Yajat Mishra

I still remember the day when Yajat and his parents were waiting for me in Rupal’s room.  He was so weak that he looked like a tiny ball in a big sack.  His parents had traveled from Varanasi to Mumbai looking for the best for their child.  After his audiological evaluation, we concluded that he needs to be implanted.  When explained about Cochlear Implant and Auditory Verbal Therapy as well as schooling at CSED, his parents understood its importance and agreed to shift to Mumbai. This was a big step for Mishra Family. But his father worked hard not only to find a job in Mumbai but also convinced his superiors to sanction loan and support for implant expenses. While his father took care of finances, his mother prepared herself by joining English speaking classes.  Just when they thought that things are falling in places, we brought to their notice that Yajat needs help for other problems like eye contact, inattention, low muscle tone, and motor planning. But they didn’t give up and took him for OT and SI.

During his pre-implant sessions, Aditi and I had to turn into villains to teach him simple conditioning.  But after 3 ½ years of schooling and AVT in CSED, this stubborn child who refused to produce any sound initially is now listening to Bollywood songs and singing them.  The hard work and determination of Mishra family is visible when Yajat argues with Ms. Amita, plays pranks on his friends, dances to Bollywood songs, and expresses his dream to become a famous actor like Ranveer Singh or a successful Prime Minister like Modiji.

Sarita Naik
Std. I (English Teacher)