Advocacy The award-winning journalist and mother of four partnered up with the Hearing Health Foundation to share the surprising origin of her son’s mysterious behavioral problems.
HEARING RELIEF: For O’Brien, Jackson’s hearing loss diagnosis eased a burden, as it gave her insight into her son's frustrations and improved her and Jackson's communication.
When Jackson turned 7 and failed his hearing test, prompting a more extensive examination, he was diagnosed with bilateral, severe, sensorineural hearing loss with about 85 percent of his hearing gone. The news, O’Brien says, actually offered some relief because it all finally made sense. “I began to wonder whether his frustrations were all hearing-related,” she shares.
Once Jackson got hearing aids in first grade, his life changed. “I remember the day they fitted him. From across the room I asked, ‘Can you hear me?’ He looked up and — big smile,” O’Brien recalls. Today, the outgoing, social, happy sixth grader attends the same mainstream school as his siblings and is excelling academically. “He loves school,” says O’Brien. “He’s even taking Mandarin (a tonal language).” He’s also getting better at asking for help.
O’Brien credits Jackson’s team for walking her through all the necessary steps her son needed to take, from his hearing education service provider and his speech-language pathologist to all the doctors and audiologists. “I know we are very lucky to have these resources. That’s a huge advantage,” O’Brien admits.
His support system at home, though, is the key to his happiness. Along with his parents, Jackson’s siblings have always been patient and understanding. His fraternal twin, Charlie, whose hearing is typical, enjoys watching subtitled movies with his brother. His older sister, Sofia, 15, knows how to comfort Jackson when he’s frustrated.