Four-year-old Anthony wears hearing aids. So does his stuffed animal, Leo the Lion. Anthony’s audiologist, Dr. Ross, gave him the lion and a book about Leo. Leo struggled to hear his friends at recess and his teacher during class. When his parents took him for a hearing test, they discovered his hearing loss. Wearing hearing aids opened up a new world of understanding for Leo.
I don’t wear hearing aids, but I do remember the first time I wore glasses at ten years old. Blurry images became sharp. I could see words on the chalkboard. Communication got easier. Sometimes I was called four-eyes, but not very often. Other kids in my class wore glasses too. But I didn’t know a single child who wore a hearing aid.
Kids can bully children who are different. Educating children about disabilities can bring understanding and change their perspective.
Anthony’s mother decided to send the book and his stuffed animal, Leo, to school with Anthony. His teacher read the book to his preschool class and gave everyone an opportunity to talk about hearing aids. One child said, “Oh, my grandmother wears them.”
Not only did communication get easier for Anthony, but also when his classmates learned about his hearing problem they were better able to communicate with him. Wearing hearing aids opened a new world for Anthony, but it also opened a new world for his classmates.
One small act—sending a book to school—made a big impact in the lives of a boy and his friends. As Anthony learned, we can all be lions, even if we’re different.