Molly was born profoundly deaf. Profound deafness is a permanent condition and has a significant impact on communication, educational attainment, employment and quality of life. An increasing number of people with profound deafness like Molly receive a cochlear implant which allows them to hear some sound although they remain severely or profoundly deaf. Many profoundly deaf people use British Sign Language as their first language, but some prefer to lip read. Deafness is associated with genetic causes although there is a high incidence of deafness where the cause isunknown .  

“Having a communication disability comes with a sense of isolation from peers, of not being able to join in. Molly doesn’t always “get” the more subtle aspects of language such as colloquialisms; jokes etc. There are challenges of developing good listening skills and the effort involved in this, of keeping up with peers-both academically and socially. Hearing loss also impacts on the family for example it affects choices about going on family outings as some places are less “accessible” for children with a hearing loss. For example at the swimming pool hearing aids/cochlear implant can’t be worn, the cinema or theatre and generally large crowds/events where listening is challenging”.

                                Molly’s Mum, Catriona