Melanie Paticoff is the founder and CEO of Sophie’s Tales, LLC, an educational publishing company specializing in products for children with hearing loss. She also serves as editor-in-chief of Hearing Our Way, the only magazine designed for kids and teens with hearing loss, and has written two children’s books in the Sophie’s Tales series.

Inspired by members of her family with hearing loss throughout her childhood, Melanie studied hearing loss education in college, earning a master’s in deaf education from Washington University. Her work provides children and teens with hearing loss the opportunity to read about others like them and be encouraged by each other’s accomplishments.

I don’t have hearing loss myself, but I became a professional in this field because hearing loss is in my family. I grew up very close to my aunt, uncle, and cousin, Julie, all of whom have hearing loss. Over the years, I saw not only how Julie’s hearing loss affected her in and out of the classroom, not just academically but socially and emotionally, but also saw how hearing loss affects a family and how much family support can help.