Justin Osmond opens up about growing up deaf and on the "outside" of the Osmond Family.

What happens when you grow up an Osmond, one of the most famous musical families in the world… but you can’t fully hear the music? In this deeply personal conversation, Justin Osmond, son of Merrill Osmond, shares why he often felt like the outsider while trying to navigate life with a severe to profound hearing loss. From mainstream education and speech therapy, Justin's journey through bullying, deaf identity, sign language, and self-acceptance, Justin’s story mirrors the experience of many deaf and hard of hearing students today who feel isolated as the only student with hearing loss in their school. Join the Professional Academy now and get the full Deaf Identity Unit at a special rate: https://www.theonlineitinerant.com/of... This conversation is especially important for: Deaf and hard of hearing students Mainstreamed students with hearing loss Parents of deaf children Teachers of the deaf Speech-language pathologists Audiologists Families navigating oral education vs. sign language Justin’s story is a powerful reminder that hearing loss does not define a person — and that identity, belonging, and confidence matter just as much as academics. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Justin Osmond’s story 01:30 – Growing up in the Osmond family with hearing loss 02:30 – Severe to profound hearing loss diagnosis and speech therapy 03:30 – Learning to embrace his deaf voice and identity 05:00 – Identity struggles and discovering sign language 06:00 – Learning British Sign Language in England 07:00 – Living between the hearing and deaf worlds 08:00 – Early mainstream education and oral approaches 09:00 – The impact of parental support and hard work 10:00 – Justin’s first speech therapist and “hearing angel” 12:00 – Itinerant teachers of the deaf and one-on-one support 13:00 – Finding deaf community and belonging in England 14:30 – Advice for mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students 15:30 – “Don’t let hearing loss define you” 18:00 – Encouragement for teachers, therapists, and parents 19:00 – Hearing aids, stigma, and bullying experiences 20:00 – Turning hearing loss into a superpower 21:30 – Thoughts on sign language and communication choices 23:30 – Marriage, family, and signing at home 25:00 – Final advice about identity and confidence 26:00 – Deaf identity resources and mentorship opportunities Keywords Justin Osmond, Merrill Osmond, Osmond Family, deaf, hard of hearing, mainstream education, deaf identity, hearing loss, hearing aids, speech therapy, oral deaf education, sign language, ASL, mainstreamed deaf students, deaf role models, itinerant teacher of the deaf, deaf culture, deaf community, speech language pathology, Donny Osmond, deaf education, Better Speech and Hearing Month #JustinOsmond #OsmondFamily #DeafEducation #HardOfHearing #MainstreamEducation #DeafIdentity #HearingLoss #ASL