CENTRE
FOR
SPEECH & HEARING
TESTIMONIALS
I can be whoever I want to be,
I have the whole world at my feet.
I can change people’s lives, inspire people.
I can teach people that everybody is different,
To appreciate life, and to value everyday.
I can teach people empathy and compassion.
Like others, I can achieve my goals and dreams.
I have strengths and weaknesses which make me the person I am.
My opinions and emotions are just as important as everyone else’s
I believe in myself, and how I can make a difference.
My disability gives me my ability.
1
FAUZ AZAM NABI
"I was born in May 1991. My parents narrate that soon after my birth, they suspected me suffering from congenital deafness. Clinically, I was diagnosed & declared Profoundly Hearing Impaired (threshold – above 105 & 110 db) when I was 11 months old, at Centre for Speech & Hearing, Mardan. Fortunately, my father (then Captain in Army) was posted at Nowshera, hardly at 30 mins drive from the Institute. Mr Aamir, Mr Naushad (both audiologist) and Madam Almas, speech therapist suggested extensive speech therapy at the Mardan Institute & at home.
For my parents, they had to choose one out of two choices. First; to educate me through sign language or secondly; to teach me through Oral-Aural method. After discussions with CSH’s experienced teacher and Speech Therapist Madam Almas, it was decided that I shall learn Urdu language (instead of Pushto) through Oral-Aural method. For early one year or so, I used to go to Mardan Institute on weekly basis. But as time passed and my father got away and away from Mardan, the frequency of my therapy sessions decreased at Centre for Speech & Hearing but it increased at home. Still, my mother ensured that I go to Almas on fortnightly basis and later on monthly basis, till I was 5/6 years of age.
At age 4, I was put in Kindergarten (play school for normal hearing) at Abbottabad. The decision to put me in normal schools (not meant for hearing impaired) was also suggested by Madam Almas; and I am grateful to her, for her acumen and profound judgment. And then, there was no stopping. I kept learning Urdu & English and kept studying in mainstream schools (class-1, 97% at APS Mardan, Class-2, 93% at Daffodils Pesh, Class-3, 95% & 4- 94% at SLS School Rwp, Class-5 84% & 6 73% APS Okara, Class-7, 67% at Alma Mater Pesh, Class-8, 77% at APS Attock, Class-9 at Garrison Academy Lahore, Class-10 (science) and FSC (IT) at APS Rawalpindi. In matric, I secured 72% marks and in FSC (when I was Captain of Football Team) I scored 51%.
After FSC, I applied in open merit for a seat in Visual Communication Design Deptt, National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. And by the Grace of Allah I got admission. Now, I’m in 3rd year and shall attain my degree next year, In-Sha-Allah.
At age 12 (year 2003), I and my parents were convinced that the conventional hearing aid (Telex Inc with FM) which I was using, was of no use; and I had thereby turned into a Lip-Reader. In 2006, I had my Cochlear Implant, which I’m still using. Due to my studies, I didn’t get much time for speech therapy with this device, but it still benefits me in listening environmental sounds and a few verbal sounds, specially when I’m driving car.
For my hearing impaired young friends; my message is: to be hearing impaired is not a problem, which makes few inoperative in life, rather; feel yourself at advantage for being a LIP-READER”."
2
KAINATH
Kainath was three year old when she first came to CSH for a hearing assessment. According to her mother, the family got suspicious about her hearing when at 18 months she failed to speak a single word. She also did not respond to sounds produced quite close to her. After the initial period of denial/acceptance and visits to a good number of ENT doctors, Kianat's father suggested a visit to CSH because he had witnessed deaf children speaking on stage there during a function organized in honor of the then President Farooq Leghari. According to the mother she was not much convinced; so much so that it took her two long months to finally visit the Institute. Seeing was believing, and she decided to admit her at once to avail the various services offered here. Coming on daily basis from Peshawar was a big challenge but as she saw Kainath progressing on daily basis she considered the results worth the efforts.
After a period of one year, CSH Speech Therapist and class teacher advised the mother to admit Kainath in a good mainstream school in Peshawar to enable her to benefit from the environment of hearing children. She was admitted in Mohammad Amir Memorial Academy and the integration proved very beneficial. Apart from training of Kainath’s mother, CSH also provided a thorough one month training of school staff on Deaf Education on complimentary basis. Thanks to full cooperation from school and home, Kainath passed her Matric in science with first division!
Following her Matriculation Kainath took admission in the Department of Arts and Crafts at Ayesha College for a three year course. Staff at the college considered her almost normal with her good spoken skills and because of their full support and her hard work, she topped her class for all the three years.
With Kainath's Profound Hearing Loss, her verbal communication and acadmec achievments should serve as an eye opener for many parents, as they occurred due to timely intervention by CSH combined with determination and persistent efforts of her mother.
3
NAYAB PARVEZ
Nayab first came to CSH in 2004. An immediate hearing test was conducted in CSH Audiology Department and a severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss was detected. After thorough counselling of parents by the Audiologist and Speech Therapist, a detailed program was provided to them according to which Nayab was to receive a Speech Therapy session from CSH therapist once a month but for parents to repeat that at home strictly on daily basis.
Since parents were cooperative and followed the therapists’ instructions there was a marked improvement in Nayab's spoken language within a year. She was admitted to CSH school in 2005. She was fitted with a Binaural Digital Hearing Aids and inducted in the school speech therapy program. She greatly benefitted from the daily sessions at school plus parents efforts at home.
Subsequently she became fluent in her mother tongue and could express herself almost like non-deaf people, and her speech therapy at school was discontinued in 2012. Her parents were strictly advised against use of sign language and encouraged to talk to her in all situations.
At present she is a promising student of class 10th and will appear for her board exams in March 2016 inshallah.
4
TAYYABA SAIDAN SHAH
Tayyeba's parents had little idea that she was congenitally deaf back in 2006 when they brought her to CSH to complaining that at age two she did not speak a single word. Following a hearing test which confirmed her permanent hearing loss, Tayyeba was fitted with a pair of high-powered Digital Hearing Aids and provided daily speech therapy at CSH clinic. After 2 years of therapy, she was admitted in CSH school at age 5.
Now a student of Class 3, she has fully benefited from the therapy and can be mistaken for a hearing person. Her speech sounds are very clear and can speaks on every topic. Ever since her admission in CSH school she was provided daily therapy in a group of 5 children which enabled her to interact with her group members. Her good spoken language and the ability to hear has a positive effect on her academics. Full credit goes to her therapist and teachers, CSH audiologist, dedication of her parents and use of the Digital hearing aids.
