my son is deaf he was born about 7 month ago and i'm devistated i wanted him to be normal....he has twin older sisters who are defintly taking back seat to this! i dont know how to deal with this my twins Hannah and Brittany are so normal and now Jared my son is deaf... its really weird!!! what do i do

Learn sign language. I taught my hearing baby sign language just so I could talk to her before she could talk. Your other childern can learn it too. Everything will be fine you'll see. And sign language isn't hard to learn. There's a T.V. show where I'm from every sat. and sun. morning that teaches it (Signing time with Alex and leah) and you can get books, there are even baby signing books.

Best of luck.

I think that if I was in your situation at first I would be really scared. Honestly, the first thing I think you should do is try and accept that this is how your son is going to be. The next thing I would do is start learning sign language.. maybe get the whole family involved. I mean this is going to affect all communication between your entire family. I think that getting the whole family involved with sign language classes and even to doctors visits to make everyone aware of what is going to happen in the future is a great step. I know you love him no matter what though... and isn't that really what matters?

YOUR SON IS PERFECTLY NORMAL! DEAFNESS IS NOT A DISABILY HE CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT YOUR TWINS CAN! HE JUST SIMPLY CAN'T HEAR! SCARY TO THINK ABOUT BUT NOTHING THAT WILL ENABLE HIM FROM LIVING A NORMAL LIFE! HEARING TO US TO NORMAL DEAFNESS TO YOUR SON IS NORMAL HE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING DIFFERENT! YOU SHOULD SHECK INTO A COCHLEAR IMPLANT! HE WAS GIVIN TO YOU FOR A REASON!

First of all unless your son has some other disabilities then he has a very good chance at a "normal" life if given the proper opportunities. I know as a parent anything different can be scary,and I'm not saying you don't have a right to your feelings. I am saying that as a parent with a special needs child it is your responsibilty to do alot of research and make the best possible decisions for his development. First of all sign language classes for you and your children are a great idea. Even hearing children can communicate with sign at an earlier age than they can speak. Be aware though that "baby sign language" is different than actual sign. Also there is a huge deaf community out there, get involved and get support. There's a great book called "for Hearing People Only" that gives great insight into the deaf world. Don't just jump on the idea of a cochlear implant, do alot of research first, it's not always the easy fix people think. There is a great documentary about a family deciding on cochlear implants and a follow up 10 years later on how their decisions effected them. I can't remember the title at the moment, I think it was "Sound and Fury" or along those lines. The biggest thing to remember is that your son has normal brain function, he can and will learn and grow. How far he goes depends on the opportunities and early intervention he is given just like any other child. Your his advocate, realize you have a great opportunity to truly make a difference in his life, fight for him.

Think of your son as a blessing. This doesn't take away from who he is and who he will become. Support him. I know you must be saddened by all this but remember that you need to be strong for him. Associate with other parents of deaf children. Learn American Sign Language. Love your baby. Help your girls learn sign language. Learn everything you can on why your child can't hear. If it can be changed then go to the doctors and discuss methods to help. Your baby is NORMAL and he is loved. I wish you and your children all the best.