Book review: The Silent Garden - A Parent's Guide to Raising a Deaf Child

Written by Paul Ogden and David Smith
Available from Amazon
Suitable for parents

Reviewed by Allison who is mum to Augustus (6) who is moderately to severely deaf and Elsie (5) who is mildly to moderately deaf. Both wear hearing aids.

"This book was longer than I expected and a bit of a slog at times to get past the Americanisms. However, I also found it reassuring in places to hear other parents have felt the same way I did on discovering both my children have permanent hearing loss. It sent the positive message that all feelings are OK. Although some of the grieving process the book talks about wasn’t relevant to me, the feeling of sadness at knowing my children may have additional hurdles to overcome was poignant.

This book explores the American system so there isn’t any reference to our Education, Health and Care plans. However the battle for the right support appears to be similar on both continents. The difficult decisions that parents have to make with regard to school choices, communication methods and surgery are explored, but for me I felt it offered emotional support around those subjects more than providing evidence for or against different choices. That’s understandable given the system is ever-changing and technology advances quickly, but I feel like I was maybe past the point of needing that reassurance and emotional support. Maybe this book is best suited to those at the start of their journey with their deaf child."