Deaf child hears for the first time

[AlleyCat]

It sounds like you had a rough day. I'm sorry about that. I hope tomorrow is better for you.

Edit to add: I didn't demand anything of anyone. I posed an important question. As I've stated, I'd be in full support of getting some more comprehensive information out there.

Thank you.

Actually - I need to rephrase how I said that about demanding answers, because that stems from other threads, not this one. Sorry about that.

I'm in full support of finding ways to provide more information to parents, which is why I was asking what parents would like in terms of how they get information -- verbally, video, brochure, etc. I think we could use a starting point.

 

[TXgolfer]

Sometimes the truth hurts, and sometimes these researcher can be biased. When it comes to the truth that majority of hearing people don't want to hear, they don't disclose or release the information but bury somewhere for somebody else to take the bite.

Ill get my tinfoil hat.

 

[TXgolfer]

Why not just AUTOMATICLY give kids BOTH languages instead of handwringing over "choice?" I'm sorry but this debate is freaking DUMB!!!!
Deaf kids deserve BOTH. Both ASL, AND English. Just like blind/low vision kids deserve both Braille training, and large print, and O&M training as well as other traditional "blind" interventions, just like CP kids deserve the full toolbox of physical disabilty things (ie wheelchair use when get tired, typing instead of physically writing) and so on!
I support Deaf kids aquirring speech skills. I just don't think that it should be an eternal speech therapy session. Too many parents think "Oh my kid can hear and talk! They don't "need" ASL..........

How? Going to have the government snatch the kids up? Gonna put parents in jail if they chose for their kids?

 

[Reba]

Why not just AUTOMATICLY give kids BOTH languages instead of handwringing over "choice?" I'm sorry but this debate is freaking DUMB!!!!
Deaf kids deserve BOTH. Both ASL, AND English. Just like blind/low vision kids deserve both Braille training, and large print, and O&M training as well as other traditional "blind" interventions, just like CP kids deserve the full toolbox of physical disabilty things (ie wheelchair use when get tired, typing instead of physically writing) and so on!
I support Deaf kids aquirring speech skills. I just don't think that it should be an eternal speech therapy session. Too many parents think "Oh my kid can hear and talk! They don't "need" ASL..........

I never said that parents had to make an either/or choice. Their choice could be any combination of options. My point was, who would make the choices and decisions in regards to their children if not the parents?

 

[Foxrac]

I never said that parents had to make an either/or choice. Their choice could be any combination of options. My point was, who would make the choices and decisions in regards to their children if not the parents?

It could be court?

 

[AlleyCat]

Ill get my tinfoil hat.

Written by a parent who never had to make a choice for a deaf child. Sure, your comments hold a lot of weight. I'll get my tinfoil hat.

 

[Reba]

It could be court?

Do you really want courts to take over the parents' role?

 

[Bottesini]

Do you really want courts to take over the parents' role?

They often do in cases of unfit parenting.

 

[TXgolfer]

They often do in cases of unfit parenting.

Wow!

 

[deafdyke]

I think that they really do have their best interests at heart, it's just a matter of perspective. Would it make their childhood a little harder? maybe, would it make the parents job easier? maybe. But that is just during childhood, a parent is thinking farther than that, that child is not going to stay a child forever. Part of a parents job is to teach and equip that child to be an independent well rounded adult. I hear a lot about "the hearing world", that would be the world yes, because the world is a hearing one. A parent with the long view of equipping the child to able to interact within that hearing world isn't exactly behaving selfishly and thinking what is best for them.

But again, this is an example of of perspective, perceived offenses from a view of defensiveness, insecurity and misunderstanding. A lot of assumptions about the "hearies" and what they're thinking and what their motivations are.

Actually Ambrosia that IS the problem. Most parents who chose oral only aren't really aware of the problems that crop up later ...they're just so "OMG a cute Deaf kid WHO CAN SPEAK !!!!"(and their thinking is "they're more "normal") They really don't seem to realize that a dhh adult with a deaf accent can get discriminated against just as much as an ASL only adult, or that oral abilty doesn't give dhh kids complete access to the hearing world.
They are not aware of the problems that crop up when the kids are no longer cute.
This isn't just a Dhh thing thou.....I know many parents of kids with disabilties who are all " Oh we'll just mainstream them and they don't need any "special needs" sorts of things" Their kids do well intitally (b/c after all it IS very easy to "fake it" but then things get a LOT HARDER, and they lose friends, and slowly realize that their access to the "mainstream" isn't really giving them too much advantages.

 

[deafdyke]

Yes, this is a problem that I've observed.

When I interpret for a full Deaf, voice-off ASL consumer, invariably the hearing consumer will mention something about how some other deaf person could read lips and speak, so no interpreter was necessary. (Restraining my eye roll.) Or, the hearing person will ask, "Do you read lips? How much do you hear? Do you understand me?"

Hearing people don't realize that the deaf and hard-of-hearing population spans a huge continuum. Not to sound trite but deaf people are like snowflakes--no two are the same. Sadly though, hearing people tend to lump all deaf people into one group, with similar language modes, life experiences, audiograms, educational backgrounds, and socio-economic levels. They don't understand why deaf people need interpreters--can't they write notes, lip-read, get an implant, use better hearing aids?

Uh, huh.

That's not to say I begrudge anyone, late-deafened, oral, CI user, etc., for whom their path has brought them satisfaction. It's not their fault that hearing acquaintances expect all deaf people to match their model. To add to that, hearing people see "miracles" happen on TV and the internet, and expect that soon deafness will be just a faded memory of the past. But the reality is, it does sometimes make things more difficult for those who don't match the model they expect.

Exactly!!!!!! Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[deafdyke]

Again, I am not saying that we prohibit CI, or oral. That is not where I stand. Where I stand on is educate Hearing parents that never heard of Deaf and their child is Deaf. That is the whole point that I stand behind. Majority of hearing people have no clue what Deaf is like, that is something we can not change. But what we can change is educate these medical professionals because most hearing medical professional never met Deaf or unheard of it and have no idea what they are. That part needs to be changed to make difference.

And Nah, don't need to be sorry. Its not your fault.

PRECISELY!!!!!! I honestly think that a lot of the choices that oral only parents make is due to being misinformed and or not really having real experiance as to what dhh people can actually DO!

 

[deafdyke]

that would be an exception not the rule

Yes, There was a kid in the '60's that they paraded around as "proof" that AVT worked.....this kid spoke multiple languages and was a very very high acheiver. That didn't and doesn't mean that ALL AVT trained children do that well.

 

[deafdyke]

But, isn't the whole point of your education to make you less dependent on other people? Isn't the whole point to make you strong enough to stand up on your own no matter what happens in life?

Seriously, I wouldn't want my kid to depend on other people for help because other people are not dependable.

On the other hand, oral only kids are dependent on oral 'terps, CART etc

 

[TXgolfer]

Yes, There was a kid in the '60's that they paraded around as "proof" that AVT worked.....this kid spoke multiple languages and was a very very high acheiver. That didn't and doesn't mean that ALL AVT trained children do that well.

No one made such a claim...

 

[deafdyke]

Do you really want courts to take over the parents' role?

No, but with early intervention just GIVE the parents both very good speech services AND good ASL services. That way they won't HAVE to chose. Make sense now?

 

[TXgolfer]

Written by a parent who never had to make a choice for a deaf child. Sure, your comments hold a lot of weight. I'll get my tinfoil hat.

Umm, that post was in regard to the super secret classified study.

As for decision making, parents face many difficult decisions during the course of a child's life. The principals are always the same. "What is in my child's best interest"

 

[Dmodc]

This is sad not for deaf community or for myself, its about this child and the world will now believe this is a miracle and are thinking, wow there's an "cure" for the deaf now lets take all the deaf children and cure them all make them "one of us" when in reality there is no such thing as an cure for the deaf, will they follow up with this child maybe 10 years later to see how this child is doing? No they will not. What the world doesn't realize is that deaf children who's born deaf will always be deaf period no surgery will change that. this child will never hear sounds he will only feel the vibrations and sadly he will be taught what he "hears" are sounds when it's not. What a great job people are doing to the deaf children by confusing them. Deaf children learn the best by seeing whats in front of them and sign language. Children are not an guinea pig, they were not born into this world for anybody to change them. They're a gift we are to accept them for who they are and what they are. A child with illness is a complete different story. Deafness is not an illness nor an disease. Unneccessary surgery on the children should be against the law.

 

[TXgolfer]

No, but with early intervention just GIVE the parents both very good speech services AND good ASL services. That way they won't HAVE to chose. Make sense now?

Not really. What if a parent doesn't want that?

 

[Grummer]

No, but with early intervention just GIVE the parents both very good speech services AND good ASL services. That way they won't HAVE to chose. Make sense now?

erm, theres no such thing as 'very good speech services' gotta make up your mind on that...