- Hearing
Tim, from Melbourne, is just 10. But he handled the speaker's podium as well as any parliamentarian when called upon to address the nation's politicians about living with hearing loss. Tim joined five other children from across Australia and New Zealand for the annual Power of Speech event, which aims to challenge decision makers’ perceptions of what’s possible for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Tim has two cochlear implants and received early intervention services for his hearing loss from NextSense. He also attended NextSense Kindergarten at Blackburn in Melbourne, which provides tailored support for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and helps prepare them for mainstream education.
'I am apparently doing quite well in a lot of subjects at school (at least my grandma from Germany always gives me some Euros when she reads my report cards so I assume I am doing ok), he told the audience.
'I play tennis and I am the front singer in my band - they are called “Acorn Rush” - you may want to write down this name (if you are into heavy rock) as I feel we are destined for greatness. I also play the keyboard, but I think singing is my number one musical talent.'
NextSense Chief Executive Chris Rehn says evidence shows that the earlier you intervene with speech and language development for a child with hearing loss, the better their outcomes will be.
'And putting family at the centre of care is very important.’
Tim's parents Katharina and Lee were proudly present at the event, and they were joined by his Teacher of the Deaf Judy. A large gathering of decision makers, including Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler, attended.
Tim described to them his family’s journey with hearing loss and the power of his hearing support team at NextSense.
— Tim‘[NextSense] helped in lots of different ways. They visited me at home and checked whether I was making progress with my speaking and listening—and they helped my Mum and Dad to make the best decisions,’ he said.
He has very positive memories of his time at NextSense Kindergarten and spoke about the importance of representation.
‘I made my first best friend there. He also wore cochlear implants and I spent most of my days with lots of kids who did, which made me feel good as I wasn´t the only one’, Tim said.
— Chris Rehn, Chief Executive, NextSenseThe high-quality, wraparound support received by children like Tim has already helped them travel this far— but it will continue to reap rewards for them long into the future.
The Power of Speech event is in its ninth year and brings together the member organisations of First Voice—a partnership that advocates for world-class early intervention services that gives children who are deaf or hard of hearing the opportunity to listen and speak.
