communicating with speaking deafs

[whendyee]

hello all, i'm a student therapist attached to a rehab centre and one of my patients is deaf, yet speaks wonderfully well. she doesn't use sign and i'm wondering whats the best method to communicate besides writing/typing? previously, staff have always been using paper n pen. would any AAC devices be of help?

how ironic since i'd be the one using them to communicate despite being hearing!

 

[Kalista]

hello all, i'm a student therapist attached to a rehab centre and one of my patients is deaf, yet speaks wonderfully well. she doesn't use sign and i'm wondering whats the best method to communicate besides writing/typing? previously, staff have always been using paper n pen. would any AAC devices be of help?

how ironic since i'd be the one using them to communicate despite being hearing!

I strongly recommend her and you to take ASL class to communication effectively with your Deaf patient.

I am very against oral !!

 

[Tousi]

Well, if your deaf patient has CHOSEN the oral way of life, then let her be. Why don't you ask her what's the best way to communicate with her? She knows more about what she wants than I do.

 

[Reba]

...Why don't you ask her what's the best way to communicate with her?

Agreed. Just ask. :P

 

[MorriganTait]

Well, if your deaf patient has CHOSEN the oral way of life, then let her be. Why don't you ask her what's the best way to communicate with her? She knows more about what she wants than I do.

I HEARTILY SECOND THIS - ASK HER WHAT SHE PREFERS. Somehow we "hearies" forget this simple act of kindness - I bet she would appreciate it.

 

[Teresh]

Well, if your deaf patient has CHOSEN the oral way of life, then let her be.

Absolutely! If that's her preference, then it's no one's place, not you, a doctor, an interpreter, or another deaf person, to tell her otherwise.

Just ask... It's the easiest.

 

[moonflower]

i am against oral
but i use my voice and ASL of course

 

[whendyee]

mm.. i'll most certainly ask.
just that due to time constrainsts i'm usually not able to do paper-n-pen esp with other patients around needing my attention, unless its individual therapy. more of my convenience and also to let her know i'm not ignoring her.

 

[Kalista]

Both hearing and deaf people that can have a great communication without missing out a lot more than you realize it. Everyone can participate the conversation anytime without being left out on the dinner table or anywhere. That doesn’t cost us much at all.. It is very natural and healthy to have ASL in our lives.

If I were in your shoes, encourage her to particular Deaf Society. She will realize that American Sign Language is her primary language !

The Deaf person will continually have a hard time trying to communicate with hearing people in the world with lack of understand oralism communication.

For many years, the audits and the deaf person have entered into a Deaf world; hearing people believed that it was their duty to care for those who were in need while the Deaf. It is often believed that Deaf people have poor social awareness, are often isolated, cant understand other hearing people, and cant communication It effected Deaf people become frustration, lack of socially, cognitively and behavioral and emotionally due to communication barrier.

I strongly encourage you to have this Deaf person take ASL class. She will fell in love American Sign Language with facial expression and expose for her true language.

I wish, my Parents sent me to better Deaf School when I was little kid. I did not learn much of most academic. They send me to speech therapist. I did not have a good speak since I was little kid. I realized, the speech therapist is fucking wasted my time ! I missed so much of education.

 

[deafdyke]

Wait a sec......she has "wonderful speech," but yet needs to communicate using paper and pen? HUH?!?!?!

 

[Kalista]

Wait a sec......she has "wonderful speech," but yet needs to communicate using paper and pen? HUH?!?!?!

WOW You have a such good catch !! I did not realize that. You make a GOOD point.

 

[jshumko]

My husband is deaf and talks well. I've noticed that most people either forget he is deaf and try to talk to him like he can hear, or they ignore him and talk to me. He doesn't read lips very well, if at all. Sometimes he will sign, but he does not use ASL. He uses Signed English. When we met, I wrote notes to him and he talked to me. I've learned how to sign but I don't know ASL. He still does most of the talking. It does seem a little backwards that the deaf person talks and the hearing person signs, but you do what you gotta do to communicate.

I don't think he has a preference as far as how people communicate with him, just as long as they at least try and don't ignore him. He's very patient with us ignorant hearing folk.

I'm waiting for the day when someone invents a handheld text communicator that will recognize speech (without having to train it). Wouldn't that be great?

 

[whendyee]

When we met, I wrote notes to him and he talked to me. I've learned how to sign but I don't know ASL. He still does most of the talking. It does seem a little backwards that the deaf person talks and the hearing person signs, but you do what you gotta do to communicate.

I'm waiting for the day when someone invents a handheld text communicator that will recognize speech (without having to train it). Wouldn't that be great?

dear jshumko, my sentiments exactly! lol.. hope i didn't give the rest of you the impression i made her write as well... does that answer your doubts? (kalista & deafdyke)

 

[Brains]

I'm one of those that has speech, but then I didn't become profoundly Deaf until I was 15....

My partner is hearing himself.. he signs to me... basically when we're out people will think its weird.. he signs to me, I speak back...

Around my parents, we all just speak.

But then around Deaf people I'll sign in Sign Supported English... or BSL... depending on the person...

Really I have all different communication methods, it depends on the situation I'm in.

I wouldn't mind if people actually asked me which I'd prefer though.. I'd choose sign language each time, that way I wouldn't miss out on those little details!

 

[Sweetmind]

http://www.chicoer.com/letters/ci_3500646
Deaf person seeks peers
Chico Enterprise-Record


When my 44-year-old daughter was growing up in the '60s, '70s and '80s, "they" -- the government, schools, the deaf-in-denial and the ignorant bureaucrats -- decided deaf children should not ever learn American sign language but should be mainstreamed into regular schools and learn to speak. So, my daughter is now able to speak, but she can't hear. She fits nowhere.

When she was growing up, and as recently as three years ago, I took her to speech therapy, had her hearing tested (it's deteriorating), had her fitted for different kinds of hearing aids and inquired everywhere I could to find her help.

I took her to the university and Butte College. They do not teach sign language for deaf people or know of anyplace that does. The Nor Cal Center for the Deaf is no longer in Chico, but they too only taught sign language for people who wanted to be interpreters, not to teach the deaf to communicate. My daughter is lost. Her physical and mental health is declining because of the stress she's had to live with for so long. She has no friends.

My question is, can you help her? Do you know where she can learn American sign language for the deaf, and be with her own peer group. Her emotional and physical health is of great concern. She needs to know American sign language -- and other deaf people. Please help us.

-- Marti Lorber Hicks, Chico

************

Now you see what you have done to many deafies in this society who went thru hellva situation for no reason because of your attitude toward deafies's need to be removed their abilitiy to communicate in their hands to speak. Thats a very selfish attitude to force d/Deaf children to speak oral method only which is totally uneccessary. Or having a very negative thoughts for deafies to use their hands that is very comfortable and understand better in communication skills. It is actually you are having a problem with us which means you have no second thoughts that ASL or other Deaf languages that helps us more than you think.

What a terrible wasted of her life to struggle by oral method only! Thats is a real huge problem going on from the past until today s world that s still exists. Sighs!

Thank goodness for American Sign Language is the one of our huge important communication key that works very well for Deaf and Hearing people. So that way we can be ourselves and let other ignorant people to see the fact of Deaf people in this society. It will help them to change their attitude and more respect toward Deaf children s need that comes first before u as a hearing person in communication with ASL or other Deaf languages.

I am more relieved because I have told the truth all along for years and years in DeafNotes. It s perfect example to this deaf oralist person in this letter. Bingo! Who is telling the truth?? HUH!!

Thank you!
Sweetmind

 

[jshumko]

I asked my husband if he prefers the deaf world or the hearing world and he said he prefers the hearing world because he can talk. He also seems to be more annoyed with the attitudes of some deaf people than he is with the ignorance and attitudes of hearing people. I guess it all depends on how people are raised and the experiences they have in life. He believes, as I do, that both worlds need to come together and learn how to communicate with each other.

Sometimes I wish he wanted to be more a part of the deaf world, especially be willing to go to our deaf church because I think he would understand better what is being taught, and I might understand deaf more. I often feel caught in the middle because I have to interpret everything for him. I wish the people the in our hearing church would at least learn how to fingerspell.

My husband is caught in the middle of the deaf and hearing worlds and probably feels that he doesn't belong in either of them. We have reached a point where we communicate well with each other, so he most definitely belongs in my world. I don't know, maybe that is enough for him at this point in his life.

 

[Malfoyish]

Now you see what you have done to many deafies in this society who went thru hellva situation for no reason because of your attitude toward deafies's need to be removed their abilitiy to communicate in their hands to speak. Thats a very selfish attitude to force d/Deaf children to speak oral method only which is totally uneccessary. Or having a very negative thoughts for deafies to use their hands that is very comfortable and understand better in communication skills. It is actually you are having a problem with us which means you have no second thoughts that ASL or other Deaf languages that helps us more than you think.

What a terrible wasted of her life to struggle by oral method only! Thats is a real huge problem going on from the past until today s world that s still exists. Sighs!

Thank goodness for American Sign Language is the one of our huge important communication key that works very well for Deaf and Hearing people. So that way we can be ourselves and let other ignorant people to see the fact of Deaf people in this society. It will help them to change their attitude and more respect toward Deaf children s need that comes first before u as a hearing person in communication with ASL or other Deaf languages.

I am more relieved because I have told the truth all along for years and years in DeafNotes. It s perfect example to this deaf oralist person in this letter. Bingo! Who is telling the truth?? HUH!!

Thank you!
Sweetmind

Sorry to break it to you, but ASL isn't the only way to increase others' awareness of deaf culture. Oralism is not a waste of anyone's life, nor is it a waste of time. There are actually (surprise, surprise!) many, many, MANY deaf folks who have benefitted from having it as a part of their language. Part of her struggles stem from her own inability to fit in. Believe me, I had my own issues growing up without knowledge of sign language, but I still managed to make friends. I didn't run with the popular crowd either, but I did NOT use my deafness as any excuses not to at least TRY to approach people I knew would be mature enough to consider my hearing loss. The article states that this young woman can speak - so what's holding her back from at least TRYING to befriend others? Not to say she hasn't, but she's evidently been mainstreamed - surely they DO have support for her and probably other deaf students in the same situation.

But to hear you say ORALISM is a waste of one's life???? No, I'm sorry, I don't agree with that in the least bit. I do believe in teaching the deaf to sign, but I also endorse speech therapy - at least then when the child grows up to be an adult, they have a choice in which path they feel more comfortable in taking...the oral route or the signed route...you know? It's when babies and/or kids do NOT have a choice that bothers me...or when the parents immediately assume that one will be better than the other in the long run and completely disregard the "other" option.

 

[Angel]

Well, if your deaf patient has CHOSEN the oral way of life, then let her be. Why don't you ask her what's the best way to communicate with her? She knows more about what she wants than I do.

I agree...


It up to each person, if they rather to just the oral way instead of learning sign language, I meet different deaf people, some of them do not know sign language only the oral way, and I don't mind at all, like the guy next door from me is hard of hearing, and he doesn't know signs, even I still read his lips when he comes over to talk.....It don't bother me cause every person has their own way of communicate, and I do not tell them to take sign language class because it really up to them....


I do both the oral way and sign language even I'm not faster than the some of the deaf people are, wow their signs were so fast which it was hard for me to understand but at least I can read their lips and look at their signs at the same time then I would understand more, but when they don't move their mouth and just signs it gets harder for me to understand them...

 

[Eve]

just that due to time constrainsts i'm usually not able to do paper-n-pen esp with other patients around needing my attention, unless its individual therapy. more of my convenience and also to let her know i'm not ignoring her.

If she is your patient, it has NOTHING to do with your convenience. If she is as good at communicating orally as you have described, the need for you to use pen and paper or other means is minimal and shouldn’t take up too much of your time, if that is your patient’s preferred method of communication.

If I were in your shoes, encourage her to particular Deaf Society. She will realize that American Sign Language is her primary language !

And, if I were in your shoes, I would try to understand that the method you prefer may not work for everyone. To each his own! If this individual wants to learn ASL, that is always her prerogative.

Wait a sec......she has "wonderful speech," but yet needs to communicate using paper and pen? HUH?!?!?!

My husband is a wonderful lip-reader, yet there are times when that alone is not sufficient. No language is absolute in dealing with every individual.

I am more relieved because I have told the truth all along for years and years in DeafNotes.

Please continue…….in DeafNotes.

jshumko, you and I seem to have a lot in common where our husband’s are concerned.

 

[zookeeper4321]

zookeeper4321

moonflower: Care to elaborate on why you are against oral deaf. I'm still trying to decide how to educate lilttle G. I have a deaf friend who insists he should speak and be mainstreamed. The team from our state deaf school insists ASL and deaf school. I'm hearing and confused.