I have been fortunate in my chosen profession. I got into it a bit by accident but I have loved absolutely every minute of it. How many people can find something that they enjoy doing, and in which that can effect significant change. I was lucky, I found just such a profession. For over 50 years, I have worked with spectacular families, as well as extraordinary audiologists, speech-language pathologists, listening and spoken language specialists, teachers of children with hearing loss and physicians.
Recently, I had a wonderful experience that summed it all up.
The Listening Project Premier
Last week, the Listening Program documentary – which I produced with documentary film maker Irene Taylor Brodsky – was previewed at the American Cochlear Implant Alliance Conference on March 9th to a standing ovation. I expected that it would be liked because the film demonstrates what is possible with appropriate technology. In the film, we interview 15 young adults who are now in their 30s or so, and who received implants late by today’s standards (if they did receive them). Five of the young people in the film were there for a panel. One uses hearing aids, three have a hearing aid and a cochlear implant and one has bilateral implants. Two are physicians, one holds a PhD in Primate Psychology, one is a music manager for YouTube and one is completing graduate school.
The panel received questions from both professionals and parents in the audience. Everyone was very excited and the young people loved becoming connected with each other. We all felt good about the evening.
Finding the Film
The trailer for the film is available here. Information about the film can be found at the film’s website. The film is being distributed by Collective Eye, an educational film distributor whom we are excited to be working with. The film is open captioned and will be available in several formats. I am excited that in addition to the full length film there will be a short version for schools. The Schools Version is an abridged version of the full length film designed to help schools explain the effects of hearing loss the peers of mainstreamed children with hearing loss in their programs. It has been very well received we hope many children with hearing loss will be able to use it to help educate their typical hearing peers about hearing loss. We are hoping to have it available with Spanish captions shortly.
