Ana María Arango - Audiologist

Germán Sandoval, M.D., Otorhinolaryngologist Surgeon

Bucaramanga, Colombia

Depending on the side of the wall you are in, any interpretation of a wall is different, in all aspects of life. Many times, being inside the wall means force, strength, safety, warmness; being home is the perfect example. Most times a wall, when seen from the outside, means or symbolizes aggression, isolation, pain and cold. These two opposite sides reflex life itself, which is really ruled by all kinds of walls. 

A “wall of silence” can be better understood after reading last paragraph: It is a strange wall, because its walls are not visible, but equally solid, cold and painful. 

This wall means isolation to deaf people. Isolation can be described as a turbulent, wide river, plenty of numerous smaller rivers that contribute to its huge caudal. Small rivers can be solitude, sadness, daily isolation itself, mental health, unemployment, and many other factors.  

It is essential, in order to solve this acute communication problem to start by using a method that improves and secures an optimal reception and understanding of all messages and their answers, basic activities of human communication. Mastering oral language, reading, writing, signal language must be an objective of clinical approaches. 

Early detection and identification: Their aim is to introduce as early as possible adequate educational measures that reduce and mitigate any consequence of hearing losses, or in case of mild, minor cases, to avoid any consequence at all. 

TIME is the key factor. Because early childhood is the perfect time of life to successfully introduce and improve language and intellectual development. There are nowadays completely proved tests that diagnose a hearing loss, even in just born babies. 

Early intervention: An early intervention that takes advantage of the parts of the system that work and the remaining hearing capabilities will minimize sequelas or results due to a lack of auditory activity, preparing nervous fibers from that time on to accept new information, which will be amplified by digital audiphones or processed by a cochlear implant. 

Oral and auditory rehabilitation: Its purpose is providing children who suffer from any hearing loss enough bases to develop a way of life, with a permanent and correct use of digital audiphones and /or cochlear implants. These treatments must give children special understanding and speech skills, for their whole life. This process requires involvement from all people around children: Parents, relatives, teachers, health professionals, educators, etc… 

There is a lot of knowledge regarding early stimulation of deaf children, and about the role of family members in their auditory rehabilitation. Many parents, in Colombia, have taken advantage of free resources, mostly by mail. 

What can we achieve? 

Most deaf children are able now to learn and use oral language, based on their residual hearing, auditory supports, and early stimulation. These are some important points: 

Opportunities in adult life (such as social, working, financial ) are greater for children who master oral language.

These children may freely choose between being a part of normal hearing community or deaf people community, learning manual language.

A MYTH 

It is usually believed that a child suffering from any kind of deafness will not reach a good auditory capability and an efficient oral communication. This is completely wrong. Early deafness diagnosis and adequate and well oriented support, will give children the opportunity to destroy “the wall of silence.”

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