How did you become deaf / hard of hearing?

Rogus said:
Don't want to be their equals. Don't want to drop down to that level.
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While I do understand why you would say that, however, if we are to ever be noticed, we need to be at the top of their equals, or else they will never really see and hear us. We are still far behind. :( I am not and know that we will never be their equal to their standards. :ugh3:
 
Starred with being born with auditory processing disorder. Had ear infections back to back for 7 years. This killed a good amount of my hearing.
Got tubes in my ears at 7 and again at 16. My ent found my e tubes are sealed shut. They could drill them open but he didn't want to chance it. Now my ear drums are sucked back and rubbing my bones. My bone are almost broken and my hearing is in the profound area. Now I am waiting for the bones to break and the eardrums to brust.
 
DeafNerdMommy said:
Starred with being born with auditory processing disorder. Had ear infections back to back for 7 years. This killed a good amount of my hearing.
Got tubes in my ears at 7 and again at 16. My ent found my e tubes are sealed shut. They could drill them open but he didn't want to chance it. Now my ear drums are sucked back and rubbing my bones. My bone are almost broken and my hearing is in the profound area. Now I am waiting for the bones to break and the eardrums to brust.
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oh my gosh. I feel for you. I hope you are well now?
 
No one noticed that I had trouble hearing until I was 10. By then I was pretty good at lip reading. I was mainstreamed, with hearing aides. I had a hard time with them. When I was 19 I was diagnosed with Autoimmune Inner Ear Disorder and at 29 it took what was left of my hearing.
 
crps369 said:
No one noticed that I had trouble hearing until I was 10. By then I was pretty good at lip reading. I was mainstreamed, with hearing aides. I had a hard time with them. When I was 19 I was diagnosed with Autoimmune Inner Ear Disorder and at 29 it took what was left of my hearing.
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That happened to me as well, no one noticed I was deaf until I was about 16 months or so. Hard to go to mainstream trying to fit in, I know been there. :(
 
Was born deaf due to ototoxic drug. I avoid ototoxic drugs like a plague. I can’t handle any 4 day course antibiotic.
 
I was born HoH to unknown reason then became deaf 25 years later. At 41, I was diagnosed with Mondini Dysplasia and Enlarged Vesbular Aquaduct syndrome in both ears.
 
I had pneumonia when I was two and got a shot which killed the nerves.
 
Catmandu said:
I was born HoH to unknown reason then became deaf 25 years later. At 41, I was diagnosed with Mondini Dysplasia and Enlarged Vesbular Aquaduct syndrome in both ears.
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One of my friends has a little girl with unilateral loss due to what you have. Guess what? She's DEFINATLY going to learn ASL, and go to Deaf camp so she has that at least. The funny thing is the mom was all " I don't know what to do with aiding her!" I told her that the best thing to do is to offer the aid and see how it works, since benefit from aiding with unilateral loss tends to be very varied.
 
deafdyke said:
One of my friends has a little girl with unilateral loss due to what you have. Guess what? She's DEFINATLY going to learn ASL, and go to Deaf camp so she has that at least. The funny thing is the mom was all " I don't know what to do with aiding her!" I told her that the best thing to do is to offer the aid and see how it works, since benefit from aiding with unilateral loss tends to be very varied.
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I'm glad that she's going to learn ASL because it is the best tool to communicate. I didn't use sign until I was about 9 and still not proficent in ASL. I've been oral for most of my life and not enough ASL exposure in my life. I married my best friend who is hearing and he does sign. My three children from 15 to 6 years old (kinda) sign. It'll be good for her to start now with ASL and will do very well much later in life.
 
Born deaf really don't know why. There is something pointing to usher's syndrome but my other eye doctor thinks its not true. My hearing remains the same. I have some residual hearing and I am able to use hearing aids for visual/lip reading. I cannot rely on speech alone so no phones or radios and such. I have picked up American Sign Language in high school and have become fluent since then. I am able to communicate with the general public pretty well unless they have a really strong accent or a quiet voice or that they don't move their lips then it's like please write it down. :) Okay I should stop now. Hi to everyone! :wave:
 
Catmandu said:
I'm glad that she's going to learn ASL because it is the best tool to communicate. I didn't use sign until I was about 9 and still not proficent in ASL. I've been oral for most of my life and not enough ASL exposure in my life. I married my best friend who is hearing and he does sign. My three children from 15 to 6 years old (kinda) sign. It'll be good for her to start now with ASL and will do very well much later in life.
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I think ALL HOH kids should learn ASL as a given. Like they should attend dhh preschool and be encouraged to enroll in local dhh programs or even SCHOOLS (if available) HOH kids already have the speech skills and the HOH level of functioning, so why not give them ASL, deaf ed, deaf camp etc? It has been decades since speech exclusive approaches were innovative. Like part of the reason why speech exclusive approaches were so prestigious were b/c not a lot of kids developed excellent speech. Now it's "Pretty much everyone including kids who sign speak." So why not give the kids everything? Why delibratly keep kids away from something that could help them THRIVE?!?!?
 
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deafdyke said:
I think ALL HOH kids should learn ASL as a given. Like they should attend dhh preschool and be encouraged to enroll in local dhh programs or even SCHOOLS (if available) HOH kids already have the speech skills and the HOH level of functioning, so why not give them ASL, deaf ed, deaf camp etc? It has been decades since speech exclusive approaches were innovative. Like part of the reason why speech exclusive approaches were so prestigious were b/c not a lot of kids developed excellent speech. Now it's "Pretty much everyone including kids who sign speak." So why not give the kids everything? Why delibratly keep kids away from something that could help them THRIVE?!?!?
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I agree with you whole heartedly. I wish I had it all 40 years ago, but back then HoH meant a lot of speech training and no ASL training. I was raised as an oral student in deaf and mainstreamed schools. I was “lost” in deaf camp for several years due to lack of ASL usage. The same goes for hearing camp, I’d miss out so many words on what they were saying. To this day I have trouble associating with both worlds. It is strongly encouraged these deaf and HoH children pick up ASL in school at early age, at home and camp. More exposure the better and it boosts their self confidence whereas I have none.
 
Catmandu said:
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I wish I had it all 40 years ago, but back then HoH meant a lot of speech training and no ASL training. I was raised as an oral student in deaf and mainstreamed schools. I was “lost” in deaf camp for several years due to lack of ASL usage. The same goes for hearing camp, I’d miss out so many words on what they were saying. To this day I have trouble associating with both worlds. It is strongly encouraged by these deaf and HoH children to pick up ASL in school at an early age, at home and camp. More exposure the better and it boosts their self-confidence whereas I have none.
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This is the problem with hearing parents and schools. It is unfortunate that they didn't see ASL as a tool to help us understand ourselves as a deaf/Deaf individual person and each to their own character. They ONLY saw one thing. Speech and hearing aids.

Which is why most HOH ( not all ) but most have a hard time in schools trying to catch up and fit in. I did not fit in any of the schools I went. I mean I did have several deaf friends, but the ASl part was on and off until I went to Jr High. It was so frustrating trying to keep up.!
 
peekaboo said:
This is the problem with hearing parents and schools. It is unfortunate that they didn't see ASL as a tool to help us understand ourselves as a deaf/Deaf individual person and each to their own character. They ONLY saw one thing. Speech and hearing aids.

Which is why most HOH ( not all ) but most have a hard time in schools trying to catch up and fit in. I did not fit in any of the schools I went. I mean I did have several deaf friends, but the ASl part was on and off until I went to Jr High. It was so frustrating trying to keep up.!
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Exactly... I wouldn't want younger generation to experience what you and I went through. I think they should make a note and really start including ASL in the program. Social settings are very important for young d/Deaf/HoH children because they learn the language through ASL and facial expressions because without it, it's a lost cause. It took me many years to catch up, but it is still not perfect. That's why it's important to start young.
 
Catmandu said:
Exactly... I wouldn't want the younger generation to experience what you and I went through. I think they should make a note and really start including ASL in the program. Social settings are very important for young d/Deaf/HoH children because they learn the language through ASL and facial expressions because, without it, it's a lost cause. It took me many years to catch up, but it is still not perfect. That's why it's important to start young.
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Totally agree, all schools should have programs for mentally, physically challenged and not just for "special schools." Now they are trying to close down deaf/ Deaf/ and HOH programs to get them to the mainstream with hearies because of "budget"... smdh
 
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