How to Decide on Cochlear Implant Surgery for Children

[shel90]

I disagree. There are pros and cons to all choices. It is not my choice to make for someone else. There are successes in all paths, who am I to say that my way is better.

For example, I have a Deaf friend. She has two Deaf children. She has chosen to not give them hearing aids or have them ever have speech therapy. You say you would mandate spoken language exposure, she doesn't want that for them, at least right now. Yes, research shows that the younger a child begins using amplification and being exposed to spoken language the quicker they pick it up, but still, it is her decision. Why should you force her to do something she is uncomfortabl with.

I know another Deaf parent that has chosen a CI for her child. ASL is his first language but she has chosen an oral school for him. Why is your perspective better than hers? She is fully informed and she has made her choice. Her son has access to ASL and spoken language. One at home and one at school. Why is your way better than hers?

I am not saying mine is better...

I am just saying that there are many deaf children who have suffered because they didnt have full access in the educational setting. Giving them both eliminates that risks. This is children's education we are talking about.

 

[faire_jour]

If you were to implement this, I could call it genocide.

You simply cannot force this upon all parents. It is their discretion whether they feel they want to expose ASL to their children and be exposed to ASL as well.

This would fall under the Deaf Hate Crime category. Taking away parental rights and enforcing ASL without options.

Plus, if you are forcing parents they are not going to be passionate about it. The thing that makes kids successful is involved, passionate parents. If you take away their choice, they will feel forced and many will not accept it. I would much rather have a parent who uses SEE and is passionate and makes sure their child has access to SEE everywhere they go, has captions, interpreters, SEE signing friends, teaches the family and neighbors SEE than a family who is forced to send their child to an ASL school and never bother to learn to communicate with their child.

 

[A]

I am not saying mine is better...

I am just saying that there are many deaf children who have suffered because they didnt have full access in the educational setting. Giving them both eliminates that risks. This is children's education we are talking about.

US already mandate schooling for all children. But it doesn't mean it have to be English. I think it all depends on what school the child go to as long as they are learning what they are suppose to learn.

 

[shel90]

Plus, if you are forcing parents they are not going to be passionate about it. The thing that makes kids successful is involved, passionate parents. If you take away their choice, they will feel forced and many will not accept it. I would much rather have a parent who uses SEE and is passionate and makes sure their child has access to SEE everywhere they go, has captions, interpreters, SEE signing friends, teaches the family and neighbors SEE than a family who is forced to send their child to an ASL school and never bother to learn to communicate with their child.

whatever happens at home, it is not my business. I am talking about the educational setting where learning takes place.

Arent policies put forth in public schools for hearing children as well?

 

[faire_jour]

I am not saying mine is better...

I am just saying that there are many deaf children who have suffered because they didnt have full access in the educational setting. Giving them both eliminates that risks. This is children's education we are talking about.

So would you force the first family to expose their child to spoken language and speech therapy?

 

[Mrs Bucket]

I am talking aobut in the educational setting. Then children grow up suffering the consequences of being places in restrictive environments?

This is like telling parents they have rights to expose their hearing children to spoken language or not. Would that be acceptable for hearing children not to be exposed to spoken language?

Where is this restrictive educational setting you're talking about?

Why do I have a feeling you are talking about your own personal experience as a child without ASL exposure?

Parents have the right to decide what they want to do with their own children, we as a community, must support and reinforce those parents' decisions. It doesn't help that their own community constantly second-guesses the parents' decisions.

As a Bi-Bi advocate, I advocate both ASL and English however I will second-guess a parent's approach because it's not my place. I will show support and will reinforce the parents. They need the support and feedback, criticism is the very last thing they need.

 

[faire_jour]

US already mandate schooling for all children. But it doesn't mean it have to be English. I think it all depends on what school the child go to as long as they are learning what they are suppose to learn.

I agree.

 

[Bottesini]

US already mandate schooling for all children. But it doesn't mean it have to be English. I think it all depends on what school the child go to as long as they are learning what they are suppose to learn.

Are you not understanding that Shel supports English for all children? You need it in life.

She is supporting both English and ASL. She states that repeatedly.

 

[shel90]

So would you force the first family to expose their child to spoken language and speech therapy?

I am talking about in the educational setting, not at the home.

What do u mean by this question if u dont mind rephrasing it?

 

[faire_jour]

Where is this restrictive educational setting you're talking about?

Why do I have a feeling you are talking about your own personal experience as a child without ASL exposure?

Parents have the right to decide what they want to do with their own children, we as a community, must support and reinforce those parents' decisions. It doesn't help that their own community constantly second-guesses the parents' decisions.

As a Bi-Bi advocate, I advocate both ASL and English however I will second-guess a parent's approach because it's not my place. I will show support and will reinforce the parents. They need the support and feedback, criticism is the very last thing they need.

Thank you so much Mrs. Bucket. You are amazing. You are a great support to parents. I hope that every parent of a deaf-hoh child has the opportunity to meet someone in the Deaf community with the loving supportive spirit you show us

 

[shel90]

Are you not understanding that Shel supports English for all children? You need it in life.

She is supporting both English and ASL. She states that repeatedly.

That's why I dont support Signwriting....no point to it. I would rather children read and write in the primary languageof their countries.

I just have trouble believing that deaf children can get as equal access to learning, communication, and etc as their hearing peers in a solely spoken language environment only.

Outside of school..whatever they use, doesnt matter to me but in the educational setting..I just cringe at the thought of deaf children sitting in the classrooms missing out on what is being said or discussed or even a small deaf child missing out on what is being said around them and having language "taught" to them.

 

[Mrs Bucket]

Plus, if you are forcing parents they are not going to be passionate about it. The thing that makes kids successful is involved, passionate parents. If you take away their choice, they will feel forced and many will not accept it. I would much rather have a parent who uses SEE and is passionate and makes sure their child has access to SEE everywhere they go, has captions, interpreters, SEE signing friends, teaches the family and neighbors SEE than a family who is forced to send their child to an ASL school and never bother to learn to communicate with their child.

My perspective is this, I would rather see a family do sign language whether it be SEE or ASL, this family communicates together.

Overzealous ASL proselytism will have some hearing families or parents shun the Deaf community away and that's the very last thing I would want to happen.

 

[shel90]

Where is this restrictive educational setting you're talking about?

Why do I have a feeling you are talking about your own personal experience as a child without ASL exposure?

Parents have the right to decide what they want to do with their own children, we as a community, must support and reinforce those parents' decisions. It doesn't help that their own community constantly second-guesses the parents' decisions.

As a Bi-Bi advocate, I advocate both ASL and English however I will second-guess a parent's approach because it's not my place. I will show support and will reinforce the parents. They need the support and feedback, criticism is the very last thing they need.

Sitting in a classroom not knowing what is going on and being lost. Missing out on learning opportunities because spoken language is not fully accessible to them.

Being left out in social situations and dealing with identity issues.

There are many more.

 

[faire_jour]

I am talking about in the educational setting, not at the home.

What do u mean by this question if u dont mind rephrasing it?

I mean that you said that deaf children should be required to be exposed to ASL and spoken language. What if a Deaf parent doesn't want their child exposed to spoken English, just written. Is that ok?

 

[rick48]

whatever happens at home, it is not my business. I am talking about the educational setting where learning takes place.

Arent policies put forth in public schools for hearing children as well?

"Marschark : The evidence has convinced me, more than ever, that there is never going to be a "one size fits all" solution for deaf children either educationally or in language."

Please stop transferring what you perceive as your parents' shortcomings onto other parents of deaf children. That is hardly a rational basis to deprive other parents of the right to raise their child and to educate their child in the manner which they have determined to be in their child's best interests. There are many parents who take their child's education very seriously, spend considerable time deciding upon the educational setting and then closely monitor their child to make certain that the setting they chose continues to be the appropriate one for their child.

 

[shel90]

My perspective is this, I would rather see a family do sign language whether it be SEE or ASL, this family communicates together.

Overzealous ASL proselytism will have some hearing families or parents shun the Deaf community away and that's the very last thing I would want to happen.

Like I said, I cant control over what happens in the home and it is not my place to force what happens between a parent and their child.

I am talking about educational policies for deaf ed.

 

[Mrs Bucket]

Are you not understanding that Shel supports English for all children? You need it in life.

She is supporting both English and ASL. She states that repeatedly.

We know it and we appreciate it very much however her constant proselytism can be redundant.

 

[A]

Are you not understanding that Shel supports English for all children? You need it in life.

She is supporting both English and ASL. She states that repeatedly.

I was thinking of Spanish and all other languages out there. There's all kind of schools out there. Sorry for not putting that down. The point is, as long as they are learning from the language they are using, that's all it matters.

 

[shel90]

"Marschark : The evidence has convinced me, more than ever, that there is never going to be a "one size fits all" solution for deaf children either educationally or in language."

Please stop transferring what you perceive as your parents' shortcomings onto other parents of deaf children. That is hardly a rational basis to deprive other parents of the right to raise their child and to educate their child in the manner which they have determined to be in their child's best interests. There are many parents who take their child's education very seriously, spend considerable time deciding upon the educational setting and then closely monitor their child to make certain that the setting they chose continues to be the appropriate one for their child.

Ok, then I will tell that to those deaf children who fell so far behind their hearing peers and were never able to develop literacy skills.

I support both the use of ASL and spoken English and give that opportunity for all deaf children to minimize the risks int eh educational setting.

Nothing about CIs, the home life and etc.

 

[faire_jour]

My perspective is this, I would rather see a family do sign language whether it be SEE or ASL, this family communicates together.

Overzealous ASL proselytism will have some hearing families or parents shun the Deaf community away and that's the very last thing I would want to happen.

I agree with you. I would even extend it a little further. I would rather a family do ANYTHING (cue, SEE, whatever) as long as they are effectivly communicating rather than have a child learn one language or mode and have the family not know it and be unable to communicate.