Bear
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,241
- Reaction score
- 60
Cloggy when you say and that has to change. It sounds alot like you are saying that everyone has to change to the POSITIVE view of a CI.
The good thing about these discussions is that everyone gets a view and that everyone gets to have their opinions known. This is good for any new parent trying to choose a course of action when finding they have a deaf child.
Some people are accusing others of needing reassurances on their decisions. Isn't that exactly what this board is all about? Supporting each other? No matter what the decision was?
I do agree that we do need to calm down and start making our posts alot more productive than the accusations that fly around here.
The gist of the matter is, most people here are more concerned with the oral-only approach that is USUALLY taken when a CI is implanted. I happen to agree with them. I am an implantee, I know signs, and I can speak well. There is nothing wrong with having EVERY tool available. The CI is a good thing as it does provide hearing in ALOT of the cases. However, if with the CI that a child or an an adult chooses to go the oral-only route, then I would say they are LOSING a wonderful opportunity just to learn our beautiful language. I'm not saying that sign is the only language, but really what's wrong with learning it and using it with our children? If your an adult implantee,sure you may never use it, but at the same time, sign is a good thing. I loved it most when I was talking with my deaf friends and didnt want someone else to know what I was saying. I also like the fact that I can sign to someone across a crowded noisy room and know that we will understand each other.
Many of you, if you ever meet me. Hearing or deaf. Would not realize I wasnt either one. Meaning, I talk so well you would think I was hearing. I sign well enough to pass as a Deaf person. So, as you can see, implantees can fit in both *worlds*.
Many of you talk about giving your child every advantage and opportunity there is out there. If that's the case, I would like you to picture another deaf person coming in to your child's place of business in the future, and finding that your child can sign. Imagine your child owning that business, because of a simple little thing such as knowing signs, your child just made a lifelong customer.
I had that above experience happen to me when I was a manager at a food store. We had a deaf customer come in and when that deaf customer found out that someone could communicate with him there, without the need to write things down. He told my boss, because of that, our store was the only store he would shop at from now on.
So, if you truly wanna give your children every advantage and opportunity in life, sign should be a part of it, as well as a good speaking voice.
As for the implant or not to implant debate, this is a debate that is felt on way too many personal levels. I understand both sides. And I really don't think it would hurt any of us to walk a mile in each other's shoes.
Cloggy, I understand your reasons for implanting Lotte, and Im very glad to hear she is doing so well. But more importantly, I am very glad to hear that you made sign a part of her upbringing as well as focusing on the oral. That is an IDEAL child implant parent.
However, I ask that you also take and put yourself in another person's shoes. And those shoes are of one that was FORCED into the oral only situation. That is what MANY of them here are fighting against. And if you really thought about it, you would see they were right. You were lucky in someways Cloggy, your daughter Lotte WAS and IS a successful implantee. But what if she wasnt, regardless of how much you tried to help her.
Im not saying ALL of Lotte's success was luck. But lets face it, it was lucky it did work so well for her. Not as many kids are that lucky.
Cloggy, I can see you are one parent that is very proud of his kids, and I can also see that if Lotte had not been so successful, that you would have been the kind of parent that would have stopped at nothing to make sure Lotte was in the best enviroment she could be in. I can really see the love you have for Lotte. You do deserve to be commended for the devotion that you show towards your kids.
I just feel that it wouldn't hurt for you to advocate the signs as well. Just as you did for your Lotte. Maybe Im wrong but I dont really SEE you advocate for it too much in your posts. Its really wonderful that you were learning sign for Lotte and that you were teaching Lotte to sign and speak.
If only ALL new parents of deaf children did that much for them, Cloggy. Then maybe people like Shel won't have to deal with the heartbreak of seeing those that didn't do so well struggle to catch up.
Lotte would never have had that problem because YOU gave her every tool she needed to survive no matter what the outcome could have been. Sadly, not as many other parents do-do what you did for Lotte.
And THAT is what the major struggle over implants are. And sadly too many parents do believe that an implant is gonna be a miracle, and then when it doesnt work, they either dont wanna admit failure,defeat or there is somethingm wrong. And when that happens its the kids that lose.
I do understand the heartbreak Shel and others face when they deal with those types of parents.
Cloggy maybe it is hard for you to see that because you AREN'T that type of parent. You were the type that would have said, "OK, Lotte isn't doing so well with this implant, lets see what we can do for her now." You would have been the type to learn more signs and made signs an everyday enviroment for her. You would have looked around and found the best school for her. But sadly, not every parent is YOU Cloggy.
I direct this post at you Cloggy, because you do know the success that a parent could have with a CI child, and you do keep up with all the latest on how to help a CI child. So, with your voice advocating not only how to succeed, but also maybe you could also help advocate a little more *cant think how to say it*, of using ALL the tools available. You are the leading voice, and I do think you really care about doing well and about supporting new parents of deaf children, regardless of what decision they come to.
The good thing about these discussions is that everyone gets a view and that everyone gets to have their opinions known. This is good for any new parent trying to choose a course of action when finding they have a deaf child.
Some people are accusing others of needing reassurances on their decisions. Isn't that exactly what this board is all about? Supporting each other? No matter what the decision was?
I do agree that we do need to calm down and start making our posts alot more productive than the accusations that fly around here.
The gist of the matter is, most people here are more concerned with the oral-only approach that is USUALLY taken when a CI is implanted. I happen to agree with them. I am an implantee, I know signs, and I can speak well. There is nothing wrong with having EVERY tool available. The CI is a good thing as it does provide hearing in ALOT of the cases. However, if with the CI that a child or an an adult chooses to go the oral-only route, then I would say they are LOSING a wonderful opportunity just to learn our beautiful language. I'm not saying that sign is the only language, but really what's wrong with learning it and using it with our children? If your an adult implantee,sure you may never use it, but at the same time, sign is a good thing. I loved it most when I was talking with my deaf friends and didnt want someone else to know what I was saying. I also like the fact that I can sign to someone across a crowded noisy room and know that we will understand each other.
Many of you, if you ever meet me. Hearing or deaf. Would not realize I wasnt either one. Meaning, I talk so well you would think I was hearing. I sign well enough to pass as a Deaf person. So, as you can see, implantees can fit in both *worlds*.
Many of you talk about giving your child every advantage and opportunity there is out there. If that's the case, I would like you to picture another deaf person coming in to your child's place of business in the future, and finding that your child can sign. Imagine your child owning that business, because of a simple little thing such as knowing signs, your child just made a lifelong customer.
I had that above experience happen to me when I was a manager at a food store. We had a deaf customer come in and when that deaf customer found out that someone could communicate with him there, without the need to write things down. He told my boss, because of that, our store was the only store he would shop at from now on.
So, if you truly wanna give your children every advantage and opportunity in life, sign should be a part of it, as well as a good speaking voice.
As for the implant or not to implant debate, this is a debate that is felt on way too many personal levels. I understand both sides. And I really don't think it would hurt any of us to walk a mile in each other's shoes.
Cloggy, I understand your reasons for implanting Lotte, and Im very glad to hear she is doing so well. But more importantly, I am very glad to hear that you made sign a part of her upbringing as well as focusing on the oral. That is an IDEAL child implant parent.
However, I ask that you also take and put yourself in another person's shoes. And those shoes are of one that was FORCED into the oral only situation. That is what MANY of them here are fighting against. And if you really thought about it, you would see they were right. You were lucky in someways Cloggy, your daughter Lotte WAS and IS a successful implantee. But what if she wasnt, regardless of how much you tried to help her.
Im not saying ALL of Lotte's success was luck. But lets face it, it was lucky it did work so well for her. Not as many kids are that lucky.
Cloggy, I can see you are one parent that is very proud of his kids, and I can also see that if Lotte had not been so successful, that you would have been the kind of parent that would have stopped at nothing to make sure Lotte was in the best enviroment she could be in. I can really see the love you have for Lotte. You do deserve to be commended for the devotion that you show towards your kids.
I just feel that it wouldn't hurt for you to advocate the signs as well. Just as you did for your Lotte. Maybe Im wrong but I dont really SEE you advocate for it too much in your posts. Its really wonderful that you were learning sign for Lotte and that you were teaching Lotte to sign and speak.
If only ALL new parents of deaf children did that much for them, Cloggy. Then maybe people like Shel won't have to deal with the heartbreak of seeing those that didn't do so well struggle to catch up.
Lotte would never have had that problem because YOU gave her every tool she needed to survive no matter what the outcome could have been. Sadly, not as many other parents do-do what you did for Lotte.
And THAT is what the major struggle over implants are. And sadly too many parents do believe that an implant is gonna be a miracle, and then when it doesnt work, they either dont wanna admit failure,defeat or there is somethingm wrong. And when that happens its the kids that lose.
I do understand the heartbreak Shel and others face when they deal with those types of parents.
Cloggy maybe it is hard for you to see that because you AREN'T that type of parent. You were the type that would have said, "OK, Lotte isn't doing so well with this implant, lets see what we can do for her now." You would have been the type to learn more signs and made signs an everyday enviroment for her. You would have looked around and found the best school for her. But sadly, not every parent is YOU Cloggy.
I direct this post at you Cloggy, because you do know the success that a parent could have with a CI child, and you do keep up with all the latest on how to help a CI child. So, with your voice advocating not only how to succeed, but also maybe you could also help advocate a little more *cant think how to say it*, of using ALL the tools available. You are the leading voice, and I do think you really care about doing well and about supporting new parents of deaf children, regardless of what decision they come to.
