Sophia Grilla, one of the newest students in the , doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 remember the exact moment she received her first pair of hearing aids. Pictures from the day show a 4-year-old Sophia opening a box with her brand new baby blue hearing aids. Sophia 麻豆精品 S檚 mom, Wendy Grilla 麻豆精品 S�96, had color-coordinated her daughter 麻豆精品 S檚 outfit to match.
Sophia had been very particular about the color choice for her new accessories. She did not want flesh-colored hearing aids, which might have been less noticeable. Sophia was never one to hide her gifts.
麻豆精品 S淚 have one foot in the hearing world, and one foot in the deaf and hard of hearing world. 麻豆精品 S� – Sophia Grilla, UCF student
Sophia is proud to show off her hearing aids, which are now a snazzy purple, and also uses American Sign Language to communicate. She learned how to talk before she lost her hearing, so it is hard for the casual listener to discern any deficiencies in her speech.
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Communicating and Connecting with Others
Sophia has attended some of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 ASL classes and begun formal instruction in ASL this month. The communication sciences and disorders student hopes to receive her interpreter certification while at UCF.
麻豆精品 S淪he 麻豆精品 S檚 always been a child who has overcome and done things with a smile on her face, 麻豆精品 S� says Franco Grilla 麻豆精品 S�92, Sophia 麻豆精品 S檚 dad a UCF criminal justice grad. 麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 even explain it. It 麻豆精品 S檚 amazing what she 麻豆精品 S檚 had to overcome, and you would never know it. 麻豆精品 S�
This quest to find her place in the world became crystal clear in middle school when she started acting with Shakespeare with Heart, a collaboration between UCP of Central Florida, the Exceptional Education Department of UCF and the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Here, students with and without special needs work together to produce a Shakespeare play.
麻豆精品 S淚nvolved in these productions are people with Down syndrome, people with autism, and/or people who use wheelchairs. It 麻豆精品 S檚 just so amazing, gratifying, and beautiful to watch and be a part of, 麻豆精品 S� Sophia says.
Sophia performed in numerous plays with the group, alternating between using her voice and using sign language. Once, she taught the entire cast sign language to the closing musical number. Through this experience, Sophia learned that being able to bridge the gap between the hearing, deaf and hard-of-hearing population was a gift.
Parents Use Their Faith and Experiences as Athletes to Persevere
Wendy, who studied health services administration, and Franco met at UCF back in the 麻豆精品 S�90s when they were both student athletes. She was a cheerleader and he was the kicker for the football team.
Both say the lessons they learned as athletes helped them tackle life 麻豆精品 S檚 challenges: perseverance, hard work, trusting your coaches and the importance of teamwork. All these skills came in handy when finding the best care for their daughter.
They met their first 麻豆精品 S渃oaches 麻豆精品 S� as parents when Sophia was born almost two months premature. Being first-time parents, they devised a game plan with the help of multiple healthcare professionals to help Sophia thrive.
Later, when Sophia was in preschool, they found another coach. Her teacher told Wendy and Franco that Sophia preferred to play independently and that sometimes her speech was 麻豆精品 S渇unny. 麻豆精品 S� They brought these matters up at her next pediatric visit and asked the pediatrician for a referral to an audiologist.
Over the course of several months the Grillas pushed for answers. After many tests, Sophia received the diagnosis of mild-to-moderate progressive sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
According to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), a SNHL is the most common type of permanent hearing loss. Doctors told Wendy that the hearing loss was most likely unrelated to Sophia 麻豆精品 S檚 premature birth and could not be fixed by medicine or surgery. They recommended hearing aids for 4-year-old Sophia.
麻豆精品 S淔rom physicians, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and deaf and hard of hearing itinerant teachers, this community of supporters is vital, 麻豆精品 S� Wendy says. 麻豆精品 S淲e relied on this team of experts to help us bridge the gaps and provide the best care for Sophia. 麻豆精品 S�
The Grillas realized that their daughter would benefit from speech therapy to help her overcome any deficits in that area. Sophia received speech therapy services for eight years.
Through it all, the Grilla family had faith in God 麻豆精品 S檚 plan for Sophia. 麻豆精品 S淗is guidance was our best defense, 麻豆精品 S� Wendy says.
Life Amplified
Sophia debuted her hearing aids at her father 麻豆精品 S檚 induction into the UCF Football Hall of Fame.
Franco was wearing a new accessory too 麻豆精品 S� a receiver that linked directly to Sophia 麻豆精品 S檚 hearing aids, so she could hear her father speak.
As Franco was introduced and started talking about his UCF football career, a tiny 麻豆精品 S� but mighty 麻豆精品 S� voice came from the audience, 麻豆精品 S淚 hear you, Daddy! 麻豆精品 S�
Sophia has been told that story ever since she can remember, but she says, 麻豆精品 S淚 don 麻豆精品 S檛 really remember when I got the hearing aids. They 麻豆精品 S檝e just always been a part of who I am. 麻豆精品 S�
While it might sound like a 麻豆精品 S渇ix 麻豆精品 S� to wear hearing aids, users hear differently than their hearing peers.
麻豆精品 S淚t can be hard to describe what the world sounds like to a person with hearing loss, because no two people hear exactly the same way, 麻豆精品 S� says Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, an associate professor in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Listening Center.
Rosa-Lugo met Sophia through community outreach events for deaf and hard of hearing individuals and their families. Rosa-Lugo noticed that Sophia was outgoing and welcoming to new families and cheerfully answered questions, many of which were regarding hearing aids.
Hearing aids are fine-tuned to each user 麻豆精品 S檚 specific hearing loss and only amplify sounds that are not naturally heard clearly.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 never 100 percent perfect, 麻豆精品 S� Rosa-Lugo says. 麻豆精品 S淭here can be feedback and interference from ambient noise; there can be listening fatigue to the user because it can be difficult to keep background noise at bay. 麻豆精品 S�
Listening to Her Calling
Sophia plans to major in communication sciences and disorders. Her ultimate goal? To become an audiologist.
She won 麻豆精品 S檛 be the first audiologist with hearing loss.
According to the American Speech and Hearing Association, advancements in hearing and assistive technology have made it possible for other individuals with hearing loss to enter the profession.
Sophia knows that her unique ability to relate to hearing loss will help others. But she says as she looks back over her life, she can see a path that had very little to do with her own will.
麻豆精品 S淭his is God 麻豆精品 S檚 story through and through, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 amazing to look back and see where He 麻豆精品 S檚 been! 麻豆精品 S�
Wendy says she hopes that Sophia can serve as an inspiration to others.
麻豆精品 S淪he humbles me and makes my heart want to explode when I see her relating to other children who may have obstacles to overcome,” Wendy says. “I want other people to see that no matter what you can or can 麻豆精品 S檛 do, you can still have dreams and accomplish many great and wonderful things. 麻豆精品 S�
