The parents and doctors also denied children with implant access to sign language. They might remain communicatively impaired for years and years. We do not blame the parents as we blames the FDA for allowing the device on the market when it is unethical and also does not work well for the deaf children. Unfortunately, our society views being deaf as a disability but not being female or male into transsexual. Why did you think that the hearing parents should decide on their children to put the cochlear implants whether they do not know anything about deafness or other way for the deaf children to learn? There is a very strong presumption in our moral reasoning and in the law that the parents know best for their children (look how the government wants to return Elian Gonzales to his father). The msitake was for FDA to give the parents the choice. For example, if there were an unsafe drug, and parents thought it was good and asked the doctor for it for their children. It is not the parent's job to learn all about the drug and alternatives; the FDA should not allow the drug to be marketed. That is reasoning, why can;t the FDA and Consensus Developement Conferences were held the and the FDA approved the issue of infant cochlear implant, they did not consult those opposed to its approval by the deaf community? Both the panel and the conference were made up exclusively of hearing people, mostly ear specialists. Most of them are uninformed about the deaf world. The FDA panel had it is proceeding all written down, and he read them. Basically, the deaf person has seen as a broken ear. The face that most deaf children have hearing parents made it much easier for these groups to ignore deaf people. They feel it is done of your business. There are not your children. Why can't the hearing parents reconsider or consult with deaf professional first before they see those doctor? The parents see their child being deaf as medical /disability problem, so many never think about asking deaf adults. The doctor encourages them to ask oher hearing parents whose children have had implants but even that is difficult. If the parents wanted to talk to a deaf person, where would they find one? How could they communicate? finally, the idea that they need to consult a strange deaf adult is somewhat frightening; will their child become a strange adult with another language and culture?
I am not surprised that nowadays the deaf children become older, they do not use their implants. They choice the sign language and deaf world then become angry with their parents for not accept who they are !
I spoke with a lady at the FDA who works at the device market. She does not realize how many out there deaf children are not happy to using their implants and tired easily to learn their speech language for many hours. Deaf Americans and with deaf leaders and scholars who have some knowledge of how deaf children acquire language, how they develop socially and emotionally, and how they become an integral part of the American deaf community and its culture. The FDA formally consulted otologists, speech and hearing scientists, manufactures (Cochlear Implant Corp.) parents, and members of its own staff in arriving at its decision; its failure to consult deaf leaders represents, if an oversight, ignorance concerning growing up deaf in America, or, if willful, offense against fundamental American values. Nationa Ssociation of the Deaf branding the FDA action "unsound scientifically, and ethically,. The American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery said in rebuttal that the FDA and its Ear, Nose and Throat Devices Panel make judgement only "on the basis of valid scientific evidence." They are more listening hearing than deaf people.
For example, they put more weight on their child acquiring extremely limited communication in their primary language than on the child acquiring fluent communication in ASL. A hearing mother of a deaf child said at a discussion of implants with deaf leaders, :but surely a mother have a right to want surgery for her child which will make him more like his mother as hearing".
The child can't get any more advocate his own position, because he is too young or because he has kept languageless, the child should have a representative or an advocate. The deaf children need get some expore and advocate from the deaf community which it is their true ASL language itself !
The hearing people are very selfish themselves because they do not realize how much emotional distrub for those innocence deaf children change their socially idenities.
I hope, one day the FDA and NIH will be waking up that implants are not completely helpful for their speech language and more voculbary than without CI deaf children. That is full of bull ** S ** ! The government CONTROL in this society to fixing the deaf ears into hearing to be like them. No way !
Deaf people during 1960's. They were forbided us to not using sign language. We were training for many hours to watch ugliest speech therpist with yellowish teeth and red thick lipstick. They do not teach me any academic because they wanted us to learn how to speak. That is full of bull ** s **. My Deaf school finally established to allow us totally communication ASL/Oral in 1968. What can I do about my not property speech? I have seen some oralism Deaf people do not realize that their speech are not property.
