LIFE AS A DEAF OT

Elana Solomon, a school-based Occupational Therapist, talks about her experiences as an OT with hearing loss.

My name is Elana Solomon and I obtained my Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy (Honours) at the University of Cape Town in 2013. I recently completed my Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Studies from the University of Stellenbosch. I am currently working as an Occupational Therapist at a school for the Deaf and hard of hearing in Cape Town.

My parents suspected possible hearing loss when I failed to respond to sounds at the age of nine months. They subsequently saw various professionals over the years and were told that there was no evidence of a hearing loss. A professor at the hospital even once went so far as to tell my parents that their child did not want to listen to them, which was really upsetting for them to hear. He added that there was nothing wrong with me. I was finally diagnosed with a profound sensorineural hearing loss in my right ear and a moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear, at the age of five-and-a-half. My parents were devastated as they felt that this late diagnosis had disadvantaged me.

Due to the late diagnosis of my hearing loss, I had significant delays in my speech and language and was subsequently referred to the Carel Du Toit Centre where Deaf children learn to speak. It is a school that provides early intervention programmes and a Centre where I received intensive speech therapy. I later attended the Mary Kihn school for the Deaf and hard of hearing from Grade 1 to 7. It was during that time that my hearing in the left ear deteriorated. The only hope was a cochlear implant which I received in my one ear, and which enabled me to hear and to communicate.

Cochlear implants are very expensive in South Africa. Many families, including my own, have to embark on fundraising campaigns in order to make these implants possible. After completing junior school at Mary Kihn, I was mainstreamed for the first time at Wynberg Girls’ High school, where I subsequently matriculated.

Hearing with one ear (unilateral cochlear implant) comes with a lot of challenges, especially being in a job that requires a lot of listening. I have to give my full attention to listening to what is being said. I rely on lip-reading as visual cues which require a great deal of concentration. At the end of the day, I tend to be extremely exhausted.

The pandemic affected everyone in various ways, but for me, mask-wearing was a particular challenge as one then cannot see people’s lips. Loud noises or background noises exacerbate one’s inability to hear, which puts a lot of strain on hearing and concentration. Another challenge for me is working in a prefab room, as there is a lot of echoing, which makes it harder for my learners (who are deaf) and me to hear. This is a reality in most schools in South Africa as they do not have enough funds to build classrooms and often resort to what is available and cost effective.

In 2022, I was appointed to work at a school for children who are hard of hearing; a school where I was once a learner. It is my dream job. It is such a privilege to be able to give back and to work alongside the school’s principal who was once my Grade 2 teacher.

Despite the challenges that come with a disability, one can achieve anything one can dream of, even when it seems impossible.

For the full article, access the newsletter by following this link; SAISI newsletter 2023- Apr-Vol.32.No.1