I need help with my thesis

[gradstudent0509]

The reason why I decided to write my thesis on cochlear implants to help myself and my colleagues better understand the decision making process and I felt that it would be better to get this information from people who have been through it themselves. I can try to tell parents that I understand what they are going through, but I don't. I know what my education has taught me and I have worked with children with cochlear implants and I have learned a lot from them and their parents, but all of their parents are hearing. I think it would be great to get the perspective from people from deaf culture so that I would have even more information to share with colleagues and parents.

 

[Jolie77]

Hi there -

Just a word of wise - I have removed your other 2 threads because it is considered as double posting which is not allowed on this forum.

Before you go on and start asking the questions - I'd suggest you to surf around on this forum to find a lot of answers that has been given over and over again.

But again, You're free to ask questions that pique your curiosity.

 

[Mockingbird]

I think your research will be largely worthless if you attempt it without thoroughly understanding Deaf culture. That said, a few things I can think of off the top of my head that are large factors (no CI here)

Time of becoming Deaf (etc. born Deaf, lost suddenly, lost progressively)- Many people who have never really experienced sound or can't remember it much are largely apathetic about being able to hear. More people who lose their hearing later in life want to attempt to restore it.

Whether or not he/she is involved in the Deaf community- There's a larger bias against CI in general among the Deaf, who will likely reaffirm that it's not that important than among hearing people

Family/parents Deaf/hearing- Same as above, but hearing parents will likely push heavily towards them getting CI.

 

[faire_jour]

My daughter is (big D, culturally) Deaf and we recently implanted her with a CI. She is an ASL user, and attend a Deaf bi-bi school, and is an active part of the Deaf community. She also was born hearing and has lost hearing quickly. We got her a CI to help her be safe. We had hoped that she would be able to hear traffic, and (in our dreams) have her turn we we called her name, so she could see our signs (she used to be able to with her aids, but was losing that ability).
She is now almost 3 months post activation and our "hopes" changed. She is already able to pick out 2 important words froma sentance and can follow simple directions. This is better than we imagined, and our goals have changed.
We believe that you can be Deaf and have a CI.

 

[Shadow]

It seems it is more the hearing parents that wants CI, and also people who were hearing and lost it. I don't really know any Deaf people who have CI.

 

[faire_jour]

It seems it is more the hearing parents that wants CI, and also people who were hearing and lost it. I don't really know any Deaf people who have CI.

Hear Again is Deaf and has a CI. She is not even the only one here.

Also, I know at least 5 people in real life that are Deaf and have CI's. I spoke to the director of the CI program at Maryland School for the Deaf TODAY, and she said that they have lots of kids coming in to the CI program that are Deaf of Deaf. She said some where the children of great Deaf Community leaders, Deaf of Deaf for generations. Speak for yourself.

 

[deafdyke]

and she said that they have lots of kids coming in to the CI program that are Deaf of Deaf. She said some where the children of great Deaf Community leaders, Deaf of Deaf for generations. Speak for yourself.

That's awesome! I think in a few years it won't even matter about CI. Opposition to CI is slowly but surely dying. I bet in a few years opposition to CI will be like opposition to HAs. ....meaning only seen in a very small percentage of the population.
I do have issues with the way CIs are marketed. They are an awesome tool, especially for folks who don't really respond all that well to HAs.....However, it does kind of seem like the marketing is very aggressive and it makes it sound like it's something that can totally and completly remove all the disadvantages of being hoh. It's an awesome tool........but sucess with it varies tremendously. Just as with hearing aids.....heck there are audilogically deaf people who are good HA users.
fairjour......I think you made the right decision for Miss Kat. Too bad my thread was closed....did you read it?

 

[jillio]

The reason why I decided to write my thesis on cochlear implants to help myself and my colleagues better understand the decision making process and I felt that it would be better to get this information from people who have been through it themselves. I can try to tell parents that I understand what they are going through, but I don't. I know what my education has taught me and I have worked with children with cochlear implants and I have learned a lot from them and their parents, but all of their parents are hearing. I think it would be great to get the perspective from people from deaf culture so that I would have even more information to share with colleagues and parents.

What is your grad degree in? And just a note: it is Deaf
Culture or deaf community. Capitalize the first, don't capitalize the second. The capitalization distinguishes between cultural designation, or medical designation. Culturally Deaf is a chosen identity; a choice made by the deaf individual.

 

[Babyblue]

My daughter is (big D, culturally) Deaf and we recently implanted her with a CI. She is an ASL user, and attend a Deaf bi-bi school, and is an active part of the Deaf community. She also was born hearing and has lost hearing quickly. We got her a CI to help her be safe. We had hoped that she would be able to hear traffic, and (in our dreams) have her turn we we called her name, so she could see our signs (she used to be able to with her aids, but was losing that ability).
She is now almost 3 months post activation and our "hopes" changed. She is already able to pick out 2 important words froma sentance and can follow simple directions. This is better than we imagined, and our goals have changed.
We believe that you can be Deaf and have a CI.

Interesting that you state that your child is the big "D"

 

[jillio]

Interesting that you state that your child is the big "D"

I found that interesting as well, as she is not old enough to i.d. as Deaf herself. Kind of like a hearing person assigning another person a sign name.

 

[Babyblue]

I consider myself being involved in the deaf community. but to sit and consider myself to be the big "D" I do not. I was raised orally. I do enjoy the Deaf community. I also enjoy the hearing community. I wear my hearing aids everyday. I speak everyday. I interact with both. To some..I am considered a fence straddler.

I have the best of both worlds.

 

[naisho]

Before you guys.. write out the rough draft thesis for gradstudent0509, I'd advise to wait and see how he/she responds...
Earlier he/she posted 3 or 4 of the same threads with the same question, in different sections of the forum. I replied to one of em to give examples, but he/she went on asking the same questions again and again.

So, yeah just word of advice to save you from "spending extra time" if you are time conservative. Wait him/her out for a reply.

 

[Babyblue]

I found that interesting as well, as she is not old enough to i.d. as Deaf herself. Kind of like a hearing person assigning another person a sign name.

I did as well.

The big "D" usually is ASL only.

I am well accepted in the deaf community. but considered as a big D. NOT!

 

[faire_jour]

I found that interesting as well, as she is not old enough to i.d. as Deaf herself. Kind of like a hearing person assigning another person a sign name.

She has chosen by making ASL her first language (she was offered both spoken language and ASL and she chose ASL), by choosing to have Deaf friends (though I suppose perhaps they are not yet Deaf either, but they have Deaf parents, so maybe you will accept that they are Deaf) but I suppose if the Deaf community doesn't want her, they can ask her to leave.

 

[Bottesini]

Since Faire Jour's example of a Deaf person is someone who became deaf when already into adulthood, I think it might be safe to say she doesn't really understand what it means.

 

[faire_jour]

I did as well.

The big "D" usually is ASL only.

I am well accepted in the deaf community. but considered as a big D. NOT!

ASL is her first, native, and primary language. I have no idea how many times I have said that, though it seems that people choose to ignore it.

 

[jillio]

She has chosen by making ASL her first language (she was offered both spoken language and ASL and she chose ASL), by choosing to have Deaf friends (though I suppose perhaps they are not yet Deaf either, but they have Deaf parents, so maybe you will accept that they are Deaf) but I suppose if the Deaf community doesn't want her, they can ask her to leave.

She made all those choices for herself before kindergarten?

 

[faire_jour]

Since Faire Jour's example of a Deaf person is someone who became deaf when already into adulthood, I think it might be safe to say she doesn't really understand what it means.

So if you are born with a hearing loss, but not fully, audiologically profoundly deaf, you can't be Deaf? Wow, that was never what other Deaf people told me.

 

[shel90]

The Deaf community used to be very against the CI about 10 years ago but that is changing now. It is more of the audist view that comes with the CI that the Deaf community is against, not the CIs themselves.

 

[Bottesini]

So if you are born with a hearing loss, but not fully, audiologically profoundly deaf, you can't be Deaf? Wow, that was never what other Deaf people told me.

The case you mention of Hear Again is a hearing person who lost their hearing and then chose CI to restore what they had.