Communication . . . is a family affair
Reaching Out
A Newsletter from the BC FAMILY HEARING RESOURCE CENTRE
for families with deaf and hard of hearing children, service
providers, and others involved with hearing loss
Summer/Fall 2011
Family Feature
The Stacey Family Goes the Distance for Tarron
In this issue, we introduce you to the Stacey family formerly of Hudson’s Hope, near Dawson Creek in the
Northeast region of the BC, now living in Prince George. They began receiving our services after Tarron was
diagnosed with hearing loss in 2006. Tarron (with a little help from his mom) writes about his experiences over
the last five years and what the future holds.
Hi! My name is Tarron Stacey, I
was born June 6th, 2005. I have
three other siblings, Jacelynne
18, Kestyn 15, and my brother
Tage 12. I am very active, I love
to ride bikes, catch critters, play
music, colour and go quadding
and hunting.
When I was 4 months old my
parents (Lynnea and Clayton)
were pretty sure I was not
hearing properly. They took me to many people
before I was finally diagnosed at nine months as
profoundly deaf in both ears. This was quite a
shock as all my siblings and family members
were all hearing, and after much testing it was
determined that there was no particular reason for
my loss; it was just the way I was made. I began
wearing hearing aids shortly after this. I had to go
to BC Children‟s Hospital to see if I would be
eligible to get a cochlear implant. This was very
upsetting at first as my mom and I would be
travelling alone for most of this,
and we didn‟t know much about
Vancouver, except it was a long
way away!
We made a few trips down from
our home in Hudson‟s Hope to
find out exactly how severe my
hearing loss was and which ear
would be implanted first. At this
time they were only doing one
ear at a time, the one with the
least amount of hearing. It was decided it would
be my right ear as all I could hear from it would
be a Jet airplane taking off...if I were close to it.
We made the journey (about 15 hours from
home) on February 11th, 2007 and I was
implanted on the 12th. Then it was back home for
6 weeks and then back to Vancouver for turn on
and then many, many trips for mapping and
check ups with my Audiologist Todd Mitchell
and ENT and surgeon Dr. Fred Kozak.
15220 - 92nd Ave., Surrey, BC V3R 2T8 PH: 604-584-2827 TF: 1-877-584-2827 TTY: 604-584-9108
FAX: 604-584-2800 [email protected] www.bcfamilyhearing.com
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We had been involved with the BC Family
Hearing Resource Society since I first began
wearing hearing aids. The ladies from there were
absolutely wonderful. They came to our home
waaaaay up in the North always with fun toys and
games, and so many great suggestions, ideas and
links to help for every situation. It is safe to say
this journey would have been
very stressful without all the
encouragement, genuine care
and concern we have received
from everyone at the centre.
Judy (Chrastina), Cathy (Luther)
and Dyan (Spear) made the trip
up to our house in Hudson's
Hope. They started the very first
introduction to language and
made us feel like we were not
alone on this adventure. Where
we lived was very isolated from
any kind of services for me, or
kids that have hearing loss. We
made visits to BCFHRC in
Surrey so that I could see
someone with similar gear as me, although any
one with a hearing aid is a good friend of mine!
mail, „cuz you can‟t just whip over to pick up a
part around here either!
We were put in touch with our local Child
Development Centre in Fort St. John which is
still an hour away in good driving conditions,
even longer in the wintery months, and winter
seems to be longer here than summer!
So many people have influenced me, Sharon
(Neufeld), Suzie (Fairweather), Karen (Jackson)
and Ivana (Kranjec) we will miss you all so
much!!! I have made so many friends my own
age who‟ve also made me understand that I am
not alone. There are LOTS of kids just like me,
and that is huge. Although my journey into
learning has just begun, it feels like we have been
at this forever. I am now heading into
Kindergarten feeling more prepared than I could
have imagined. This used to seem soooo far
away; my parents held me out of Kindergarten for
a year to let my speech catch up and oh, has it!
We started speech and language therapy and preschool in Fort St. John and worked with many,
many people. The other draw back of living up
here is that it is hard to keep speech therapists in
such a cold climate, everyone wants to live where
it is warm! (or husbands get transferred etc...)
When I was three years old I finally started to
talk. This was huge as my mom seriously thought
for a while that maybe I wouldn't. Up to then we
signed and did picture charts and a lot of
charades. She just couldn't wait for some words
to finally pop out after all this driving to therapy
and many trips to Vancouver for equipment
checks and replacement parts to arrive in the
We then had Judy (Chrastina) as my outreach
worker and she was soooooo fun! My mom
taught playschool and Judy would come to the
school to make sure everyone was doing their
best to help me learn to talk
and help the other kids see
that I was just like them.
Then Kristyn (Payne)
became my worker and my
mom stopped teaching so
she could drive me to all my
appointments. Kristyn made
learning seem like a game,
but I always came away
doing something
new....hmmmmm tricky.
When Kristyn left to have a
baby of her own, I met
Dyan. I probably remember
Dyan as my outreach
worker best now that I am a
ripe old age of 6 and she seems more like my
friend than a teacher!
My family moved to Prince George this year so I
can have the services I need around me. My
siblings are even changing schools/towns for me.
As I begin my new journey into school I have
also learned I will be receiving a second cochlear
implant in the fall. So, just when things were
gonna settle down we will start all over....only
BC Family Hearing Resource Centre-Reaching Out–Summer/Fall 2011
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now we are prepared, thanks to the
overwhelming support by so many
wonderful people; now instead of being
scared to go to Vancouver we are thrilled!
We love it! We have discovered so much
and can‟t wait to keep learning and
discovering life, because all in all I am just a
typical boy. I want to play guitar, baseball, go
hunting with my Dad and Papa and Big brother. I
want to play with my friends and I love my
family, and I WILL succeed, thanks to all of you.
Five Minute Listening Activity
Laundry Language!
A lot of us are very busy and feel the time crunch of
our daily lives. There just don‟t seem to be enough
hours in the day to fit in all the
things we have to do. Not to
mention the responsibility of
having a child who has hearing
loss and the pressure that comes
with having to practice listening
and language activities at home.
One of the best ways for youngsters to learn is by
being involved in everyday activities.
Why not ask your 3-year old to help you sort or fold
the laundry? You could organize the laundry into piles
based on colour. Another idea is to have your child
help put the clean clothes away by asking them to
follow one, two or three step instructions. This
could even involve prepositions or possessive
nouns such as, “Put in Eddy‟s room on the
dresser.” You could even have your two year
old just help you put items one by one into the
dryer and emphasize the word “in” each time. You
could talk about the type of clothing and whether it‟s
soft or rough. The possibilities are endless.
Bits & Pieces
Hellos and Goodbyes
Hello! My name is
Catherine Moore. I am
a Teacher of the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing. I
am excited to be working
with the children and
families at the BC
Family Hearing
Resource Society.
I grew up in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (brrr).
I completed my undergraduate studies in
Elementary and Deaf Education at Minot State
University in North Dakota and my Masters in
Early Intervention in Deaf Education at Fontbone
University in St. Louis, MO. I have taught at the
Montreal Oral School for the Deaf and the
Children‟s Hearing and Speech Centre of BC. I
look forward to meeting everyone!
Goodbye to
Kristyn Payne,
Teacher of the
Deaf and Hard of
Hearing.
We are sad to say
goodbye to
Kristyn, one of our
treasured staff members. Kristyn has accepted a
position with the Children‟s Hearing and Speech
Centre of BC.
We look forward to maintaining contact with
Kristyn and wish her all the best as she begins a
new chapter in her career.
Please join us in welcoming Catherine to our Team!
BC Family Hearing Resource Centre-Reaching Out–Summer/Fall 2011
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You and Your Deaf and Hard of Hearing Child
Crafting Fun and Learning
by Charmaine Francis, RSLP
Craft activities are a great way to develop a variety of skills, including language and listening. So save
those old coffee cans and create some music with your child!
Coffee Can Drum
You will need:
coffee can with plastic lid
glue
scissors
decorations
(e.g., construction paper, stickers, markers, glitter), pencils, chopsticks or spoons for drumsticks
With your child, decorate some construction paper with stickers, markers, or whatever you
have around the house! When you are finished decorating the paper, glue it onto the coffee
can. Once your drum is made, you can use anything as your drumsticks. Pencils, chopsticks
or spoons work great! Not only will your child love making music with his/her new toy, it
also provides lots of opportunity for learning! Here are some ideas:
Listening: Help your child learn the difference between quiet sounds and LOUD sounds! You can also
encourage your child to listen for and copy how many beats you do on yours.
Understanding language: As you decorate your drums, talk about what you and your child are doing as you
do it (e.g. “glue, glue, glue,” “put it on,” “blue sticker,” “more sparkles!”).
Using language: Give your child a choice of what to put on next (e.g., “Do you want sparkles or stickers?”).
This gives your child the opportunity to take the lead and communicate what he/she wants!
Speech: If you are focusing on a specific sound with your little one, decorate your drum with pictures or
stickers using that sound (e.g. for „b‟ decorate with birds or bugs, for „d‟ decorate with ducks or dogs).
Social communication: With two drums (one for you and one for your child) you can take turns! Use
language like “my turn” and “your turn!”
Have fun!
BC Family Hearing Resource Centre-Reaching Out–Summer/Fall 2011
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25 Years of Making a Difference
In Appreciation of our Supporters
Since our last issue, the following individuals and organizations have continued to make a
difference in the lives of our children and their families by generously donating to our centre
either monetarily or through goods and services.
Elks
Agassiz
Burnaby
Cloverdale
Prince Rupert
Royal Purple
Aldergrove
Kelowna
Merritt
North Kamloops
Port Coquitlam
Prince Rupert
North Surrey
Salmon Arm
Smithers
Terrace
Williams Lake
Individuals & Organizations
Ken Mulligan via Telus Communications
CHHA – BC Chapter
Obviar Family
Google Matching Gifts Program
Open Purse Foundation
James & Sally Hurst
Peterson Family
Dr. & Mrs. John McGregor in memory of
Leone May Young & Dr. David Michael
Joe Taylor
Stibbs
Telus Communications
Joyce Wood-Campbell‟s Soup Label Prgm

Variety, the Children’s Charity funds the BCFHRC Deaf Mentor Program
We are extremely pleased to announce that Variety has responded favorably to our grant
application to provide Deaf mentor services to more families at BC Family Hearing
Resource Centre. Deaf mentor activities are increasing for: intake, ongoing support and
through our groups. We will be providing you with updates as to the opportunities and
outcomes from this exciting new grant. Thank you, Variety!

We Need Your Help to Continue to Make Futures Bright for Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Children
If you‟d like to help or get involved with the BC Family Hearing Resource Society, we‟d love to hear
from you! There are multitudes of ways you can do it.
Consider these options:
Donations – one time, monthly, annually
Legacy Gift – tributes, annuities, life insurance, securities & trusts
Corporate Sponsorship
Special Events
Volunteer Opportunities
If you‟d like more information on any of the above subjects or if you have questions, please call Cathy
Cruickshank, our Finance & Accounting Administrator at 604-584-2827, extension 227.
BC Family Hearing Resource Centre-Reaching Out– Summer/Fall 2011
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25 Years of Making a Difference
10th Annual Elks and Royal Purple Walkathon
Each year in May, our founder and donor, the Elks and Royal Purple
host a walkathon in support of BC Family Hearing and the Surrey Early
Speech and Language Program. Preparations are underway all year by
our dedicated volunteer committee to ensure that we increase
awareness, raise much needed funds and that a great time is had by
everyone. This year was no exception.
The event is held in Campbell Valley Park in Langley. The walk is non
competitive and families enjoy the beautiful scenery, and the opportunity to enjoy each other‟s company.
Sponsors, especially the Elks and Royal Purple, their lodges (notably Cloverdale, Langley, White Rock and
Vancouver) and their lodge members who help organize the event, host a barbecue and donate prizes for
participants. We are also grateful for support from Jackie Allain, McDonalds, Ultimate Seafood Junkies,
Marlan Logistics, the BC Lions, IGA, the YMCA, and Allegra Print & Design.
This year, we added on-line pledging and donations. It
was very popular and we were encouraged to see staff,
Board and especially families share our stories and
invite others to become involved. If you did not get a
chance to contribute, it‟s never too late, please give online, plan to come next year May 27, 2012 or contact the
centre for ways to get involved. We are thrilled to have
exceeded our goal of $12,000 with a record of over
$18,000 raised!! Many thanks to EVERYONE who
contributed to this astoundingly successful event!
Thank you Elks and Royal Purple – together, we build bright futures!!
BC Family Hearing Resource Centre-Reaching Out– Summer/Fall 2011
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Seasonal Signs
summer
hot
BBQ
barbeque
autumn/fall/
September
cool
school
holiday
relax
sunshine
all day
today
tomorrow
BC Family Hearing Resource Centre-Reaching Out– Summer/Fall 2011
8
Reaching Out
Newsletter published quarterly by
Calendar
Sept
5
6
Labour Day Holiday
Fall Session Begins
Oct
10
12 to Nov 30
13
18
20-22
21
22
Thanksgiving Day Holiday
Evening Sign Language Classes 6:30-8pm
PEER Evening Workshop Session#1
Early Childhood Educators Workshop 6:30-8:30pm
CAEDHH Conference - Richmond
BCASLPA Conference – Victoria
BC Hands & Voices/Guide By Your Side
Workshop 10-3 at BC Family Hearing Resource Centre
Nov
11
17
23
Remembrance Day Holiday
PEER Evening Workshop Session #2
BCFHRS Annual General Meeting
15
19
26 & 27
PEER Evening Workshop Session #3
Winter Party
Closed in lieu of Christmas & Boxing Day
Dec
Our Recent Outreach Consultants’ visits
to Communities Throughout BC
June
Dyan Spear- Vancouver Island-South & Central,
Kelowna, Vernon, Revelstoke
Zara Newnham- Golden
July
Dyan Spear-Vancouver Island-North
Zara Newnham- Prince George
Sep
Judy Chrastina & Emily Black, Bella Coola
Judy Chrastina – Williams Lake
Dyan Spear - Courtenay, Comox, Nanaimo, Port
Alberni, Vernon, Kelowna, Revelstoke, Salmon
Arm
Oct
Carolyn Hawrish, Kamloops
Judy Chrastina, Prince Rupert
Dyan Spear- Fort St. John, Victoria
BC Family Hearing
Resource Centre
15220 – 92nd Avenue
Surrey, BC V3R 2T8
Toll Free: 1-877-584-2827
Phone (604)584-2827(voice),
(604)584-9108 (tty), (604)584-2800
(fax)
Executive Director: Noreen Simmons
Editors: Cindy Adams & Carolyn
(Trengrove) Hawrish
We are a family-centered early
intervention Provincial Resource
Program committed to individual
communication choices. We provide
support and resources throughout BC
to deaf and hard of hearing children,
their families and Community Service
Providers.
The purpose of the Reaching Out
Newsletter is to provide information
and support to our readers.
Reference to any specific commercial
products, process, or service by trade
name, trademark, manufacturer, or
otherwise, does not necessarily
constitute or imply its endorsement,
recommendation, or favoring by the
BC Family Hearing Resource
Society.
Articles and ideas are welcome! The
opinions expressed therefore are those
of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the Board of
Directors or the staff. We reserve the
right to edit contributions for brevity
and clarity.
There is no fee for the Reaching Out
newsletter, however, donations are
gratefully accepted.
Sign Language from the Canadian
Dictionary of ASL, Carol Sue Bailey
& Kathy Dolby, Editors. Used with
Permission from the University of
Alberta Press.
Newsletter - Mail, On-Line or Email?
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would like the newsletter sent to AND the current name and address it is being sent to by mail in order to have your
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BC Family Hearing Resource Centre-Reaching Out– Summer/Fall 2011