Ben Dahle

At four months old, Ben began his journey to hearing. We decided as a family to pursue cochlear implantation and a spoken language route as we believed that access to sound and language would help to broaden his opportunities and help him to better navigate relationships within a hearing family and social circle. Ben received LSL/AVT therapy to assist him in “learning to listen” using his implants. Ben began attending the WISE Preschool at age three where he received personal and individualized therapy from exceptionally trained speech therapists. The therapy he received at the school, in my opinion, is the single factor that has contributed most to his current success. Being immersed in spoken language and receiving LSL/AVT from certified therapists at WISE was one of the best decisions we could have ever made for Ben. Today, Ben is a senior at Oak Mountain High School. He is in AP classes, a member of several honor societies, plays three instruments in the marching band and is a National Merit Scholars Semi Finalist. Ben is planning to start college in Fall 2025 majoring in Computer Science. Like many children with cochlear implants, Ben is excelling in every way, and we owe so much of his success to his experience at the Woolley Institute for Spoken-Language Education. 

Tammi Dahle- Ben’s mom