The Manchester Evening News has reported how a deaf toddler was left to celebrate his birthday in silence after burglars stole his hearing aid.
(Please note: as our commenters have pointed out, children can learn sign language before they can learn to speak, contrary to the comments of the mother in the article)
Extract:
A deaf toddler celebrated his birthday in silence after thieves stole his hearing aid.
Dominic Harrington’s lifeline aid was snatched last Friday, six days before his third birthday, during a raid on his family’s Smallbridge home.
It meant the tot was unable to hear his mum Samantha wish him ‘Happy birthday’ on his big day on Thursday.
Mum-of-five Samantha said: “Everybody takes for granted saying things like night, night and I love you.
“But it’s his birthday and he won’t hear me say ‘Happy birthday’, he won’t understand.
“He can’t talk yet and he’s too young to learn sign language.”
The hearing aid was stolen during a burglary at the family’s Halifax Road home at around 10.40pm on Friday May 2.
Samantha and Dominic were upstairs with his siblings Libby, 10, Ryan, nine, Vikki, seven, and Alex, four when burglars sneaked into the house and snatched a laptop and the handbag containing the aid and birthday cash.
Read the full story here: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/deaf-toddler-dominic-harrington-could-7095616
Enjoying our eggs? Support The Limping Chicken:
The Limping Chicken is the world's most popular Deaf blog, and is edited by Deaf journalist, screenwriter and director Charlie Swinbourne.
Our posts represent the opinions of blog authors, they do not represent the site's views or those of the site's editor. Posting a blog does not imply agreement with a blog's content. Read our disclaimer here and read our privacy policy here.
Find out how to write for us by clicking here, and how to follow us by clicking here.
The site exists thanks to our supporters. Check them out below:
- BSL Zone: TV programmes in BSL for the Deaf community
- Deaf Umbrella: what support is available for deaf students?
- Bellman & Symfon: home alerting solutions, including the mobile phone transceiver!
- SignVideo: Instant BSL video interpreting online
- SignHealth: check out the BSL health library
- 999 BSL: call 999 in an emergency, in BSL
- Appa: Looking for RSLIs, TSLIs and CSWs, apply here!
- Signly: Adding BSL to websites
- Signworld: Learn BSL online!
- DCAL: world-class research into deafness, cognition and language
- Action Deafness: “A Deaf-Led Charity” – interpreting & community support services
- Sign Solutions: Instant access to Interpreters, training and BSL translation nationwide
- InterpretersLive: On demand BSL video interpretation
- Lipspeaker UK: specialist lipspeaking support
- BID: Deaf services, including advice and support, interpreting, employment and letters
- Performance Interpreting: BSL interpreting at concerts
- National Deaf Children's Society: The leading charity for deaf children
Andy, not him, me.
May 9, 2014
Silence??
Too young to learn sign language??
What heresy is this ?
Sofie Heilmann
May 9, 2014
What a load of crap.. Too young to learn sign language?! Thieves stole his hearing aid, not his eyes. Might be safer to rely on eyes he has got, not a hearing he hasn’t got.
Linda Richards
May 9, 2014
Why was the hearing aid in the handbag? Not going to do much good there, is it?
pennybsl
May 9, 2014
It is sad to see that a child is not expected to learn sign language from babyhood; who gave the mother such information?
Professionals who say such things need to be taken to the stocks and be pelted with rotten fruit, because the evidence is already available for all to see – language is available through sign from babyhood. As it is a Manchester tabloid, the paper should have checked facts with the Deaf Education training team at the University of Manchester.
Lana
May 9, 2014
It is a well known fact that 0-5 years is important stage for absorbing new information. If he does not start at baby, his learning brain will not be developed properly.
annonymous csw
May 9, 2014
Also if he is a hearing aid wearer, that means he has some natural access to sound… isnt whatever he can hear good enough? Can he not have fun in the bath or swimming pool? Hearing aids aid hearing (hence the name!), not fix deafness..it concerns me that this little boy’s family have such a pittying view of him and that he needs to be dependant on something that is easily lost or broken to communicate with him rather than adapt themselves to be more deaf friendly and visual…
Claire
May 9, 2014
I have 3 children a hearing 7 year old son, a hearing 2year old son and a daughter who is 9 months old and deaf. Both the boys know there first 100 words and are learning and using sign language really well, and my daughter used her first sign last week, she signs ‘daddy’ whenever he walks in the room! I’m so proud of all of them, it’s never too early to start teaching them sign language!
Cathy
May 9, 2014
Such a sad tale that apparently reflects our sad lives now.
I feel sorry for the little boy and I understand where his mother is coming from.
If people have bothered to read the full article they will realise that the little boy has global developmental delay as he was many weeks premature. So, although it is indeed possible to learn sign language before speaking, this child was doing neither due to his disability.
It is a crying shame that thieves took anything, but they would not have realised a small hearing aid was in the bag till later. They should have the bravery to return it, as it has no purpose nor value for them and hopefully they will……
The family’s local hospital should provide him with a replacement.
sammmymack
May 9, 2014
The article says he also has ” global developmental delay”. Such a shame he hasn’t been exposed to signing since babyhood, I’m certain it would have helped his progress. So sad the parents seem not have been given correct advice on the benefits of sign language for him. I wonder who told them this.
Sylvia Webb
May 12, 2014
The little boy has 4 siblings under 10, with another one due in weeks. I think mum and dad have their hands full and have probably chosen the best route for them All in those circumstances, especially with regard to cost and availability. And who are we to say what and how they should run their lives?