An SMD Success Story

A Solid Foundation Leads to a Bright Future

Nobody knows the importance of having a solid foundation better than an architect.

Brett McLaren has just completed his Masters of Architecture classes at the University of Manitoba. During the summer, he and three other students are working on a series of renovation-type jobs where they will be doing both the designing and building. In the fall, Brett intends to complete his thesis – a step-by-step documentation of the renovations he does to a self-purchased rental home, emphasizing the use of local materials.

What makes his list of accomplishments even more impressive is the fact that while Brett can hear certain levels of tone and sounds, he relies largely on lip reading for word comprehension. Yet this has not prevented him from excelling in a public school environment – something he attributes in part to his early involvement with SMD.

I think SMD set up a good understanding of what I needed to continue to succeed at the same level as people without the hearing problems that I have,” says Brett.

When Brett was still preschoolaged, his parents went to the SMD Communication Centre for Children which specializes in helping young deaf and hard of hearing children develop their verbal communication and sign language skills. For Brett, the verbal learning was key.

“I can hear but I can’t hear the first pronunciation of a word,” explains Brett. “So ‘be’, ‘ne’ – anything that’s similar – I can only figure it out by the end of the word hearing-wise. But sight allows me to catch the beginning and the end.”

“That’s something I think I learned through SMD. Because people – especially teachers I was involved with SMD – they really focused on how they pronounced. They really mouthed the words. I think that’s where I learned to speak clearly and naturally so that I can communicate with others.

” Brett’s communications skills made his transition into school easier by giving him the confidence and solid self-esteem to really feel like part of the group.“It definitely brought me up to a level where I could feel comfortable in class with other students without feeling less knowledgeable,” says Brett.

“I feel that without SMD, it would have been like someone starting school without kindergarten, grade one or grade two. It would be like starting in grade three… If I didn’t have it, I probably would have been a couple years behind.”

Brett also feels he wasn’t the only one who benefited from his time with SMD.