By Mary Pritchard, Contributing Writer
Northborough – Life could have been much different for Christine “Tina” Thompson, of Northborough, if not for the path her parents chose for her.
“At 3 years old, my moderate to severe hearing loss was discovered when the pediatrician clapped his hands and saw no response,” Thompson, who grew up in Boston, said. “Thankfully, my parents didn's accept my pediatrician's advice of having me placed at Walter Fernald State School for the mentally disabled.”
She went on to explain, “Children's Hospital Boston Guild for Hard of Hearing was just beginning a preschool using hearing aids, lip reading and speech therapy, and I was the first child to be enrolled. In those days there were two choices for deaf children: deaf residential programs or mainstreaming. At 5 years old, I was mainstreamed into public school. There was no special education program, but school provided a reader and speech therapy and I continued with the guild once a week. It was very hard work, and I felt like I was constantly running a marathon to keep up in school.”
Even when she was frustrated as a student, she never gave up. Thompson went on to earn a master's degree from Boston University School of Social Work.
“My first job in social work was at Paul Dever Day School in Taunton, a state institution for the mentally disabled. I met a client who had severe hearing loss when she was placed at the facility, but at 35 years old had become socially disabled due to the environment she had been placed in,” Thompson said. “I was 28 years old, and came home and talked with my dad about it and he told me my story. I realized that I could have been her. My parents are now deceased, but I am eternally grateful for them not taking my pediatrician's advice.”
Now retired, Thompson is the Central Massachusetts Chapter chair of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLA).
“Before I learned of this organization, my understanding of my own hearing loss was very limited. I was a social worker in the welfare system and only had a hearing aid,” she said. “I discovered HLA and a whole new world opened up to me, and made my work and life easier. Through the HLA meetings, I learned so much about coping strategies, assistive listening and alerting systems, psychological implications of hearing loss and systemic issues related to hearing access. I want people to access what is out there for them. There is so much I want others to be aware of.”
According to Thompson, HLA is involved in advocacy and legislation on a national level, offers educational information for people with hearing loss, supports local chapters, and has an annual national conference with the latest research on hearing loss and technology.
“We are a self-help consumer group committed to bringing people the info they ask for through speakers and presentations,” she said. “We give information so people can help themselves rather than perpetuate dependency on others. It is critical to have independence and confidence for work, personal, and social day-to-day living.
“Many people may not realize that it's not simply what you hear, it is what you understand,” she said. “Understanding is the important component of communication; for example, distinguishing “15” from “50”, which can make a significant difference if misunderstood in the workplace or elsewhere. Many people need additional assistance and there is technology, programs, and devices available in addition to the care provided by audiologists and doctors. HLA provides awareness and help for people with hearing loss to function in day-to-day living.”
Thompson, who lived in Rhode Island for 20 years before moving to Northborough and remains involved in that HLA chapter, received a 2011 Oticon Focus on People Award, which Oticon describes as national recognition of “individuals who are helping to eliminate negative stereotypes of what it means to have a hearing loss.”
HLA Central Mass Chapter meetings are held at the Northborough Library one Saturday per month and are captioned on a large screen. Donations help with expenses such as captioning, which is essential for members and costs approximately $250 per meeting.
“HLA and its local chapters has now become a place for me to give back, while I still gain,” she said. “I am proud to be a source of information and strategies for people learning to cope with their hearing loss.”
For information, visit www.hearingloss.org, e-mail the Northborough chapter at [email protected] or call 1-508-393-1435.