How our family supports Olivia
We called my grandmother and our parents first when we found out Olivia had deafness. We asked them to tell the rest of our family the news as we found it difficult to deal with the emotions and repeat the information over and over. We didn’t have to answer so many questions at a time that was still very emotional for us, and we had no answers. We took time to think and research the issues so that we could be prepared to answer questions.
Sometimes, it was difficult not to be affected by the ignorance of others. This was a part we were not prepared for, especially coming from people who love us. We took it all with a grain of salt, and we reminded ourselves that this was a new experience for our entire family. It would take a while to accept Olivia’s diagnosis fully. We are grateful that our family has become more accepting and taken the lead in supporting Olivia.
The grandparents of Olivia attended a session on support for grandparents and how to understand hearing loss. The grandparents gained a greater understanding of hearing loss and were able to talk to other grandparents who were in a similar situation.
We actively encourage our family to learn British Sign Language. Our family has a support worker who is from the local deaf children’s society. She provides online classes for family signing, and many of our family members are very supportive.
Sending videos of ourselves using signs or flashcards containing symbols to our families is a great way to ensure everyone is on the same page. They help to ensure that everyone is using the same characters and on the same page. We’ll send Scottish characters because BSL is regional, and many apps teach it using English signs. We personalize videos by including characters that we feel are relevant right now and those that Olivia is able to use. We all watch the videos together and do our best to learn signs. All of them have been extremely supportive.
Sign language is a great way to teach younger members of the family. They find it very enjoyable. The younger family members find it fun and enjoy learning sign language.
Everyone wished Olivia a happy birthday on her first birthday. The moment when everyone came together to celebrate Olivia was so powerful and moving. We were all touched by the love and acceptance that we felt in that moment.
