We were initially gripped with apprehension by the seemingly bleak future ahead of Peter when he was first diagnosed with a hearing disability. We asked all the "why's" and "what then's" in our mind. We were completely at a loss, not knowing what the next steps should be.

The audiologist at the hospital pointed us to then Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired (CSHI). That became our turning point. Sister Anne, the principal then, assured us that there were proven methods to bring up a child with a hearing disability. We were also given the assurance that despite Peter's late start in hearing, it could be bridged by hearing aids and early intervention programmes.

Later, going through early intervention programme not only equipped us with the awareness of Peter's hearing needs but it also re-programmed our mindset to see Peter as a normal child, but with a special need. It also made us realize that he should grow up as normally as possible.

In our interaction with the CSHI, it became clear to us that CSHI is a special school in that it has a staff (teaching and non-teaching) that genuinely cares for the children. This is something that we seldom see in schools for children with normal hearing. Each of the staff members is patient with the children and will go out of the way to meet the children's needs.

One of the things that CSHI stands out from the other schools is that the older children are taught to take care of the younger ones. This value is naturally passed down to the same younger ones who will later grow up to take care of the even younger ones. And it is not difficult to see that the children learn from examples given by the teachers and the school staff. I remember one time Peter vomitted his breakfast just after I had dropped him off in the school. I quickly went to the bathroom to get paper to wipe the floor, but his teacher
told me she could take care of it. She must have done this many times with different children, yet she was not in any way annoyed. She cheerfully picked up a mop and cleaned up the mess. I was totally impressed. For all the extra stress that the teacher had in teaching children who could not hear well, she had the extra compassion to do a humble job for them.

Apart from values, Peter also learns life skills from lessons that are made relevant to him in class. This is made possible by teachers, past and present, who have put up a creative learning environment. As a result, Peter does not feel handicapped. The learning experience and the overall environment have given him the self-esteem and the confidence to relate to others normally.

We are truly grateful to the principals, the teachers, the audiologists, the technicians, and the school staff---past and present---for making Peter what he is today.


Yours Sincerely,
Mr Liem (Father of Peter)