Do we have a challenge ahead of us to avoid becoming Hearing?

[rolling7]

First off...CRR has seperate programs for the hearing (1000s) and the deaf (a daily average of 20), all deaf clients are help by ASL staff. Only those deaf who request/require oral instructions (a few) are giving a different evaluation for service. But all are treated equally.
(B.T.W. she did good on her driving ed. today..really getting there soon)

I do not fault TSD for graduateing those who can not read/write, this happens in the Houston schools for the hearing A L L the time, every May. This woman , like I said, admitted that the kids attending when she did "spent the day playing".
When I worked with the many deaf at the Post Office, and I still sociallize with a few, they talked about TSD and themselves. My main point for placeing blame would be that these kids were sent to the school and dumped. They had no parent control and while the school did what it wanted, how they wanted, and without oversight, all my co-workers were in agreement that their parents did not care. Forgive me for not being able to think that far back (early 70's) but what I remember is some of them did have one or two deaf parent. Today, TSD has a new policy and the kids are not at TSD 24/7/365, they must go home to their parents.
Nevertheless, it is not my way to blame the state schools for the lack of responsibility of the parents. I'm a parent of an outstanding son (his 39th B-day is tomorrow) and I would have killed myself before I left his education and development to in the hands of someone else. I'm not saying he did not have good teachers but I was always on top of what he was being taught.
How is it possible that hearing kids today grad without being able to read/write? That question is W A Y over my head, when it comes to the school systems. But the real, and to me the ONLY, reason is apathy of the parents. They are responsible to make damn sure their kid is being educated properly but also to see from their child first hand proof.
Should we think the deaf children would be different? We could hope so but the fact is the result of the pass shows everyone that just like the hearing there are deaf that can not read/write. Don't get me wrong here. I am doing what I can to help those who are willing to be helped. But I have 100% no pity for those who don't. It's their life, not mine.

 

[AlleyCat]

So true. I have a lot of "friends" on facebook and I am constantly shaking my head at how badly university graduates write. Even those who graduated with a degree in English or Journalism.

Same here!

 

[rolling7]

If that is truly your experience, you must live a very remote and isolated existence. While I know of may Deaf who believe that ASL is all they need for interpersonal communication, (that they don't need to speak), I know of none that believe that ASL is all that is necessary for all of life.

They are out there, for sure.

 

[jillio]

So true. I have a lot of "friends" on facebook and I am constantly shaking my head at how badly university graduates write. Even those who graduated with a degree in English or Journalism.

And if the mainstreamed system is doing such a poor job of teaching English to hearing students, think how poorly they address the deaf student's needs.

 

[DeafCaroline]

I have before. I prefer to read on my Kindle (well, Nook now, I upgraded, lol) because the e-Ink screen is easier on my eyes than backlit LCD screens. I read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy on a backlit PDA web browser when I was in high school. It's not nearly as extreme as you're making it out to be, even if it's not ideal.

How many people are like you, reading full books on the internet? Not many. And certainly not my children's generation.

 

[DeafCaroline]

There are anecdotes of deaf children believing they will be hearing when they grow up because they have never seen a deaf adult.

I was one of them.

 

[jillio]

They are out there, for sure.

So they never watch television, never read a magazine or a newspaper, never read a store advertisement? No language what so ever that isn't ASL? I still doubt that very much.

 

[jillio]

I was one of them.

That doesn't surprise me. That believe is actually very common in kids that are raised in oral environments. I find it very sad.

 

[StSapphire]

How many people are like you, reading full books on the internet? Not many. And certainly not my children's generation.

Oh that I certainly agree with 100%. I'm just being obtuse because I'm weird and you happened to describe something that I've specifically done before, lol.

 

[rolling7]

Soooo...if they want the deaf client to be as prepared as possible,are they also going into the job site to negotiate for accommodation based on the client's deafness?

No, for advancement.

 

[rolling7]

So they never watch television, never read a magazine or a newspaper, never read a store advertisement? No language what so ever that isn't ASL? I still doubt that very much.

FACTS:

I know a deaf person who "looks"at magazines for the pictures (and I'm NOT talking Playboy here)

For years a deaf guy who worked beside me and took our breaks together always ask to borrow my sport page (since being in H.S. I've read the local proper cover-to-cover). He looked at the sats for his players but had no idea of what the articles said.

Store ads? What is to read! Picture...cost...what more do you need?

Closed caption...see my previous post.

Here is one just for you. I once witness a hearing person, after few minutes, ask to borrow the Sunday comics from a deaf person. The deaf has been looking through the pages with NO visual change of expression (yes, I was sitting straight across and that is what I notice). Once the hearing person started reading the comics you could clearly see the movement of the lip to a suppressed smile, then a real smile, then a low laugh, then a belly laugh. You can try and saw the deaf person had a different viewpoint of what is funny but I'll say the deaf person could not really follow the concept of comics.

 

[rolling7]

Exactly. Which totally negates this "ASL only" supposition.

You can led a horse to water, but you can't make him drink!

But you already knew this....a wasted post

 

[rolling7]

I would be very interested because I am planning to set up a blog to provide information for parents who are considering sending their kids to the Oral school in my town. The info on the school's site is very carefully contrived to present themselves in a positive light and I want to make sure the parents know what the school is not telling them.

Ask Bill Gates to donate money from his foundation so that each and every school...heating, deaf oral, deaf state, deaf Asl, etc...has a blog. This, to me, should be a requirement if schools want taxpayers money.

 

[KristinaB]

Fact:
I am a total deaf person. I read newspapers, magazines and books, both in print and online. I have been doing this since I was able to read at age 3. I have also written a few short children's stories that were never sent off to be published. They were for my son.

Fact:
I had a hard time at school, being the only hoh student in the whole school system. I had a German/English/Latin professor for a father and a book-keeper/accountant for a mother who was also trained as a vocalist. Both my brothers were older and between them and my parents, I made it through public school. I went father than either brother. Oldest dropped out, then graduated from night school a year later. Other brother dropped out and took the GED as the easy way out. Me, the d/hoh child, went all the way to commencement. I graduated in a high school class of 938 and I was number 13 in the class. That took hard word and determination on my part. I was not able to follow along with many of my teachers, but I had my family to help and friends who let me copy their notes.

 

[rolling7]

So true. I have a lot of "friends" on facebook and I am constantly shaking my head at how badly university graduates write. Even those who graduated with a degree in English or Journalism.

I'm with you here. But would you say human standard is changing to where it is acceptable to butcher a language?

 

[jillio]

No, for advancement.

Then it would appear that they are not concerned, in a holistic way, for the deaf individual's success.

 

[jillio]

You can led a horse to water, but you can't make him drink!

But you already knew this....a wasted post

Not wasted at all. You need to clarify what your use of ASL only entails. So far, it appears that you include the use of written English in that definition. To be factual, if written English is being used in any form and for any purpose, and individual is not using ASL only.

 

[jillio]

Ask Bill Gates to donate money from his foundation so that each and every school...heating, deaf oral, deaf state, deaf Asl, etc...has a blog. This, to me, should be a requirement if schools want taxpayers money.

You are proposing that a blog be added to the criteria for Federal and State funding?

 

[Speedy Hawk]

That's insane -- how is it possible that your teachers didn't realize this (or did they?) and take some action?

I watched my daughter carefully at a gymnastics show last week: the coaches are from Eastern Europe and often slip into Armenian and Russian and shout incomprehensible instructions to the kids over the booming music they pipe into these big echo-y gyms, and the kids are mostly from China, Korea, Thailand, so English is usually a second language to them anyway -- so none of them actually hear what's being shouted, and they all use coping mechanisms, watching the gestures, following the more experienced girls who know what's expected. Li is sooo much better than anyone else at figuring out what's being shouted or expected -- while I can't make out a word of it. I was thinking how great this skill was. And then I realized how dangerous it is, as well. She might "pass" just as you did.

It is very common in mainstreams. I did the same as Shel. I day dream in class a lot, if I didn't I would be SOOOOO bored. There be about 20 kids in class, there be trouble makers in class, teachers usually focus on trouble makers, also teachers trying to teach, keep class in order, trying to cover whole lesson plan, trying to prepare on time as well, etc, they do not have time to notice every student in class and how they are doing. Usually the quiet ones go unnoticed esp deaf kids. None of teachers noticed that I cannot read or write 3-11 years old at mainstream. My dad had to teach me how to read and write at weekends at home before I go to secondary oral deaf school. They didn't even teach me read or write either. Had to learn myself and bit of Dad's help too.

 

[rolling7]

Then it would appear that they are not concerned, in a holistic way, for the deaf individual's success.

Sorry, I won't scoop to calling a name I really want to. These volunteers give hours and hours of their time. They even spend out of pocket $$$ to help clients. I've personally thrown I FORGET how many parties to celebrate achievement by the clients. We DONOT want the client to just have a job but a future, and that requires slot of effort on our part. I'm biting my fingers here.