Nine-year-old Breiner Morales speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. But until last summer, he couldn’t read in any of them.
Breiner failed his hearing test at birth. Fortunately, by age one, he received a cochlear implant. Although the implant makes it much easier for him to hear and communicate, it can make classroom instruction difficult. His teachers have to speak into a special electronic device so he can hear them, and it’s harder for him to understand speech and interpret sounds than it is for other students.