“Well-rounded” is how Lark & Michael describe their large & busy family. Their youngest child Max, is 2 & has a mild to moderate hearing loss. Kathy, Speech-Language Pathologist, who works with their family, says “Max is surrounded by love & support”.
**From our archives. Originally published in our November 1999 newsletter.**
Tell us a little bit about Max and his brothers and sister….
Max has three older brothers, Keegan, Braden and Quentin. He also has an older sister Alexandra. Max has achondroplastic dwarfism which means he is a “little person”.
How did you feel when you found out Max was Hard of Hearing?
Prior to Max being born we already anticipated that he might be achondroplastic. One of the accompanying conditions of achondroplasia is often a hearing impairment so we were neither shocked nor disappointed when he was formally diagnosed.
What are your hopes and dreams for your children?
Like all parents we have only the fondest hopes and dreams for our children. The most profound of these is that as our family evolves our children will continue to love and respect each other in spite of their many differences. Max is certainly a catalyst to make this happen. He is loved and adored by all of them.
Every family is unique and special. Can you tell us something that makes your family special.
I think in a large family like we have so many conflicts can arise. Our children are learning from a young age many coping skills that I believe will help them later on in their lives. I think a phrase that sums up our family is “well rounded”.
Is there anything you would like to share from your experiences that you think would help other parents of Deaf or Hard of Hearing children deal with sibling issues?
Let your children be part of as many experiences as they are able to in dealing with the issues surrounding your Deaf or Hard of Hearing child. Max’s siblings want to be a part of his learning process and feel proud when they can teach Max a few signs. Children just want to feel included and part of the learning and teaching process.