Book cover of Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears by Dr. Jasmine Simmons. Young Black girl with smiling with her hearing aid and cochlear implant in her outstretched hands. Bright, blue background with various design elements.
This Deaf Awareness Month, I’d like to highlight Dr. Jasmine Simmons—an audiologist, disability advocate and author of Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears. I began following her work a few years ago after learning she serves on the board of an organization supporting families with deaf and hard of hearing children—one whose events I’ve attended. Dr. Simmons is Deafblind and lives with Usher Syndrome, a condition as she explains, affects her vision, hearing and balance. She was one of the few Black women I’d seen advocating in this space who also has lived experience with deafness. I was ecstatic to discover her children’s book as I’m always looking for characters that my daughters can identify with, one of whom is Deaf.
After my girls asked to read her book every night for nearly a week, I felt compelled to write a review and reach out to Dr. Simmons to learn more about her inspiration for the book, her life experiences, and to gain insight from someone whose identities reflect those of my daughter.
I opened the interview by asking Dr. Simmons whether she had childhood experiences similar to those of Jordyn, the main character in her book, and what motivated her to write it.
"Jordyn is a real girl that I met virtually, but as for the story, there were real life instances that actually happened to me. Last year I was diagnosed as legally blind, and I went through a moment where I wanted to make sure what I was doing in my life was impactful. I remembered that I had just met a family who had a little girl that was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome. They expressed that they didn’t know how to explain it to their child and were signing her up for everything, because they were fearful that she would lose her vision. And at that moment I thought, I'm going to write a children's book; it was just a matter of when. So getting my legally blind diagnosis was what really motivated me to write a children's book so kids could see themselves in the story. Also throughout the series, I want to explain more about what Usher Syndrome is."
I appreciated the personal story that Dr. Simmons shared. Once my daughter turned four and became more aware, she started asking questions surrounding her deafness. I often struggle to explain the complicated reality—especially when she asks why she uses cochlear implants and her family does not. In Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears, Jordyn’s parents guide her in focusing on the positive aspects of being deaf, a concept known as deaf gain. That message deeply resonated with me, as it’s certainly an approach that I utilize.
The conversation then shifted from her work as an author to her role as a provider. Here, I ask Dr. Simmons if her intersecting identities influence her work as an audiologist.
"I work in a predominantly Black community and it is so important to have trust with your healthcare provider. As a Black disabled woman, I am able to empathize with my patients which helps break down those medical barriers and mistrust within the health care system. Being aware and understanding and empathetic towards my patients really plays a major role in how I provide my care."
Navigating the healthcare and education systems with my daughter, I’ve come to deeply value working with doctors and professionals who reflect our lived experiences. This became especially clear after a difficult lesson we learned when selecting her cochlear implant surgeon. At the time, we made our decision based on reputation and credentials, rather than prioritizing someone we fully trusted—someone whose empathy made us feel safe, seen, and confident in their care. In hindsight, that choice left us with regrets. I’m certain Dr. Simmons’ patients appreciate the empathy and trust she brings to her practice, qualities that can make all the difference for families.
I shared with Dr. Simmons that our goal for our daughter is to be bilingual in ASL and English. I then asked if, in her experience, she has seen hearing parents of deaf children who use hearing devices successfully achieve that goal.
"I've definitely seen it be attainable and to be transparent, at one point I was very for the CI and spoken language approach because that's how I was raised. But the more exposure I've gotten, I've become very pro parent's choice in choosing whatever is best for that child. Growing up my parents helped me learn ASL, but I didn't use that skill because I was mainstreamed. I regret not taking the time to become more fluent in ASL. It definitely would be even more impactful in my career as an audiologist. So I encourage parents to help teach their kids ASL and put them in deaf organizations and groups to learn ASL or spoken language, whatever the parents decide is best for their child."
I appreciated Dr. Simmons’ openness during our conversation as she discussed how her views on communication methods have evolved over time. My family didn’t begin learning ASL until my daughter was a toddler and along that journey, we discovered that “many deaf children—perhaps as many as 70 percent—are deprived of language” (Dougherty, 2019), largely because “less than 10 percent of deaf children in the United States and two percent worldwide receive early signed language exposure” (Murray, Hall & Snodden, 2020). It’s incredibly valuable to have providers who both demonstrate the humility to grow in their perspectives and respect and support the choices of families.
As we wrapped up the interview, I invited Dr. Simmons to share any advice she had for educators, based on her lived experience as a deaf student navigating a mainstream school environment.
"Growing up, my parents always taught my brother and I, who is also deaf, about self-advocacy. They taught us how we can educate others on our hearing loss, and what we needed to be successful. So as a teacher, be a part of that; help teach your students advocacy skills because these are life long skills. I use mine to this day and will for the rest of my life. It's never too early to start implementing self-advocacy skills.
I also asked my mom this question to get her opinion. She shared with me that it’s helpful when teachers share the little wins with parents; things that may not seem like a big deal for many kids. But parents are constantly worrying: Is my child having fun? Do they have someone to play with? Teachers sharing those small wins that they notice can help alleviate some of the worry."
It’s incredibly helpful when teachers work in partnership with parents to support the development of children’s self-advocacy skills. Dr. Simmons’ mother's suggestion for educators to regularly share small wins with families resonated with me. As a parent, I often worry about whether my daughter is being included socially or facing academic challenges. This recommendation isn’t just beneficial for Deaf children, it’s a powerful approach for all students with disabilities in mainstream settings.
Speaking with Dr. Simmons offered a meaningful perspective—one that reflects the lived experiences of Deafblind individuals and providers that support them and their families. Her insights, along with her book, Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears, highlight the importance of advocacy and representation in ways that speak to me as a parent. This conversation reaffirmed the value of listening closely to those whose identities mirror our children’s, and using that knowledge to advocate better.
You can follow Dr. Simmons on Instagram or LinkedIn and purchase Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears on her website.
References:
Dougherty, E. (2019). Getting the word in. The Brink. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/asl-language-acquisition/
Murray, Joseph J. PhD; Hall, Wyatte C. PhD; Snoddon, Kristin PhD. The Importance of Signed Languages for Deaf Children and Their Families. The Hearing Journal 73(3):p 30,32, March 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/01.HJ.0000657988.24659.f3
Simmons, J. (2025). Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears [Book cover]. Jasmine Simmons.
Helina Seyoum
Helina is a consultant, editor, and mother of two. She partners with mission-driven organizations to assess, design, and implement equity-centered strategies that are both reflective and actionable. Her passion for accessibility and inclusive storytelling is at the heart of her advocacy. Have insights to share or want to explore how inclusion can be embedded in your organization? We’d love to hear from you—use the form below to reach out!