Is it ok to force deafies learn Oral while cant force hearing ppl learn ASL

[rockdrummer]

Most common excuses for not learning to sign:

• "It's too hard!"
• "It's just a silly little game nobody wants to play!"
• "Only babies use picture things like this to talk! Adults don't do that! Signing is so babyish..."
• "Why should I have to do this?! Nobody else has to!"

What is the source of this information and how old is it. I am not doubting it but I would hope that today things would be different. Just curious.
Thanks

 

[gnulinuxman]

Don't make stuff up. A properly-fit hearing aid should not cause noise-induced hearing loss. Now, if you don't get it adjusted properly, or if you engage in risky behavior (i.e., exposing yourself to levels of noise that would damage *anyone's* hearing, HOH or not) then that's a different story.

My hearing is worse than it was when I first started wearing hearing aids; but that's due to the progression of my underlying condition, not the hearing aids. In fact, my hearing aids may have protected my hearing at times, through compressing the signal, through shutting off when they detected bursts of noise, and by acting as earplugs when I have them off.

If I'm making stuff up, explain why hearing loss progresses faster and faster when someone starts using a hearing aid. The louder and louder the hearing aid amplifies, the more damage that can occur faster.

 

[rockdrummer]

If I'm making stuff up, explain why hearing loss progresses faster and faster when someone starts using a hearing aid. The louder and louder the hearing aid amplifies, the more damage that can occur faster.

Weather you know it or not you are supporting what Ismi said. If the person has the HA set to high levels then yes you are right but aren't they adjustable? And if compression is enabled then that would offer protection for high signal levels.

 

[Angel]

I agree with most members in this thread, it should go two ways especially when families are being involved, I do think it's quite fair for both parties to be happy, and teaching their children ASL and oral methods seem to work well on both sides also...


I also would like to add that I agree with Roadrunner competely and I support him and the other moderators as well too..

 

[Angel]

What is the source of this information and how old is it. I am not doubting it but I would hope that today things would be different. Just curious.
Thanks

I agree, things are different now as it was back in the old days, it seems more people are so interesting learning sign language, I was told by serveral strangers from stores or where ever I go, they come up to me and say how beautiful the signs were, and wanted to learn them too, sometimes our hearing friends only want to learn the dirty or cuss words, good lord

 

[Mookie]

If I'm making stuff up, explain why hearing loss progresses faster and faster when someone starts using a hearing aid. The louder and louder the hearing aid amplifies, the more damage that can occur faster.

Well, Gnulinuxman has good points.

Do not forget about baby boomers that most of their hearing status would be rapidly decreasing their hearing loss. What about heavy mental musicians, construction road crews with their jackhammers, airline maintenance crew?

 

[gnulinuxman]

What is the source of this information and how old is it. I am not doubting it but I would hope that today things would be different. Just curious.
Thanks

The source of this information is PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and TALKING to people who had deaf kids in the family, and I talked to them in the last YEAR.

 

[gnulinuxman]

did you read everything else I wrote, horse with blinders on?

Fuzzy

Well, I read your complaint about not being able to understand Keith Wann...

 

[rockdrummer]

The source of this information is PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and TALKING to people who had deaf kids in the family, and I talked to them in the last YEAR.

Thank you. Reading your orginal post I would not have known that as the way you chose your words seemed to indicate that it was a matter of fact or some statistics. In my experience I find that those are not reasons (except that it's hard) that I have encountered. Even those that say it's hard are still doing it for the sake of their deaf relatives. For me, it's very difficult but it won't deter me. I will learn and become proficient at ASL no matter how long it takes or how hard it is. Thanks again!

 

[Cloggy]

................... Now you can see why many of us deafies couldnt hear everything with both devices................

How many of you deafies have tried both devices.... I assume HA and CI.
Please Sweetmind... How many??

So I guess..... not you!

 

[Audiofuzzy]

>>Well, I read your complaint about not being able to understand Keith Wann...<<

Gnu
this was for the person who in respond to my reply wrote "Oralism is a facade for audism". please, I wrote more than that. Did that person bother to read my whole post, or just conveniently picked out what had suited her? (or him)

Fuzzy

 

[curlyblue78]

This is such a hot topic and a sensitive issue. I am a complete newbie to this board and have to post my 2 cents.

I am profoundly deaf in both ears and wear a hearing aid. I also read lips and communicate orally. I grew up in a hearing family and have been surrounded by the hearing community all my life. I attended an oral school for the deaf during the first few years of my life and then I was mainstreamed into public school when I was 5 years old.

Ever since then, I attended speech therapy and have used classroom modifications such as notetaking or sitting up in the front of the classroom. I did well in school and am still going. I am 28 years old and have a B.A., my teaching credential and a M.A., with high honors in all 3 degrees.

My parents wanted me to learn to communicate orally first and give me that opportunity while I was young, where I would be most successful in learning speech, instead of waiting until I was older and then it would be much harder. They wanted me to have the opportunity to communicate with the hearing world. BUT...they were never against sign language.

So I grew up reading lips and was extremely oral. As I got older, I learned sign language and became fairly proficient in ASL. I feel blessed because I had the opportunity to become flexible in my communication with others. Granted, I don't use sign language that often at all, because I don't have very many deaf friends who use ASL. But the fact that I have been given the opportunity to learn both is what is most valuable for me. I can communicate both through ASL and through speech.

Does that mean my parents "forced" me to try to become hearing like them as much as possible? Absolutely not! They did what was BEST for ME. It just so happens that I adapted extremely well with oralism and am successful with it, which is why they stuck with it. If oralism hadn't worked for me, then I know my parents would have used ASL.

Now, I know that this doesn't always work out for everyone. I just honestly believe that what works BEST for YOU, is all that matters. Whether that be ASL/SEE, oralism or both. It doesn't make you less of a deaf person, if you use oralism. Nor does it make you more of a deaf person if you sign. You just are deaf and do what works for you! What works for you may not work for someone else and that's OK.

Instead of giving oralism or sign language a bad rap, we need an open community where all forms of communication are accepted.

Ok, there are my two cents. Thanks for "hearing" me out. LOL

 

[robbielyn]

As a hearie who has been intensely interested in deaf people since I was ten years old, I for a very long time thought, leave the deaf alone and let them use sign language if they want, why should they be forced to learn orally? Now that I am learning ASL and have learned alot from this forum, I now think differently. I think since the majority of people are hearing and use speech, they should as a second language learn spoken language or least be able to read and write it if not speaking it. There are so many more opportunities if your children can learn spoken language and then they can have the best of both worlds. But I also think that sign language should be recognized as a first language of the deaf and that should be respected. I don't think it should be forced. However, I think it would be good for parents to want to let them learn bilingually. There are a lot of hispanics that are limited to opportunities in this country because of not learning english. Those that take the time to learn have many more opportunities and are not just limited to farmwork. If your child is in the hospital, due to accident in school, and you don't have text available because you are at work in a building where your cell not work and it take a while for you to find out, and your child can write down or read lips with the dr or nurse until you get there, that would be a situation where learning english would be beneficial to the deaf child. Or going for a job interview and filling out an application. And I think most deaf would agree that bilingual is best as long as they know that their first language(ASL) is recognized and accepted as a real language as would spanish be considered as a real 1st language. Maybe speaking english too hard for some and that should be respected too, but learning to read and write should be easier to learn and should be a top priority in preparing the deaf adult to function in a hearing world(work, shopping, appointments etc.).
Just my two cents. Robbielyn

 

[robbielyn]

I would also like to add that deaf culture can be preserved eventhough children learn orally if they learn asl also. Spanish americans have to learn english to live in an american culture and live by american culture yet they preserve their spanish culture as well as influence american culture. They have their music, their language, their family heritage, their beliefs. That isn't lost just because they learn english. They simply become bicultural when it is necessary. But at home many practice their spanish culture. But when around american culture people they adjust. If their were a deaf country that all deaf could live in and then a hearie moves in for a good paying job, it wouldn't be unfair to ask that hearie to learn asl. It would in fact be beneficial to learn it to communicate with the deaf. But that hearie would have spoken lanuage as their first language but then they become bicultural in order to live in a different culture. And maybe some deaf would want to learn spoken lanuage to communicate with the hearie. One does what they have to do to get along with the majority.

 

[jillio]

About half of my deaf friends have parents who refuse to sign because "It's too hard!" or "It's just a silly little game nobody wants to play!" or "Why should I learn this--nobody else has to?" or another dumb excuse.

I never did understand that logic. Hearing won't learn sign because it's too hard. Just how the f*** hard do they think it is for a deaf kid to learn to speak????

 

[jillio]

Roadrunner, I am actually a hearing friend of Sweetmind's. She doesn't hate hearing people. She just doesn't like children being forced to do something like speak when they can't hear themselves. She also doesn't want Deaf Culture to disappear.

Agreed, G-man!

 

[jillio]

As a hearie who has been intensely interested in deaf people since I was ten years old, I for a very long time thought, leave the deaf alone and let them use sign language if they want, why should they be forced to learn orally? Now that I am learning ASL and have learned alot from this forum, I now think differently. I think since the majority of people are hearing and use speech, they should as a second language learn spoken language or least be able to read and write it if not speaking it. There are so many more opportunities if your children can learn spoken language and then they can have the best of both worlds. But I also think that sign language should be recognized as a first language of the deaf and that should be respected. I don't think it should be forced. However, I think it would be good for parents to want to let them learn bilingually. There are a lot of hispanics that are limited to opportunities in this country because of not learning english. Those that take the time to learn have many more opportunities and are not just limited to farmwork. If your child is in the hospital, due to accident in school, and you don't have text available because you are at work in a building where your cell not work and it take a while for you to find out, and your child can write down or read lips with the dr or nurse until you get there, that would be a situation where learning english would be beneficial to the deaf child. Or going for a job interview and filling out an application. And I think most deaf would agree that bilingual is best as long as they know that their first language(ASL) is recognized and accepted as a real language as would spanish be considered as a real 1st language. Maybe speaking english too hard for some and that should be respected too, but learning to read and write should be easier to learn and should be a top priority in preparing the deaf adult to function in a hearing world(work, shopping, appointments etc.).
Just my two cents. Robbielyn

I've always believed that a deaf child needs to learn to function as a deaf person first, then traslate that to functioning in the hearing world. His/her world is one of deafness, and they must learn to function there before learning to function in what is unnatural for them. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Cloggy]

I've always believed that a deaf child needs to learn to function as a deaf person first, then traslate that to functioning in the hearing world. His/her world is one of deafness, and they must learn to function there before learning to function in what is unnatural for them. Just my 2 cents worth.

Adding my 3 cents...

A child needs to function as a person first. Deaf or hearing, the highest priority is communication.
Our daughter was born deaf and we made sure we could communicate. With regard to our circle of family and friends we also started to research CI and followed up on this when this was an option.
Her world contains sounds AND total silence. She's comfortable with both.
Forcing a child to function in the deaf world first is not a realistic choice when all her friends a nd family are hearing. Same the other way around. Forcing a child to adapt first to either one of them will be harmfull in the end.

In our case, we let her choose. We gave her sound. She herself is reducing the amount of sign for communication. But, living with a hearing family this is to be expected.

Had we forced her to function as a deaf person first, this would not only have had a huge impact on her, but also on her brother and sister, on her parents, our friends and family. AND, as it would mean no CI for 10 years, it would have meant a lower successrate for getting familiar with the hearing world.

As said, adding my 3 cents, totalling to 5 cents

 

[Foxrac]

Adding my 3 cents...

A child needs to function as a person first. Deaf or hearing, the highest priority is communication.
Our daughter was born deaf and we made sure we could communicate. With regard to our circle of family and friends we also started to research CI and followed up on this when this was an option.
Her world contains sounds AND total silence. She's comfortable with both.
Forcing a child to function in the deaf world first is not a realistic choice when all her friends a nd family are hearing. Same the other way around. Forcing a child to adapt first to either one of them will be harmfull in the end.

In our case, we let her choose. We gave her sound. She herself is reducing the amount of sign for communication. But, living with a hearing family this is to be expected.

Had we forced her to function as a deaf person first, this would not only have had a huge impact on her, but also on her brother and sister, on her parents, our friends and family. AND, as it would mean no CI for 10 years, it would have meant a lower successrate for getting familiar with the hearing world.

As said, adding my 3 cents, totalling to 5 cents

Adding 6 cents...

I don't think that deaf people don't need to force to learn use oral language unless its parent decide what doing are on children if want more active in hearing world. I just rather to active in hearing world, of course but some know about oral language.