Greetings All from Memphis!

J

JonNena

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Greetings all! My name is Jon and I am from Memphis. I am hearing, but am involved in the deaf community and have been for some time now. In as short of a version as I can give...

I am a police officer and once took a sign language class offered to our agency MANY years ago. About a year after the class, I married the teacher who had been an interpreter for a number of years. Five years after that, we had a son who was born deaf. He is now 8 and his deafness hasn't slowed him down a bit! He uses hearing aids and does pretty well with them, but also uses a good bit of sign and works with a deaf mentor on a somewhat regular basis. I am on the Board of Directors at our local non-profit deaf service center and operate as the Public Safety Liaison.
 
Welcome Jon

Hope you well check out P. I. P. (Positive Interaction Program) and set up a group for your police department to share and communicate with the deaf of Memphis.
 
He is now 8 and his deafness hasn't slowed him down a bit! He uses hearing aids and does pretty well with them, but also uses a good bit of sign and works with a deaf mentor on a somewhat regular basis
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YAY!!!!
Are you guys hooked up with Ameircan society for deaf Children? American Society for Deaf Children - Home
What about Tennesse school for the deaf? !Tennessee School for the Deaf
There's a listing of summer camps at TSD!!!!
 
deafdyke said:
YAY!!!!
Are you guys hooked up with Ameircan society for deaf Children? American Society for Deaf Children - Home
What about Tennesse school for the deaf? !Tennessee School for the Deaf
There's a listing of summer camps at TSD!!!!
Click to expand...


We will be looking into the ASDC, but we are not involved with the TN School for the Deaf. He attends a regular neighborhood school. His teacher uses an FM system with his hearing aids. Up to this point he has done pretty good, and we have made an attempt to use an interpreter in the past...in the first grade if I remember right...but he wouldn't even look at the interpreter, so they discontinued the interpreter...which I can understand from the schools perspective. They try to force him to be oral...saying that he can hear just fine with his hearing aids. But we know that if necessary, we have the ability to force their hand. I would hate to be a family that had a deaf child and knew nothing about the ADA and specifically about their rights as deaf parents. It is east to see how my own child's school would take advantage of someone like that and run the show their way. I'm sure that at some point this year, we will be pushing for an interpreter again...and since THEY know that WE know WHAT WE KNOW (remember that I am on the Board of Directors for our local Deaf service center and my wife has been an interpreter for 20+ years), they won't fight US too much on it. We want total communication, which we feel is in the best interest of our child...and we really don't care whose feelings we have to hurt in the process to be sure that our child gets everything that he has the right to have...which in this case will be an interpreter when we feel that the time is right for him to have one. We don't get ugly about it unless they force us to, but in the end, we know that we have the upper hand and its good that they know that as well. WOW...didn't mean to get that long winded!
 
JonNena said:
We will be looking into the ASDC, but we are not involved with the TN School for the Deaf. He attends a regular neighborhood school. His teacher uses an FM system with his hearing aids. Up to this point he has done pretty good, and we have made an attempt to use an interpreter in the past...in the first grade if I remember right...but he wouldn't even look at the interpreter, so they discontinued the interpreter...which I can understand from the schools perspective. They try to force him to be oral...saying that he can hear just fine with his hearing aids. But we know that if necessary, we have the ability to force their hand. I would hate to be a family that had a deaf child and knew nothing about the ADA and specifically about their rights as deaf parents. It is east to see how my own child's school would take advantage of someone like that and run the show their way. I'm sure that at some point this year, we will be pushing for an interpreter again...and since THEY know that WE know WHAT WE KNOW (remember that I am on the Board of Directors for our local Deaf service center and my wife has been an interpreter for 20+ years), they won't fight US too much on it. We want total communication, which we feel is in the best interest of our child...and we really don't care whose feelings we have to hurt in the process to be sure that our child gets everything that he has the right to have...which in this case will be an interpreter when we feel that the time is right for him to have one. We don't get ugly about it unless they force us to, but in the end, we know that we have the upper hand and its good that they know that as well. WOW...didn't mean to get that long winded!
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Oh no problem....and it's good that you guys are involved with the local deaf community! I just posted TSD since it might be a good resource for later on, like if he wanted to go to a deaf school for middle and high school, or if he wanted to go to camp there.
 
Wow, Jon. That is incredible. Not a lot of hearing parents are like you. They would go for CIs and go to the oral only methods. It is too bad that a lot of hearing people don't realize it is hard for the deaf, even hard of hearing to try to hear the words but fail to pick the words up. It is not easy but it also not easy on the lipreading skills too. That is why it is important to have ASL interpreters so that we can understand what is going on in the classroom instead of FM. I applauded you and your wife doing a good job with your son. I am impressed. :thumb:

:welcome: to allDeaf forum. :wave:
 
Hi Officer Jon, What an incredible and an irony story.
First of all Welcome to AD. I seconded Bebonang s view and opinions.
You are terrific bold and came out strong especially marrying an interpreter and your fascinate into Deaf fora probably blessed you with a Deaf son.
Be proud of him and Love him. With so many Deafness resources out there in TN the sky is the limit for your proud Son as with time when he gets older and learned education wise he will be a story book worth educative in not too distance future. With your community involvement you will be a motivation speaker using your son and interpreter wife as a mix to bless in disguise.
Kudos and thanks for sharing this fascinated story.
Welcome to AD. Officer Jon. Smiles. Blessings to you and your family. I am in awe of your fascinated story. I doff my hats to you.
 
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