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Looking to add some books to your summer reading list?
Our Audiologist Sarah Caldwell has been keeping up with her reading and was able to check out this audiology related book by Lydia Denworth. Check out her latest book review below
Book Review: I Can Hear You Whisper by Lydia Denwort
Lydia Denworth is the mother of a child born with a progressive, and eventually profound hearing loss. In her memoir, she provides a compelling and detailed account of the emotional turmoil she experienced as a parent within these unchartered waters. She discusses the birth of her son (following 2 elder sons with normal hearing), the identification and intervention of his hearing loss, and her journey to gain a new understanding of Deaf culture as well as the relationship between hearing, sound, language, and learning. Moreover, Denworth is able to portray a “soup to nuts” and easy to understand translation of the science of audiology – how hearing works, how hearing can fail, and types of} hearing loss intervention. This includes fairly simple procedures such as hearing testing in a sound booth and ear anatomy, to much more complicated procedures such as the meanings of electrophysiologic tests and the critical period for language development. She discusses the decisions her family made involving her son’s treatment and the research as to why they were chosen, while maintaining respect for families and individuals that may choose differently.
Overall, I think that Lydia Denworth depicted a sincere and comprehensive account of her family’s emotional experience and introduction into the culture of hearing loss. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in hearing, speech, and language – including parents, teachers, audiologists, and other medical professionals. I particularly enjoyed that she discussed some of the current politics surrounding hearing loss intervention, the “ups and downs” of realistic expectations (ie: problems with hearing in noise and music), and the spectrum of development in deaf identity. I was also pleasantly surprised by the ending.
