Twelve year old Ethan Hart recently took part in Belong, a study led by The Kids Research Institute Australia which aims to ensure deaf and hard of hearing children have a happy and positive school experience. The project engages children like Ethan, their families and teachers as co-researchers to develop innovative intervention strategies and resources to support them through their development. Read Ethan's story below.
Ethan (centre) and his two new friends Jack and John
Hi, my name is Ethan Hart and I am in Year 7 at ECC. I was diagnosed as being hard of hearing at the age of 9 years old, and since then have worn 2 hearing aids. I am very pleased that I have hearing aids as without them, on a good day, I can miss up to 40% of what is being said to and around me. Even though I wear hearing aids I still miss some of what is being said around me, but it is now much easier to make friends and I am doing much better at school.
I have been chosen as a Student Ambassador by the School of Special Needs and so over the next 3 years I will be participating in a research programme called the ‘Belong Project.’ The researchers involved in this programme are hoping to develop ‘tools’ for hard of hearing and deaf children in Years 4-6, that will help make going to school and interacting with classmates a happier and more positive experience.
On Friday the 24 March 2017, together with another 9 hard of hearing/deaf, year 6/7 students, I attended the first ‘Youth Voice Forum’, which was organised by The Kids Research Institute Australia in collaboration with a number of universities, educationalists, doctors, professors and other interested research groups.
The theme of the day was the ‘Olympics’ and we had to participate in a number of ‘Olympic’ activities – but each had a twist. In the ‘high jump’ activity we discussed and wrote down things that help us get through a challenging day. We then had to rank them by jumping as high as we could to place our best coping ‘tool’ at the top of the board.
When we participated in the ‘hurdles’ activity we discussed and listed challenges that we have had to deal with in the past, and those we are facing at the moment. We then discussed how our coping ‘tools’ could help us clear our hurdles. We then placed our listed challenges on the floor and had to jump over them. In the ‘shot putt’ we discussed and then wrote the physical things that we have that help us cope eg. Hearing aids, cochlea implants, special telephones and doctors onto tennis balls – later we had fun trying to throw the tennis balls into a bucket.
One of the other good things about the day is that the researchers will be taking the information we shared and use it to develop ‘tools’ such as phone apps, games, story books etc. that will be helpful to other hard of hearing/deaf students who will be transitioning into middle school in years to come.
Although I would have loved to have done all the activities properly, it was fun to be part of a team of children who experience similar challenges to me, and have to be honest with one another about what our challenges are and how we overcome them. I also enjoyed making new friends, especially with Jack and John.