BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- Every morning, the Woodland family files into Happy Hands in Broken Arrow.
Dani and Jason have six children. All of them were adopted through DHS foster care.
"We are awful foster parents because we adopt them all, but we have three hearing children and three deaf children," Dani said.
Adopting deaf children may be something many people find intimidating. Jason and Dani have embraced it but do admit there was a learning curve at first.
"Your first instinct is to fix it," Dani shared. "How can I fix them? They don't need to be fixed. It is about learning and adapting and helping them adapt to the world."
The Woodland's three deaf children are genetically deaf and range in stages of hearing loss. All of them wear a hearing aid.
The entire family goes to Happy Hands, a school that caters specifically to the hearing impaired and children with communication disorders.
"They say it takes a village and Happy Hands is part of our village for sure and they have been since the beginning for all of our children," Jason said.
Jason and Dani said the education is helping their deaf children with their communication issues and allowing their hearing children to be able to communicate with their siblings.
"I think that with children, they have a natural curiosity about people that are different and they have challenges," Dani said. "I think with our children, it's just another day and they have just kind of been able to focus on the being."
They said their children's school has made their home a little more special. It has integrated their family's Christian values, provided speech therapists and immersed them into the deaf community.
Although having six small children can be a hand full, the Woodlands constantly use the word "blessed."
"I cannot imagine my life without the path that it's taken," Dani said. "I can't imagine my life without my children...all of my children."
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