Author: Dr. Nandita De Souza | Jun 13, 2015
The Team Around the Child – One of our guiding principles at Sethu is to build a strong support network to help every child who receives our services. Recently we interacted with a 3 year old child (let’s call him Bimal) with severe bilateral hearing impairment. He had been assessed and prescribed hearing aids, which unfortunately, he refused to wear.
With tears in her eyes, his mother spoke about her struggle every morning to get Bimal to accept the aids. Despite all her pleas and shouts and even (unfortunately) a few whacks, he steadfastly resisted all her attempts, throwing the aids across the room. The therapist listened patiently and decided to try something different. Reaching out, she grabbed Noddy, who is a popular doll at Sethu with fortuitously protruding ears. She put the hearing aid on one of his ears and asked Bimal to place the other one. He did this with great interest and care.
For a while Noddy, with his hearing aids in situ, and Bimal played together, rolling a ball to and fro. Noddy then indicated that he wanted to share the aids with Bimal and holding them in his hands (with some assistance from the therapist and Bimal’s mother), he placed both the aids on Bimal. The latter wore a triumphant look on his face and spent the rest of the 45 minute session calm and happy, cooperating with the entire assessment. The parents were amazed and to tell you frankly, we were too! The only team member who looked unimpressed was Noddy! And where is our co-therapist Noddy now? He has gone for a short holiday to Bimal’s house, to share the hearing aids with his new friend. The power of play and imagination makes working with children an adventure of joy, discovery and learning at every step.