An interesting view point on FM

I found this comment on Val's Blog.Thought would like to share this view point on my blog too with people who have FM system in mind in India .In India people do not give the pros and cons when it comes to giving advise.Kindly read the comment by "anonymous".I found it an interesting feedback.
http://deafkidscanhear.blogspot.com/2010/07/can-you-hear-me-now.html

A link on lip reading

I came through this blog from deaf village.The view point on lip reading is interesting.

http://faceme.wordpress.com/about/#comment-2638

Prisha starts to read

      I think I have been just too lazy since I shifted to Germany.Perhaps it is just that I am still in the chill out state of mind after a mind boggling rush rush life that I had in India.Prisha is over 6 years and had I started , she would have been reading.I have uploaded videos of Prisha reading on my You tube account.(Click here).I was surprised at the ease with which she picked it up although I have not been reading so much to her nor have I started her to teach to read.So this week I kick started myself to start reading and ask her read back.I read out these small books,that her aunt gifted to her, with Indian context ,somethings that she can relate to with everyday life.I read out ,asked her questions to see if she understood the story and then started to ask her to read.

     She got stuck at a few places here and there,which I gladly helped.We giggled at a few things, animated somewhere and generally enjoyed the session.In the evening I asked my husband too to participate.He was asked to just hear the story Prisha reads.It was a way of reinforcing what she had read.My husband was surprised too and asked me if she was really reading or had she memorized the story.I had no answer as I too am surprised that she read the whole story and got just stuck at a few places with new difficult words.I really felt that it was a good auditory training along with a great exercise for auditory memory development.She has to learn to read the whole word as a picture,and read it as it is if it gets repeated. She has to understand the story ,along with it she has to remember the entire sentence-hold the entire sentence together in her mind to comprehend the story.She has to remember the sound of each new word that she came across along with its meaning.Certain words are difficult to say for her still as they are not in use in everyday life, but she is so excited about reading that book ,that she brings out that book everytime I say"lets read".we read it as it helps build her confidence.So hopefully by the time she goes to her lovely new school In Dusseldorf,she would be reading more.I feel so good myself when I have been able to achieve something like this.I just need to push myself amongst all the new challenges and uncertainties of life that we are going through with the shifting to Germany, then into a new home this month end,then doing up the house and then comes the new school, teachers, new kids and building a balance with all these along with the huge change of the climate for us.Hope to have a lot of language development this coming year.

A turning point

       Well I was away for a long time.Just could not get myself to write as we had a sad event in our lives.Specially for Prisha it was a very difficult thing to cope with.I had to explain things to her which she had no clue of  and I too found it difficult to combine emotion with language.
       Prisha lost her paternal grand father on 15th June.Dadu was a big thing in her life.He had seen the time when she was about to come on this planet and had been living near us for the last 6.5 yrs of her life.He loved little girls.All the girls in our family were pampered by him.But Prisha being the youngest, took all importance.Then when she was detected for deafness,he became all the more protective for her. When I was firm with her during her speech development initial years, he was very upset.He spoilt her with colours, papers and all kinds of stationery as she loved the paper shop.If she needed somethings, she turned to him and looked with such a look in her eyes, his heart would bleed and for sure she would get it. She could get away with murder with him around.And now suddenly we heard that he passed away was very shocking to us all.
      We moved to Germany as my husband had been living alone for 3 years and we finally decided that Germany would do good to kids as the whole family would be together.I too was finding it tough to live alone with the kids.He was very attached to Prisha and she was one of reasons for him to be happy.She loved him, put balm on his knees when they pained, gave him the stick when he wanted to walk, held his hand if he wanted to get up and walk, sometimes she mothered him.Her going depressed him further as he was not a very social person.He loved to be at home with his near and dear ones.He had various health issues for the last 40 yrs.Within 5 weeks we heard that he passed away.We all rushed to India.I did not know what to tell Prisha.She used to miss them so much and used to keep telling him that she would meet him in December and he should look after himself.And now, I was left to think as to what should I tell her with her limited language about death.I told her dadu was unwell and we have to go back.She was so happy and she kept a box of chocolates  (that she got from someone), in her bag for him.I was torn inside.
      She kept asking me on the way why we were sad and crying.On reaching home, she was puzzled to see her grandma at home as she could not believe that dadu was alone in the hospital.The next day I thought it was too traumatic for her to see his body and so I left her with a friend.Inside of me I was torn between the choice.They loved eachother so much, both deserved to see each other the last time. Plus there would never be a connection about his leaving suddenly.the physical aspect is required to connect with that new concept for her of death.I could not deprive her of it and one day she might just question me on this.I decided to call her.I held her little hands, not knowing her reactions.I told her that dadu was not well and he was missing his parents a lot and so he is going into the clouds to be with them.She knew something was up and so kept nodding and listenning. he had told her once that when he is very old, he would go into the clouds and so I built the whole thing around that.She said after he meets them , he would come back to her.
      When she saw him, she just kept looking and I was looking for some reaction.She sat on the sofa with pursed lips.Suddenly she cried so loudly that everybody in the room turned with horror.She started to cry uncontrollably and people looked at me with disgust but I did what I thought was best.Everybody was upset that I could allow such a small kid to go through the pain.She saw the whole procedure and she saw him go.Later in the afternoon ,she asked me when he would be back.When I told her he had to be with his parents,she said he told her once that his mummy did not want to stay with him and so she went to the clouds and now too his mummy would not want him and send him back.I held back my tears.She has been since then talking to the clouds, talking to his photo.She played house and cooked pasta and fed his picture.She tickled his picture and kept talking to him as if he was around.She would enter the house and say "Hi Dadu" and behave as if he was around.But it was her way of trying to look normal.next day she told me that his mummy would say I don't want you, Prisha needs you and so he would come out of the cloud, sit in a hot air balloon,come down on a beach, sit in the ambulance and dad would get him back home. I was amazed at her imagination.
      On the way back to germany she looked in the clouds for him.Said there were no houses.I said he slept on the clouds.She now has started to associate white hair with going into the clouds.She gets upset when she sees a couple of white hair creeping out in my black hair.She says "your hair would always be black mumma".She says, we would all one day have white hair and go in the cloud and I would shout at dadu for going there.She keeps telling me that one day he would return to her.His mummy would send him back.When she was sick with viral for 8 days before coming back to germany, she talked to him.She told him that " now since you are in the clouds closer to God, tell him to cure me and to take my terrible headache away.I want to be all right".Every night  before sleeping she would pray to her dadu to make sure she is well again.
        I love the way she has made her adjustments through her own thought processes. We feel that kids are too small and would not understand.But we underestimate their strength.They are stronger than us and know how to take care of us and also older people.I am very glad that I let her see how her grandpa left.Once she grows up she would always be glad I did what I did.She would connect with this concept of death and I do not have to make more stories. As she matures I would clear her concept further and I am sure she would always feel closer to her loving dadu. Dadu I am sure, sitting in the clouds must be hearing everything she does and says and is now her guiding light and her "guardian angel" looking after her from there. I don't have to worry, he would make sure my little adorable girl turns out into a fine human being and her life is going to be just fine.I am glad also that I talked about it and their was a lot of new language and new words and every action we saw was verbalized.

A good link

A good link for parents of the deaf who are training their kids through AVT.
http://www.auditoryoptions.org/

A good link for parents

A very good post .Would like to share.
http://myjourneywithanandita.blogspot.com/2010/06/working-around-weak-auditory-working.html
Good information for parents.

Prisha is a mommy

My baby is home.

Sleep sleep baby.

Loving and cajoling her.Am so happy.

Well yes, Prisha is finally a mommy to a new baby doll she just had to have.I was with the friend when she she chanced upon this baby.She has been wanting one since she left her big girl back home in India.I wasn't sure if she was really wanting this as she too keeps asking for things to buy when we are out.But when we reached home she was so choked with emotions that I too was feeling a bit mean for not buying it.(Part of me also saw the price tag and found it a bit too expensive but the number of stuff in it made it very worth it!} The whole evening went by trying to get over the emotions and waiting that the morning comes and she does buy her and the various things in the box were also so attractive.The thought of taking her for a walk in the pram was the most exciting.She promised best behavior to earn it and evening went by promising no argument with the big brother and being her best and listening better too.
We are still into shopping for the new home here.So it was decided that we buy for before we go as we get more peace for shopping.Prisha was super excited and she chattered non stop about what she would do with her baby and how she would play and blah blah.I was so happy to see her shining face and was feeling bad for postponing the buy.We went into the store and Prisha ran out shouting-"my baby is crying , where is Prisha mumma, I want my mumma".She took me into that corner and ran to it with her hands stretched out and just hugged the big box.It was stark pink and Prisha's faced literally matched the colour. She insisted on picking up the box and being so heavy, we somehow convinced her to keep it in the trolley.
She ran to the the cashier and proudly and happily waited for it to be her's.The cashier too laughed out at her.We then also picked up a travelling pink pillow ans she was on a Real high.
All the way home, I got kisses and "i love yous" .I had to take her pics and she proudly posed with her baby.The best part about it was the opening.She hugged and was looking at each thing that came out so happily.Her baby had a cot and feeding plates and loads of things which was too exciting for her.
The whole evening Prisha has proved to be a perfect mommy. The baby is changed, washed , teeth are brushed, diaper is changed, put to sleep and loved and cajoled and put to bed and I felt she is a better mumma than me! I am enjoying every moment of being the grandma.She is making sure too the baby is not being over pampered by the grandma.

Ready for a walk baby?

The thing that is worrying me though is she is not listening too well.She has a cold and I am now desperate to get her audiogram done here. need to settle down fast and get her hearing updated.I need to pull myself up too to work a bit more with her.

Revision of Maths

Today my father in law called in to remind me that since the kids were away from school , Prisha could actually try and do her maths and spellings.I too have become laid back a bit as there are a lot of uncertainties in our lives. Loads of decisions to be made and so somewhere she takes a back seat.So I pulled up my socks and decided to give her a bit of maths.Her additions were 10/10 and subtraction needed one sum coaching and there too10/10! we were thrilled as i have not touched these for over a year now.Then the tables! well there she had forgotten the 2 & 3tables.So now we are making her do her 2 times table which she picked up in a few minutes.She too loves rattling them.I feel it is a great speech practice too.
These days she is a lot into mothering.Our house owners here have a 1.5 yr old daughter and Prisha loves mothering her and her little baby dolls.She loves doing "nase putzen" which is nose cleaning as she has a slight cold.She is enjoying dressing her and making sure she is well looked after.Anna too is a smart kid and tells her mum that she is not a baby and Prisha is finding it hard to accept.So the next best compromise is to look after the little baby dolls and so she is wanting a whole new baby set with a pram and crib and stuff.She did see one in the supermarket yesterday but I wanted her to have a really nice one.She is literally whining to be a mommy.She talks with so much shine in her eyes about which baby she would buy and what she would do, with that lil dimple appearing on her left cheek.I do get teary eyes looking at her eyes full of hope and waiting for the big time when she would really buy a baby. So scheduled for this weekend along with our home making shopping of sofas and house hold stuff.
It is funny to hear both Anna and Prisha talk and both trying to understand each other.Anna speaks broken German sentences and Prisha adds her English and Hindi together. But they are doing a good job. Prisha's is picking up a few new German words and I tell her the meaning and she is trying to remember them. I would like her to learn it in school too and let us see how far she goes in it.

We love you Alaka Ma'am

Thank you Alaka Ma'am

      Ritik, Aditya and Prisha were together for over 5 years with Mrs. Hudlikar.Last class we attended.

       A heartwarming dinner that she kept for us.Will always cherish specially the curd rice she made.

                 Alaka Ma'am, I love you.You changed my life in more than one ways.Thank you!

                                        Don't ever leave my hand.Be my guiding light forever!!
        Today I want to post a very special post for my Teacher Alaka Hudlikar.Yesterday I decided to finally look at the pictures we clicked at her place when she called me home for a special send off dinner.Till now I was avoiding looking at it as I did not want to feel that- yes it was a farewell dinner.I uploaded the pictures and went through the small video my son took and suddenly felt close to her again.I am glad it is on record, that she would visit me.I then decided to revisit the evening I spent with the person who has changed my life forever and made me what I am.
       There is a special bond that we share.It has to be very celestial, if I may call it, as the 1st year I was with her was so tough and I somewhere had such negative feelings due to her tough ways.As the years rolled by things just seemed to start changing.My feelings for her turned VERY fiercely defensive and protective.If somebody even mentioned a bit of negative feedback for her I was standing there fighting her case.She was right and she has got all the kids talking , leading normal lives for the last 40+ years.Her ways are different but the she LOVES each of her mothers and their kids equally and eventually we becomes like her daughters.I always felt so strongly that I would do anything that she said.It was correct.I felt somewhere, she needed to be all over ,so more people can benefit from her work and her work needs to be documented.Thanks to her we were there in the magazine and in many newspapers and were known in the deaf circuit in Pune.So slowly started blogging and then upgraded to you tube , to spread her work.She gave me a lot of her time, lectures and her confidence that passed on to have a good response.Thanks to her , today I have over 150 posts and 160 videos with more to come.I have the confidence to speak about this topic and have a better understanding of child psychology.If I am able to counsel a mother not only on deafness but even for normal behavior, its thanks to her.Thank you Ma'am for being a part of my life.
        She called us for a parting dinner.And I feel so blessed that she cooked an entire meal for us.I was so touched when she came down wearing the saree I got for her.We chatted and the there was a lovely 2 course menu.There was a special salad made by Ram Bhaiya, her son, and the a lovely paneer curry, warmed garlic bread and potato cutlets.I just loved them.Then came this very special dish-CURD RICE topped with crunchies.What was special?Well when she told me that though the dish did not go with the previous menu, she made it as it was made with the purpose that I should come back safely.I had that tug in my heart and my eyes too moistened up at her very special gesture.Ice cream followed and the best part was we chatted around the table for a long long time. I did not want the evening to end as we discussed about when she visits me, how we have to be in touch and various other things which made the whole evening very special.A sudden call from home by my mother in law ended the evening. My father in law was unwell.We had to just rush and I regret that we could not take more pictures together or could not say goodbyes well.I am glad though as being an emotional person, probably I would have found it too difficult to say any parting words.We hugged and cried silently, holding on to each other as if my life depended on that moment.Her love and affection so huge that I felt the power of supreme there.Thank you Ma'am for your love and the special gift you gave me, it will be 1st with me and the Prisha takes it and will be there with us always showing us your presence in our lives forever.Look forward to meeting you soon.

A marathi article in newspaper

Today I managed 2 posts.The previous being feelings for my teacher from my heart.Here there are feelings from another parents of a deaf boy.This is for the Marathi readers.This article is written by a teacher in a village whose son is also hearing impaired but has benefited from Mrs. hudlikar's therapy. The parents come for advise once in 3 months but have their son leading a normal life, thanks to her speech therapy.so it is possible that the right advise,given to parents,followed religiously by them can have kids talking even if it is done as less as once in 3 months!
Here is the link too followed by the article, in case someone is not able to get the link.
http://www.esakal.com/esakal/20100523/5656995412009560915.htm

मुख्य पान  >>  फीचर्स  >>  बातम्या
कर्ण बधिरत्वाला त्यांनी जिंकले... त्याचाच हा कानमंत्र जयप्रदा व योगेशकुमार भांगे, शेटफळ,(ता. मोहोळ, जि. सोलापूर) Sunday, May 23, 2010 AT 12:00 AM (IST) Tags: sangharsh sanskar,   saptrang प्रसून हा दीडेक वर्षापर्यंत अगदी "नॉर्मल' बालकासारखा होता...मात्र नंतर एकटेपणी अंधारात मोठ्यानं रडणं, नजरेआडून मारलेल्या हाकेला प्रतिसाद न देणं, या वयात होणारी "बाबा', "आई', "दादा', अशी बडबड न होणं, अशी लक्षणं आढळून आली व ते हबकून गेले. आपला मुलगा कर्णबधिर असल्याचे तपासणीअंती त्यांच्या लक्षात आले...मग सुरू झाला अखंड संघर्ष...या संघर्षावर त्यांनी कशी मात केली?  एकुलता एक, कर्णबधिर अन्‌ त्यातही भंडावून सोडणारी बडबड...या तिन्ही बाबी एकत्र येणं तसं दुरापास्तच. कारण, अपंग अपत्याला एखादा सोबती म्हणून आणखी अपत्य होऊ देण्याची मानसिकता. तसेच कर्णबधिरपणाचे पर्यवसान मूकबधिरपणात होणं हे वास्तव. तरीही या अपंगत्वावर मात करून बोलणारा मुलगा... हे सारं आम्ही आनंदानं अनुभवतोय... प्रसूनचा जन्म 2000 सालचा. तो चार वर्षांचा होईपर्यंत दुसऱ्या अपत्याचा विचार न करण्याचं आमचं ठरलेलं होतं. पहिलं वर्ष-दीड वर्ष आनंदात गेलं; पण आयुष्यात पुढं वेगळंच वाढून ठेवलं होतं. दुडदुडणारी प्रसूनची पावलं हाक मारली तरी थांबत नसत...एकटेपणी अंधारात मोठ्यानं रडणं, नजरेआडून मारलेल्या हाकेला प्रतिसाद न देणं, या वयात होणारी "बाबा', "आई', "दादा', अशी बडबड न होणे या लक्षणांमुळे छातीत धस्स झालं. सोलापूरच्या डॉ. विद्याधर बोराडे यांनी "बेरा' टेस्टसाठी पुण्याला पाठवलं. आमची भीती खरी निघाली. प्रसून 90 टक्के कर्णबधिर होता! म्हणजेच तो मुका बनणार होता. त्याची अभिव्यक्ती, शिक्षण, समाजातलं वावरणं...या विचारांनी आम्ही कोलमडलो. उपचारांसाठी पुण्यात आम्ही ग्रामीण भागातले. अंधश्रद्धा, देवभोळेपणा, अज्ञान, व्रत-वैकल्ये, पाप-पुण्य यांना प्रमाण मानणारी इथली मानसिकता. अनेक जण अनेक प्रकारचे उपाय सुचवीत होते...पण प्रसून बोलू शकेल, असं कुणीच ठामपणे सांगत नव्हतं. काही ईएनटी तज्ज्ञ तर "बोलेल चार-पाच वर्षांनी आपोआप,' असं सांगून मोकळे होत होते. आम्ही मात्र सैरभैर झालेलो होतो. हा संघर्ष कुठपर्यंत चालणार समजत नव्हतं. दिशा नव्हती. प्रसिद्ध ऑडिऑलॉजिस्ट अरुण सांगेकर यांनी पुण्यात प्रभात रस्त्यावर राहणाऱ्या अलका हुदलीकर यांचा पत्ता दिला. अलकाताईंना आम्ही देव मानतो. त्यांनी आम्हाला सावरलं. तुमचा मुलगा एकटाच नव्हे, तर दर हजारी दहा जण कर्णबधिर असतात, हे सांगितलं. रडत बसण्यापेक्षा प्रयत्न केलात तर हे मूल नक्की बोलेल, याची हमी दिली. त्यांच्याकडील मुले व पालकांच्या भेटी घालून दिल्या. थोडाफार आशेचा किरण दिसू लागला; पण संघर्ष कायम होता. चुकून दुसऱ्याच बसमध्ये! पुणं आम्हाला नवीन होतं. नातेवाईक नाहीत की मुक्कामाला हक्काचं ठिकाण नाही. योगेशचंद्र चौधरी हा प्रसूनचा मामा चिंचवडला मित्रांसोबत राहायचा. त्याचे व मित्रांचे सहकार्य व्हायचे. तरीही प्रभात रस्त्यापासून चिंचवडला कसरत करत जावं लागायचं. पुण्यात पहिल्यांदा आठवड्यातून एकदा यायचो. शेटफळ ते पुणे हा 185 किलोमीटरचा प्रवास असह्य व्हायचा. कधीकधी गर्दीमध्ये उभं राहून जावं लागायचं. एकदा भिगवणला बसमधून उतरल्यावर आमच्या नजरचुकीने प्रसून दुसऱ्याच बसमध्ये चढला. आमची शोधाशोध सुरू झाली. काळजाचं पाणी झालं. प्रसून ज्या बसमध्ये चढला होता, ती बस स्टॅंडमधून बाहेर निघाली होती. त्याच्या रडण्यानं व प्रवाशांच्या लक्षात आल्यानं त्याला खाली उतरवण्यात आलं. पुन्हा असं झालं तर हा बोलणार कसा, पत्ता सांगणार कसा, ही कल्पनाच अस्वस्थ करणारी होती. म्हणून प्रवासामध्ये पत्ता व फोन नंबर लिहिलेली चिठ्ठी त्याच्या खिशात ठेवू लागलो. त्रास कितीही होऊ देत, प्रसून बोलला पाहिजे, हा एकच ध्यास होता. अलकाताईंचा दिलासा अलकाताईंनी स्पीच थेरपीचे धडे दिले. श्रवणयंत्रांबाबत मार्गदर्शन केलं. त्यांचा व्यासंग, त्या विषयावरील प्रभुत्व, मुलांविषयीची तळमळ हे आम्हाला भावलं. त्यांच्या कडक शिस्तीनं आम्हाला घडवलं. वेळ पाळणं, स्पष्ट उच्चार, "स्पीच थेरपी' मधील बारकावे यात काही चुका झाल्या तर अलकाताई रागवायच्या. रडायला यायचं. कधी प्रसूनचा प्रतिसाद पाहून शाबासकी द्यायच्या. मग प्रेरणा मिळायची. अधूनमधून प्रवास व खाण्या-पिण्याची दगदग सहन व्हायची नाही. तिघातला एक जण तरी हमखास आजारी पडायचा. मग पुण्याची फेरी आम्ही टाळायला बघायचो. ...पण प्रसून बोललाच नाही तर त्याच्यात आणि इतर जनावरांत फरक काय? ही भावनाच गप्प बसू द्यायची नाही. मग तसंच पुणं गाठायचो. अलकाताईंचा प्रभाव व इतर मुलं पाहिली की, आमची डाउन झालेली बॅटरी "चार्ज' व्हायची. पुन्हा उमेद यायची. अखेर यश आले तब्बल दहा-अकरा महिन्यांनंतर प्रयत्नांना यश आलं. आवाजाला, सूचनांना प्रसूनचा प्रतिसाद वाढला होता. एके दिवशी खेळताना पडला व "आई' असा शब्द त्याच्या तोंडून बाहेर पडला. तेव्हा आमच्या डोळ्यांतून टचकन्‌ आनंदाश्रू आले. पुन्हा नवी उमेद आली. शब्द, वाक्‍य, उच्चारता येणारी अक्षरं, एखादा प्रसंग नीटपणे पाहणं, त्या प्रसंगाचं वर्णन कसं करायचं, हे प्रथम ऐकायला शिकणं, मगच बोलणं...हे सारं मनापासून सुरू झालं. दोडके, बटाटे, धुणे, चिरणे, मसाले, फोडणी, भांड्यांची नावं हे सारं समजावताना एक भाजी करायला तास-तास लागे. पण प्रसूनला समजणं, त्यानं ऐकणं, व बोलणं, याच्या पलीकडे आम्हाला कुठलीच गोष्ट महत्त्वाची वाटत नव्हती. अलकाताईंनी आम्हाला आणखी खूप पुढं नेलं. आज प्रसून जिल्हा परिषदेच्या नॉर्मल मुलांच्या शाळेत इयत्ता पाचवीत आहे. अभ्यासातील प्रगती तर उल्लेखनीय आहेच; पण मित्रांत व समाजात त्याचा संवाद दिवसेंदिवस वाढला आहे. शाळेत मित्रांना-शिक्षकांना व घरी आम्हाला प्रश्‍न विचारून भंडावून सोडतो. एखाद्याचं बोललेलं नीटपणे समजलं नाही तर "स्पष्ट उच्चारात बोला ना. मला नीटपणे ऐकू येत नाही म्हणून मशिन दिसत नाही का ? मला नीट कळलं नाही तर मी तुमच्याशी संवाद कसा साधणार ?' असा दम भरायलाही तो कमी करीत नाही ! सारे श्रम, पैसा योग्य दिशेनं सार्थकी लागल्याचं समाधान आम्हाला मिळालं. व्यापक पातळीवर जा एवढ्यावरच आम्ही थांबलो नाही. आमच्यासारखे अनेक पालक हतबल आहेत. सैरभैर आहेत. महागडी श्रवणयंत्रे, गरज नसताना "कॉक्‍लिअर इन्प्लांट'सारख्या लाखो रुपये खर्चाच्या शस्त्रक्रिया, चुकीचे समुपदेशन, जाहिरातबाजी यांद्वारे काही व्यावसायिकांकडून हे अगतिक अनेकदा पालक लुबाडले जाताना आढळतात. एवढे करूनही "स्पीच थेरपी'ची चुकीची पद्धत असल्यास पदरी निराशा येत आहे. मुलाच्या नशिबी मुकेपणा येत आहे. केवळ चार-पाच हजारांची श्रवणयंत्रे व योग्य "स्पीच थेरपी'द्वारे कर्णबधिर बालके बोलू शकतात, हे कुणी या पालकांना समजूनच देत नाही. योग्य "स्पीच थेरपी'ऐवजी कमिशन जास्त मिळणारी महागडी श्रवणयंत्रे माथी मारण्याचे काम काही व्यावसायिक करीत आहेत. खर्च जास्त येतो, या गैरसमजापोटी काही पालक या प्रक्रियेकडे फिरकतही नाहीत. मुलांना मूकबधिर शाळेत दाखल करून मोकळे होतात. कर्णबधिर मुलांच्या बाबतीत समाजात असे भयंकर चित्र निर्माण झालेले आहे. हे आम्ही जवळून अनुभवतोय. पैसा, वेळ आणि उमेद खर्चून मूल दहा-बारा वर्षांचं झाल्यावर अनेक पालक आमच्याकडे येतात. आजवर दिशाभूल झाली असल्याचं त्यांच्या लक्षात आल्यावर अक्षरशः रडतात. खरं तर आता फार काही उपयोग होणार नसतो. कारण माणसाचं भाषा शिकण्याचं वय पहिल्या पाच-सहा वर्षांचंच असतं. आम्हालाही वाईट वाटतं. हे कुठंतरी थांबायला हवं. अमेरिकेसारख्या प्रगत देशात महिनाभरातच बाळाची "बेरा' टेस्ट करतात. बालक कर्णबधिर असल्यास आई-वडिलांना स्पीच थेरपी शिकविली जाते. म्हणून त्यांच्याकडे मुकेपणाची उदाहरणे दुर्मिळ आहेत. आपल्याकडेही अशा मुलांसाठी व्यापक पातळीवर काहीतरी करा, असं अलकाताईंचं सततचं सांगणं असतं. आता इतरांनाही मार्गदर्शन साऱ्या परिस्थितीचा विचार करून आम्ही "विजयराज डोंगरे यूथ फाउंडेशन'अंतर्गत "व्हाइस ऑफ द व्हाइसलेस'ची स्थापना केली आहे. कर्णबधिर मुलांचा शोध घेणे व त्यांना बोलायला शिकविणे हा आमचा मुख्य उद्देश आहे. समाजातून पुढे आलेल्या दातृत्वातून ही संस्था आकार घेणार आहे. या निधीतून ग्रामीण गरजू मुलांची तपासणी करणे, श्रवणयंत्रे पुरवणे, स्पीच थेरपीबाबत तज्ज्ञांद्वारे मार्गदर्शन करणे, कर्णबधिरांसाठीच्या सरकारी योजनांची माहिती पालकांपर्यत पोचवणे, पालकांचे मनोधैर्य उंचावणारी व्याख्याने आयोजित करणे असे उपक्रम सुरू करता येतील. गेले वर्षभर काही मुले येत आहेत. ती भाषा समजून बोलू लागली आहेत. गरजूंना मदत करण्याची आमची इच्छा आहे...कारण ही समस्या केवळ त्यांच्याच घरातील नव्हे, तर आमच्याही घरातील आहे.