DEAR ABBY: The 83-year-old great-grandmother from Indio, Calif., who wrote to praise the joys of life after getting a hearing aid in middle age, has done a great service for the hearing-impaired community in general.
Utilizing hearing devices at any age offers an opportunity for fulfilling the human need for communication and life participation. The majority of children diagnosed for hearing loss within the first three years of life and fitted with appropriate aids have a wonderful opportunity to develop speech and language skills with the ability to function in the normal hearing world. This is known as the auditory-verbal approach to helping deaf and hard-of-hearing children, and "looking old" is the last thing these children would imagine.
The mother who would not wear hearing aids because she thought they would make her look old might have an easier time if she could imagine the delight young people have when they realize they can actually hear. There is much research still being done to help all levels of hearing loss, and there are now hearing aids available that are hardly visible. Please let your readers know that there are also community services available to help put them in touch with audiologists who are certified to dispense hearing aids and make appropriate medical referrals. -- JOSEPHINE WILSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HEAR CENTER, PASADENA, CALIF.