Help with communication through an iPad

Six year old Reuben lives with his older brother Jacob and mum, Kerry, in Tyne and Wear.

Kerry explains, “Reuben has been deaf from quite a young age. He had a stammer and was also struggling to pronounce his words correctly.

“Shortly after Reuben was born, they did the first hearing test and noticed fluid behind the ear, but they assumed it would disappear over time. However, as time went by, there must have been no improvement because over lockdown, as Reuben was being home schooled, I noticed he wasn’t hearing me when I was speaking to him unless he was looking directly at me.

“Thinking back to before the pandemic he had started getting into trouble a little for not listening in class. I spoke to his teachers and we decided to get Reuben assessed again. They found no movement in both eardrums.”

“Since receiving his hearing aids, we have communicated and understood each other better. We are learning sign language and Reuben also lip-reads.”

Help from Family Fund

“We were awarded a tablet through Family Fund. We got an iPad and it’s been an immense help connecting to Reuben’s hearing aids. The iPad is able to connect to Reuben’s hearing aids via Bluetooth. I can then speak to him when he’s in a different room, it’s like a walkie talkie.

He’s been able to partake in his online classes and listen to the teacher which became especially beneficial during lockdown. Without the iPad, it would be more difficult for us to communicate.

“Reuben went climbing recently, and I was able to connect his hearing aids to the tablet. This meant I could communicate and guide him on what to do, he was able to hear me even from a distance.

“Family Fund’s help has made the aspect of communication and understanding each other a lot easier.”

“We also received a Haven holiday which was great. The boy’s Dad recently passed away so spending time together and giving us all a break was amazing”.