Center for Hearing Loss Helps Youth Gain Language Skills, More

For families like the Longshores, who have two children with hearing impairments, enlisting the right help can be a real challenge.

"Our second child, Brooklyn, was born with hearing loss that progressively worsened to the point that she was deaf by age 1," said Ashley Longshore. "We desperately wanted to get her sufficient support to allow her (auditory) verbal skills to catch up to other kids her age without hearing loss."

The family began researching auditory-verbal development schools, which led them to the Children's Choice for Hearing and Talking Center (CCHAT) in Sacramento, Calif. The school focuses on speech and language development for hearing-impaired youth up to third grade in a one-on-one format. The school's early intervention services and educational programs provide invaluable support for children and families throughout Northern California, regardless of socioeconomic status.

Brooklyn, who is now 6 years old, has made the most of the center.

"We could never have imagined that Brooklyn's speech and auditory-verbal skills would have progressed so quickly," Ashley said. "Brooklyn loves school, is very proud of her cochlear implants and her ability to communicate with them, and is loving life like any other 5-year-old."

Our Sacramento-area Les Schwab team is proud to support the CCHAT Center and the families who depend on its services. "Mitch Harrison and his team — everyone at Les Schwab — have been so kind to help CCHAT out with multiple events, attending programs and fundraisers and allowing CCHAT to decorate their tire tree at Christmastime," said Ashley.

To learn more about the CCHAT Center, or to volunteer, visit the school's official website. To follow along with the school's latest news, be sure to like their Facebook page.