The news is not always welcome. The Manalangs were terrified when they learned about Jonathan's hearing loss, said Danny Manalang. It was quite devastating. All our hopes and all our dreams for him flashed before our eyes. But soon the couple came to accept the situation, Manalang said, and found ways to help Jonathan adapt to his condition and excel alongside his peers.
Parents can learn to communicate effectively with their hearing-impaired children.
That means getting close to a baby's ear when talking and making eye contact. Then he received a cochlear implant, a surgically implanted device that translates sounds into signals transmitted to hearing centers in the brain. D.J. Manalang's hearing loss is less severe, so he wears hearing aids. But the early discovery of D.J.'s hearing impairment gave him a big advantage in communication and keeping up with his peers. Program organizers would like D.J.'s experience to be the norm.