Hi my name is Luke Halpin. My wife Sophia and I have 2 children, Nathaniel (Nate) 2 ½ years and Clare 1 year. Nate has a severe sensori-neural hearing loss and wears hearing aids. Fortunately for us Nate loves his "special ears" and they are the first thing he asks for when he wakes up in the morning. Nate continues to make gains with his language and indeed is somewhat of an expert in saying "No Clare!" whenever Clare tries to share his toys. Sophia and I continue to use signs with Nate, particularly for those times when he can't wear his hearing aids like at swimming lessons or in the bath or shower (we are waiting desperately for the invention of a water proof hearing aid!)

I became involved with the CDCA at the end of 2006 after we were given a flier for the final meeting of the year. I decided to go along and see what it involved and how they could help us and to make contact with other families like us. As you all know having a child diagnosed with a hearing loss can be a difficult time and we were interested in getting together with other families in the same situation.

My hope for the CDCA for 2007 is for it to be an organisation that helps families. Even if it is just arranging social get togethers so that people can meet and chat about how things are going, or providing some equipment or information that families need or want. I look forward to meeting you all in 2007.

Hi, my name is Wendy McMullen. My husband Mick & I have three boys, Jarrod 4, Thomas 3 and Aaron 1. Thomas has a flat severe loss in one ear and a reverse slope loss in the other. After initially suggesting a unilateral loss following the newborn screening, it took 16 months before the loss in his better ear was diagnosed and he got his hearing aids.

Thomas has adapted well to his hearing aids apart from a few incidents associated with toddler tantrums and curiosity. The worst was when he completely chewed and destroyed one – I was mortified until other parents told me stories of the way hearing aids can be treated! I felt better after that!

I joined CDCA for the ongoing support, information and contact with other parents of children with hearing loss. I believe we can learn so much from each other’s experiences. I have also accessed playgroups and online groups and am gaining so much knowledge and understanding especially on practical issues.

Hello, my name is Kate McKenzie. My husband Robert has severe neural hearing loss; his hearing loss started during his teens and is progressively getting worse. We have a gorgeous 8 year old son, "I'm not a bias mum ;-)" his name is Allan and he has moderate conductive loss. He started to wear his hearing aids at the age of four and started wearing his FM when he started school. He now wears a wireless FM receiver on his aids, which he has found more comfortable. Allan took to his aids very quickly without any difficulties; he was like dad with his aids. Allan has additional support at school from his very special itinerant teacher; she has provided a huge amount of support, assistance and direction with the additional work Allan requires. Allan enjoys music, plays the piano, rides motorbikes and loves camping.

I continue to be proactive regarding Allan's hearing loss; Robert's hearing loss is hereditary, so it is possible for Allan's hearing loss to develop neural loss. So it is very important to me to ensure we continue to develop and maintain Allan's communication skills. I have also found it is important to talk to people with similar experiences as it helps find your way through information and what is best for you and your family.

I attended the CDCA AGM at the end of 2006. I realised it was very important to keep the CDCA operating, to ensure it could continue to provide:

•  An avenue for families to meet at social occasions
•  Support and information
•  Advocacy
•  Toys and resource library
•  Interactions between children with hearing loss.

I am looking forward to many social occasions organised by the CDCA, providing opportunities for families and children to meet that are in similar circumstances. I am looking forward to meeting all the CDCA members during 2007.

I am Alex Turner. Michael and I have two great kids, Nicholas (7) and Christopher (3 1/2). Chris was diagnosed with a severe-profound bilateral loss two years ago. We have since discovered that he has a genetic condition that means he has been deaf since birth, but it took us a long time to work it out. The first few months were really tough, especially when he became seriously ill from an ear infection. Fortunately, not only did he survive, but his hearing eventually returned to its previous level. Although it was traumatic for our family, it did help us to put his hearing loss into perspective.

We are a military family and were living in Perth when Chris was diagnosed. We were still just getting the hang of aids, therapy, medical appointments, etc when we moved to Canberra and started all over again. It took many months to work it all out, and I wish I had joined CDCA earlier because it would have made life much less stressful. I’m glad that I can now draw on the experience of others in preparing Chris and myself for preschool next year.

I volunteered to be on the board because the previous team needed a rest and I really think it’s important to keep the Association going. I hope that we can give parents and their children support and information that will make dealing with deafness easier.

I am Margaret Johnston. I began my teaching career in1964 at Tharwa Primary School when I was 18 years old.  This is when I met the first Deaf children I had ever worked with.  I taught at Tharwa and in Canberra Schools until 1967 when I moved to Sydney with my husband.  Again in my classes I found I had several Deaf children and became aware of the Itinerant Teacher Service in NSW when I and they were supported in class by Betty Allen [famous in NSW for her work with Deaf children] In 1968 I had decided to take a year off from teaching and complete the training to become a Teacher of the Deaf at Macquarie University however this was when my husband decided to go to the USA to complete his doctorate so I didn’t complete that plan.

I began work at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in 1968 and completed my certification at night and in summer schools as well as undertaking many courses in specific learning disabilities in three excellent University programs.  The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf at that time had 800 residential students, bussed in from all over Pennsylvania to the school from the age of 3 to 21years.  I learnt some amazing skills there from some very experienced Teachers of the Deaf and also from the students in my care many of whom were from different ethnic backgrounds with degrees deafness ranging from mild to profound.

On my return to Australia in 1972 I worked with many Deaf children at home while my own children were young.  When all my own children had begun school, I went back to work for the ACT Department of Education as an Itinerant Teacher in 1983.  In 1991 I became the Senior Teacher for Students who were Deaf/Hearing Impaired when there were some 300 students on service    I retired in 2001 and my interest in supporting and advocating for children who are Deaf/Hearing Impaired and their families has continued through my volunteer work with CDCA and also as their representative on the ACT Deafness Resources Centre Committee of Management..

I have a high interest in equitable access to education for all Deaf/Hearing Impaired children in the ACT, in parent to parent mentoring at diagnosis especially after the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening, in advocacy for the rights of young Deaf people and in all aspects of parent support from diagnosis to transition to work or further study.   I have developed links with Deaf Children Australia attending the 2nd National Parent Conference in March in Melbourne and am keen to see where the national initiatives will take us.