How to find a nanny for special needs kid

[Anonymous]

I'm seeking some advice from nannies please. We are looking for a nanny for our toddler daughter who has a minor hearing issue fixable by surgery when she is old enough, but as soon as we tell potential nannies that she has a hearing issue they ghost us - either they don't show up the first day or after we do an initial meeting they ignore us. She is a great, easy going kid, and there really is no difference in caring for her which we also explain. Our pay offered is market-rate with paid time off, sick time, and holidays, so I assume it is the issue is the fear of the hearing issue.

So my questions are:
1) Should we stop telling potenial nannies?
2) If we keep telling people, how do you recommend making the process easier to find someone?

Thank you all in advance for any recommendations.

[Anonymous]

You need to advertise for a nanny experienced with special needs.

There is a huge difference. There are a lot of safety parameters that have to be changed when a child, especially a young child, can't hear her.

It also changes how a nanny interacts with a child during play and when discipline is warranted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to advertise for a nanny experienced with special needs.

There is a huge difference. There are a lot of safety parameters that have to be changed when a child, especially a young child, can't hear her.

It also changes how a nanny interacts with a child during play and when discipline is warranted.

Her hearing tests have all shown she can hear normally, but that she has fluid in her ears. If she has normally hearing per ABRs and a multitude of other tests, how is there a huge difference in caring for her? She interacts normally with other children and care providers at daycare.

[Anonymous]

Find an older nanny. I was similar in my early 20s, but now at 33, it wouldn't phase me. You might be able to find a nanny with ABA therapy experience or a nanny with an early childhood education degree ( AA or bachelor's degree). I wish I was still in DC. I would be interested, but now I live in Philadelphia.

[Anonymous]

Your DD doesn't have special needs really - I've known toddlers like this - once they get tubes/surgery, their speech gets better in leaps and bounds week by week.

Don't use the term special needs when you advertise or interview. Just tell people "Sometimes Izzy doesn't hear when you say her name, so we clap our hands twice loudly and she always hears that."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to advertise for a nanny experienced with special needs.

There is a huge difference. There are a lot of safety parameters that have to be changed when a child, especially a young child, can't hear her.

It also changes how a nanny interacts with a child during play and when discipline is warranted.

Her hearing tests have all shown she can hear normally, but that she has fluid in her ears. If she has normally hearing per ABRs and a multitude of other tests, how is there a huge difference in caring for her? She interacts normally with other children and care providers at daycare.

I'm not understanding.

Either your daughter has a minor hearing problem, which would show on tests, and the nanny needs to know. Or she doesn't have hearing problems that show on tests and the nanny doesn't need to know, but there will never be any problems.

[Anonymous]

Are you interested in hiring your nanny through an agency?

I've recently placed two special needs jobs and therefore have a solid pool of candidates wirh special needs experience readily available along with many other career nannies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to advertise for a nanny experienced with special needs.

There is a huge difference. There are a lot of safety parameters that have to be changed when a child, especially a young child, can't hear her.

It also changes how a nanny interacts with a child during play and when discipline is warranted.

Her hearing tests have all shown she can hear normally, but that she has fluid in her ears. If she has normally hearing per ABRs and a multitude of other tests, how is there a huge difference in caring for her? She interacts normally with other children and care providers at daycare.

I'm not understanding.

Either your daughter has a minor hearing problem, which would show on tests, and the nanny needs to know. Or she doesn't have hearing problems that show on tests and the nanny doesn't need to know, but there will never be any problems.

I agree with this poster that if her hearing is normal then why would you even mention it? What sort of impairment does it manifest as that you feel the need to disclose it? Our DS has a leg length discrepancy that will need surgery when he’s a teen, but we only mention it after we secure care because he literally requires zero accommodation. We say, “You may or may not notice DS walks with a tiny limp or see a lift in his shoe. Don’t worry that something happened! One of his legs is longer than the other. It doesn’t bother him and he has no restrictions on activity at all.” And then if they have more questions we answer those. But as I see it, he literally does not have any special needs and so I don’t share and only do because the provider may notice and become concerned he had some sort of injury in their care or may need to see a doctor when we already know about it and have a prognosis.

Also if your daughter’s hearing loss is noticeable, you’ll find a nanny eventually! Our amazing nanny actually did a nanny share with a child who was hearing impaired and whose parents were totally deaf and she made it work. She picked up quite a few signs as well and taught our children when they were babies. Like someone else mentioned, she is older and has more than 15 years of experience so I think she just feels very confident about the variety of situations she can handle.

[Anonymous]

Your daughter needs ear tubes. Stop calling her special needs, and you’ll solve your nanny hiring problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to advertise for a nanny experienced with special needs.

There is a huge difference. There are a lot of safety parameters that have to be changed when a child, especially a young child, can't hear her.

It also changes how a nanny interacts with a child during play and when discipline is warranted.

Her hearing tests have all shown she can hear normally, but that she has fluid in her ears. If she has normally hearing per ABRs and a multitude of other tests, how is there a huge difference in caring for her? She interacts normally with other children and care providers at daycare.

Stop saying she is special needs and tell them the above and pay more!

[Anonymous]

OP here. I guess it is hard to transition away from hearing aids, speech therapy, ASL instruction, because she wore hearing aids for almost 6 months - to oops we made a mistake by not repeating the testing before giving her the hearing aids and then finding out that she's fine; it was a long medical rollercoaster these past two+ years. I need to accept that she's normal because she is. I will stay mum on the issue as it's not applicable. Thanks all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your daughter needs ear tubes. Stop calling her special needs, and you’ll solve your nanny hiring problems.

Your daughter is not too young for ear tubes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I guess it is hard to transition away from hearing aids, speech therapy, ASL instruction, because she wore hearing aids for almost 6 months - to oops we made a mistake by not repeating the testing before giving her the hearing aids and then finding out that she's fine; it was a long medical rollercoaster these past two+ years. I need to accept that she's normal because she is. I will stay mum on the issue as it's not applicable. Thanks all.

Almost six months? That's not even half a year! Step back and get some perspective. Your daughter had a medical issue, it was dealt with and she's much better now. (Look into ear tubes though.)