels and frequencies. Here are a list of the hearing levels:

Normal (–10 to 15 dB)
~ able to hear sounds of the English language and most sounds within an adequate distance including overhearing conversations.

Slight (16 to 25 dB)
~ able to hear most sounds of the English language, some overhearing of conversations. Best to get their attention before speaking directly to them. Unable to hear whisper or water running from the faucet, birds chirping, or trees rustling. Words like "feather" or "stop" or "sit" or "pop" may be difficult to hear (and understand).

Mild (26 to 40 dB)
~ able to hear some sounds of the English language. Words indicated in the above in slight level and "zoo," "van," "hey," "have," "here," "go," "camp," "cheer," "chase" may be difficult to hear and understand.

Moderate (41 to 55 dB)
~ able to hear a few sounds of the English language. Words indicated in the levels above and "jam," "going," "helping," "her," "eat," "show," "love," and others ending in -ing will be difficult to hear and understand.

Moderately severe (56 to 70 dB)
~ able to hear loud noises like planes and cars, a piano playing, and maybe a lawn mower running. All of the above sounds are difficult to hear and understand along with most of the sounds of the English language.

Severe (71 to 90 dB)
~ able to hear planes, chainsaws, lawnmowers, and firecrackers. Unable to hear most words or sounds of the English language.

Profound (91+ dB)
~ able to hear some loud noises like a loud band with drums, or firecrackers, or planes. Unable to access most sounds around them including spoken language.

Check out our previous post to learn about the doorway to the brain and listening devices.

And message us if you're a parent in Hawaii teaching your child to listen and talk using cochlear implants or hearing aids. We're here to help.

03/07/2023

Did you know we actually hear with our brain, not our ears?

Listening devices such as behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids, cochlear implants, and bone conduction hearing aids have been gradually progressing over the past few decades with the change in technology.

These devices open up the doorway to the brain!

Tell us what devices you or your child uses in the comments below...

03/03/2023

Resources, services, appointments, and opportunities.

Parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing in Hawaii:

If you feel like you're struggling to get it all straight or even where to start, we have you covered.

Go to our website: www.hawaiihears.com or click the link in our bio.

Input your email to receive our free resource guide. This gives you terms and definitions, tools on how to read an audiogram, and a list of resources in Hawaii.

If you have a resource in Hawaii that you'd like us to include in this guide, please DM us and we'd be glad to add it.

Tell us in the comments: What are some of your greatest resources? (other families, professionals, etc)

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