“I would like to thank SoundSkills and everyone who supported us trying to access care and do the best they could to help F. We truly appreciate it and I think the team at SoundSkills is one of the most outstanding service providers in New Zealand. Certainly for both our children.”
Parent
"We and E's teacher have noticed a large improvement in a range of academic subjects and skills since she started using the remote microphone hearing aids, including indirect aspects like her confidence generally. Her reading age jumped from 8.5 years to 10.5 years with increased accuracy just over the initial two month hearing aid trial period. There have been amazing comments from her teachers and peers. We are so grateful that she is racing ahead now."
Parent
"T's ability to concentrate has improved and the teacher is able to ensure that his instructions are able to be easily understood. This has enabled T to get straight down to work in class rather than sitting wondering what it is he is meant to do."
Parent
"This has been a life-changing experience for my son and us as a family. My son’s confidence is greatly improved and we now understand his behaviour much better."
Parent
"The service was fantastic. Dr T was very special. She has an empathy for children and the expertise to back it up. …She gave something wonderful to our family – we are so grateful to her."
Parent
"We thought you would like to hear that we attended a school interview and learned that [our son] has been taken out of the special learning support group as his standardised test scores (PAT) are now above average. His progress has been very fast. Those hearing aids are obviously doing an amazing job."
Parent
"My 7 year old son went to SoundSkills with a suspected auditory processing order. He has had weekly sessions for phonological awareness and general listening skills for almost 18 months and has now finished his therapy. During that time he has made huge progress with his reading and concentration and scored above average in many areas in his recent literacy testing. The therapists at SoundSkills have been very professional but also very friendly and skilled at encouraging him when he was reluctant to participate. Thanks for all your help"
Parent
M is a 12 year old boy who had undiagnosed hearing problems. His mother is a Speech Language Therapist. APD testing showed that M had amblyaudia which was subsequently treated with four therapy sessions over a period of four weeks. After treatment M’s mother reported: "M is much better. Now he LOVES school and is doing very well. He doesn't say "WHAT??" anymore, such as when he's playing Xbox. This is a great improvement. The teacher says that M "raises his hand all the time in English now". M is "shining" more. His reading comprehension and maths are improving. M is having extra tuition with a reading tutor and he has been referred to another speech language therapist for phonological awareness training to help him catch up in these areas."
Parent
“I really like the RMHA system because it makes the instructions much clearer and it makes me understand a lot more of what the teacher is talking about. I also like it because you and your teacher can have secret conversations! I also like it because they're barely noticeable so no one sees them or teases me. I think other kids should get them because it's not a permanent thing; it's just for a little while but it makes a big difference.”
Child
“My son and I recently visited Joanna at SoundSkills. I was blown away with her professionalism and the incredible rapport that she formed with my son in such a short space of time. Joanna engaged with him, explained everything to him and make him feel at ease with the screening process. Joanna explained the results with me in a way that I could understand and provided me with full knowledge of what options were available to us. My son still talks about Joanna and his time there with her. I would highly recommend SoundSkills and Joanna. Thank you for guiding us and supporting us through this. This next bit is just a…big thank you to the team at SoundSkills, especially Joanna. I have been fighting for M ever since he was 6 months old with no one giving me the time of day. I was so blown away with Joanna's professionalism and her ability to form an amazing rapport with M. He does suffer from anxiety and separation anxiety, yet she made him feel so at ease that I was able to leave the room to get a coffee. From the first time I picked up the phone to enquire about Auditory Processing Disorder with SoundSkills I was treated with empathy, understanding and support. When that first phone call ended, I burst into tears - I finally felt heard and that someone was on my side. The emails and phone calls that followed were all supportive and the team really understood what it must feel like for some children with anxiety to come to a new environment. The YouTube video of the building was incredibly helpful and gave us things to point out when we arrived at the clinic. When the day finally came for M to be tested everyone's anxiety was high however, the minute Joanna came to greet M she treated him like the individual that he is - not just another patient. She really took the time to find out what M liked and gave him plenty of time to process the tasks that were required. I was worried about how M would behave, whether he would actually do the tasks required and what the results might be. When Joanna gave me the results of his screening, she made me feel supported, informed, and free of any judgement. I could not recommend SoundSkills or Joanna more. Thank you all for supporting us through this challenging time and for listening and understanding me.”
Parent
“The microphone pen and hearing aids have been fabulous for J. Her report this year was great. J is now getting A and B passes in her school assessments and tests. She is so much more confident and nowhere near as tired as she was."
Parent
“We have been thrilled with the rapid difference we have found with our son using the Remote Microphone Hearing Aid System. Within the first day of use his energy levels were so much greater, his spirit was more vibrant and he was happier within himself. Thankfully he can articulate himself extremely well and would report back daily about finally being able to hear the teacher and her instructions the first time, without being distracted by hearing the other kids chitter chatter. Being able to get straight on with the task at hand because he could hear what was being asked of him and not having to check or watch what the other class mates did. He would report that his teacher wouldn’t say anymore that he wasn’t on task or not focused, because now he was. It’s amazing how something like this can be so beneficial to a child’s learning environment and give them the confidence they always deserved to have within class.”
Parent
“My daughter was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder a number of years ago, and when her learning started to stall we decided to investigate further. M went to SoundSkills and we made the choice to purchase the Remote Microphone Hearing Aid system, as once we learnt more about it we decided it was something that would benefit her learning. She has now had the system and has been using it in class for 3 months! And what a difference it has made! She has made huge leaps and bounds in her learning in the past 3 months- more than she probably has in the past 3 years! For the first time ever, she no longer needs to sit next to her friends to copy and ask questions on her school work- because she can hear the instructions clearly and without the distraction of background noise. This has given her the confidence to sit away from friends who distract her. It has given her confidence in the class to ask questions, as she no longer is scared she may have heard things wrong. My daughter’s teacher has been blown away by the difference it has made and cannot believe what a difference the system has made to her learning. I cannot recommend the Remote Microphone Hearing Aid system enough and wish we had done this sooner!”
Parent
“We are very happy with the services of SoundSkills over the years …. [SoundSkills] has provided life changing intervention for A [daughter].”
Parent
“E aged 10 has now had a good term of using the hearing aids in class. She has noticed a huge difference in class, she can now hear the instructions from the teacher and can retain the information as well. The first day she came home so excited, as she could still remember all instructions she had been given that day and tell me what they were at the end of the day. E is now coming home happy and is really enjoying School. Everything used to be so hard for her and she would come home and cry, now she is confident and can get on with her work instead of sitting there too worried to ask again what they were meant to be doing. She even has her friends asking her for help and what were the instructions. We are excited going forward and are already seeing improvements in her school work. Thank you so much to the team at Soundskills, you all have been so helpful and supportive. I wish we knew about auditory processing disorder sooner so we could have got the help she needed earlier.”
Parent
“Our daughter K has previously visited Soundskills to get tested for APD and to get fitted for hearing aids etc. ….we've found all our dealings with Soundskills to be excellent. A really great organisation!”
Parent
A 12 year old child attending for assessment explains what APD is like for him. “It’s hard to listen, but you get used to it, kind of… my brain doesn't process what the teacher says, I hear it but my brain doesn't get it. It goes through my mind, it comes in my ears but I don't actually kind of hear it, if that makes sense… it is quite frustrating, I get worried that I haven’t followed the instructions, then I probably get told off and I ask the person next to me what is said so I can actually figure out what I am meant to be doing.”
Child
“Thank you so much for sending through the report. We are extremely happy with the results. J is now listening to audio books through the Auckland Library Libby App. Her confidence at school has improved as has her ability. Thank you to your team for offering up a life changing service for our children.”
Parent
“C and I just can’t thank you and the SoundSkills staff enough for supporting T to get her RMHAs. It’s her second attempt and she’s really positive about them this time, so fingers crossed. Sarah, Jenny and Jo have been so kind and so professional. T has enjoyed her interactions with them. They’re a great team. Many many thanks again.”
Parent
"He has had a fantastic year largely due to the hearing aids and Mic. I have noticed a significant difference when he is socialising with his peers as he can now follow the conversation. He went to a first party a couple of months ago, and as opposed to the [usual] norm of being called to pick him up early he was pretty much the last man standing. He also went to a birthday party at Megazone followed by a noisy restaurant, and when a friend dropped him off we were up the rd having a meal at a cafe. N came and joined us and happily sat there and conversed for another hour. It would have been unheard of 6 months ago. We are thrilled."
Parent
"Following an ear infection, he suffered from hearing loss for more than 3 years, which made up most of his time at high school. By using RMHA, he can understand information much better and now has his target for his future. We wish we could have discovered his Auditory Processing Disorder earlier. He will still continue to re-train his brain using RMHA, as he aims to study at a university next year. We understand that the positive attitude and cooperation of teachers, classmates, parents and the patient are crucial for this program. However, unfortunately, this combination of support does not always occur for some students in NZ. This is very regrettable. So please pass on the example of E’s case to other schools and SoundSkills for future patients. Students who need some help do not need to have feelings of inferiority. We hope E's and the teachers’ positive attitudes have given this message to his classmates." -UPDATE- "E now studies at the University and is still using the RMHA in his classes. He told me that one day, he forgot to take the RMHA to his lecture and it was much harder to take it in compared to any other days."
Parent
"Thank you for the wonderful support over the last few (or more) months. We are really thrilled for [our daughter] just how much of a positive difference this system has had in her life. Thanks also for your patience in working with our wee school. We really have been blown away at the huge change it has created in [our daughter] and what a growth this has seen. Many many thanks from us all."
Parent