misdiagnosis of the deaf

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Somewhat related. I know a child that was misdiagnosed profoundly deaf in one ear and hard-of-hearing in the other. This child was tested several times, he failed the first few times, then passed a couple. However, a while ago, he was discovered to have severe hearing loss in one and moderate hearing loss in the other. Later, he was re-tested, he passed with flying colours.

He's over 2 and half. I wonder how common this is because cochlear implants can be done on babies before they reach their first birthday.

Just a thought.

Are you talking about me? I am kidding.

I am not allowed to take ABR tests anymore. Well, not in a literal sense, but the results fluxes; no two test results is the same, so the tests are unreliable for me. The last time I had one when I was a teen, the school forced me to wear my hearing aids maxed out, according to the test result, when I was used to it being on the lowest setting, which was recommended via the booth tests (which yields severe-to-profound.)

 

[Speedy Hawk]

That is exactly what I was talking about. Thank you for sharing that experience and supporting what I was trying to explain earlier.

No problem.

 

[faire_jour]

A conversation with you is next to impossible. Use your common sense as to how one would know that without having been personally tested.:roll:

But there are people who have been through the process that are saying it is happening, and you, who haven't, are saying they don't.

 

[deafdyke]

Yep. And the reason there are still errors made is because of the immaturity of the child's brain /QUOTE] Yes. On traditional audilogical tests, I score in the moderately severe range, but on ABR I score in the profound range.
and yes I would totally contact St. Rita's about the Sign and Say program.

 

[Steinhauer]

Failure to take communication and cultural differences into account has resulted in misdiagnosis of the deaf. That is why the field is working toward getting more mental health counselors and psychologists into the field that are familiar with deafness and deaf culture. There are currently 2 mental health hospitals in the U.S. that treat only deaf clients. We need, however, to get more clinicians in the field of out patient care.

Unfortuantely, many of the labels of the past have come under the auspices of the educational system. That, too, needs to change. Many kids in the mainstream are misdiagnosed as having comorbid learning disorders or borderline mr as a result of mainstream teachers and administrators that have no experience with, or training related to, the deaf student.

thank you thank you thank you!!!

 

[deafdrummer]

Another reason why this is on my mind is because I remember a deaf friend of mine whose own mother thought he was retarded. She sent him off to a school for people with down syndrome. I remember him signing to me how frustrated he was with his mother's decision to do this and how powerless he felt to do anything about it. His parents never learned sign communication.

How many folks here experienced similar situations?

That sounds similar to my experience. My parents didn't know I was deaf until I was six and a half years old. I had already failed the first grade and was being diagnosed as mildly retarded or some such around '71-72. It wasn't until someone suggested that I have a hearing test that I was saved from the fate of a lot of these people.

I have to say that it's true that I suffered from not being found out to some degree, but I made up for some of it by having my masters degree. Though I have to admit I don't date because I don't know how to form intimate relationships.

 

[deafdyke]

Many kids in the mainstream are misdiagnosed as having comorbid learning disorders or borderline mr as a result of mainstream teachers and administrators that have no experience with, or training related to, the deaf student.

AMEN!!!!! They are treated like they have a severe LD or are slow learner. Especially when they're lumped in with the rest of the sped population. It's a fact that the gross majority of sped kids are mildly LD or have relatively mild conditions like ADD. Things like severe LDs or more classic disabilties really aren't seen all that often in the mainstream.

 

[jillio]

But there are people who have been through the process that are saying it is happening, and you, who haven't, are saying they don't.

What does that have to do with what we are discussing? Just because someone has had a test doesn't mean that they know and understand the test procedure, the limitations, or the implications and indications.:roll: Example: You, no doubt, have taken an IQ test at some point in your life. However, your knowledge of the test, in and of itself, and all of the variables that need to be considered in interpretation, is next to nothing.

 

[faire_jour]

What does that have to do with what we are discussing? Just because someone has had a test doesn't mean that they know and understand the test procedure, the limitations, or the implications and indications.:roll: Example: You, no doubt, have taken an IQ test at some point in your life. However, your knowledge of the test, in and of itself, and all of the variables that need to be considered in interpretation, is next to nothing.

Grendel said that during the CI candiacy process they do testing to rule out other neurological issues. You claim that it isn't true. I asked if you have gone through the process, you said no. That is why I asked why you think you know more than someone who had.

 

[jillio]

thank you thank you thank you!!!

No problem.

 

[jillio]

Grendel said that during the CI candiacy process they do testing to rule out other neurological issues. You claim that it isn't true. I asked if you have gone through the process, you said no. That is why I asked why you think you know more than someone who had.

I never said anything of the kind. Do you ever bother to actually read the posts I make, or do you just try to make them say what you want them to?

 

[ASLGAL]

and yes I would totally contact St. Rita's about the Sign and Say program.

Thank you Deafdyke, I almost missed your post trying to wade through the usual arguing
. I assumed the St.Rita's comment was for me and my grand-daughter.
I believe if she were given a choice she would chose ASL as her first language. She is trying to articulate but also signs as she is attempting the words.

 

[deafdyke]

believe if she were given a choice she would chose ASL as her first language. She is trying to articulate but also signs as she is attempting the words.

The parents are openminded right? It's just the docs and other experts who are protesting right? I would take her to a Deaf School for an evalution! Is she dx as hoh or more like "general severe LD?" Hoh or auditory processing issues can look like severe LD.

 

[Dixie]

That sounds similar to my experience. My parents didn't know I was deaf until I was six and a half years old. I had already failed the first grade and was being diagnosed as mildly retarded or some such around '71-72. It wasn't until someone suggested that I have a hearing test that I was saved from the fate of a lot of these people.

I have to say that it's true that I suffered from not being found out to some degree, but I made up for some of it by having my masters degree. Though I have to admit I don't date because I don't know how to form intimate relationships.

Same here, I have no idea on really how to form an intimate relationship because every time I've tried its usually ended in disaster. Yes, I could get married, but to have an actual intimate relationship? No. After my horrible marriage experience, I really don't see myself getting married again, let alone having a deeply intimate relationship. As much as I would like to have one, realistically, I don't see it happening.

I was misdiagnosed as mentally retarded and I was sent to a school for developmentally disabled children from aged 4 to about aged 6 if I recall correctly. My mother said she realized it was a hearing problem when she said something from behind a newspaper that I got frustrated and pulled the newspaper down to see her face so I could read her lips. She also noticed that I always watched the TV in a specific spot, with my right ear close to the speaker. I had several hearing tests and it was found that I had profound hearing loss in my left ear and I was hoh in my right ear. However, the audiologist was likely feeding my parents a load of audist crap because I had to be completely mainstreamed, unaided. I made it through Kindergarten ok I suppose, I more or less Forrest Gumped my way through 1st Grade, in 2nd grade I was given an FM system and for the first time (and only time) I had actual access to the teacher and my grades became A's and B's and it was the only time I would be on the honor roll with my hearing brother until I reached grade 11.

I think because I had been previously enrolled at the 'special school', the teachers at my elementary school had already discounted me as being fully mentally retarded. I was always treated differently, even by the other kids. I never really had a superclose best friend growing up, so I have no idea what it means when people talk about having this one friend they've had since kindergarten. However every once in a while, another kid would be kicked out as a loner because they were a move-in or because they too had some sort of issue, I would just hang around them until either they moved off, or until they finally found a group of friends to fit in with.

You know that joke about the kid always being picked last during team sports at recess or P.E.? Well, seriously that kid was me. Everytime I see that on TV or in a movie, I just want to cringe because it was me.

I just think the whole mental retardation thing just somehow clung over me in a way that never really went away with time because I was always the loner in a small public mainstream school.

 

[Steinhauer]

I can certainly see how being misdiagnosed would make someone "socially awkward" with their peers. Especially if they are treated as if they are <insert misdiagnosis here>.

Being severely HoH myself, I grew up mainstreamed and was always treated differently as well. It was never a "good" different either. I grew up feeling I had to always be on guard.


Some would even call this ... paranoia. Take it a step further, and it can become "paranoid schizophrenic" :roll: (no, no, its all in your head, people don't treat you any differently than they treat people who can hear .... :roll: )

My audiologist has a list in his office of all the common misdiagnosis' of the HoH/Deaf. It really opened my eyes a bit.


edit: Just an example of what I am pointing out (and this happened yesterday):

I took a deaf friend of mine to get his drivers license yesterday. While we were waiting in line, he explained to me that he had requested an ASL interpreter to meet him at that specific office three times already, and they never provided him with an interpreter. I went with him up to see the head honcho when his number was called. The head honcho said "Yes, we can provide him with an interpreter, but he should go ahead and take the test and see if he passes" (both tests were written tests on a computer station). He passed all the road signs but failed the english text test.

The rules for failing for the first time is you had to wait one day then you could return to take the test again. I had a talk with the head honcho and told him the interpreter needed to be provided the following day. He tried to argue with me about how the interpreter had to be contacted and it may be a week before they could provide one .... "but hearing people did not have to wait a week" I told him. He rolled his eyes. "I know of several certified interpreters that can be here in the a.m." I said. He then informed me that they had to call specific interpreters from a specific list .....

So apparently, there is a mysterious list somewhere that they are not allowed to show me. Why?

Why is it that when this is pointed out, the deaf are just being burdensome and paranoid? After all, they are treated just like everybody else right?

 

[shel90]

I can certainly see how being misdiagnosed would make someone "socially awkward" with their peers. Especially if they are treated as if they are <insert misdiagnosis here>.

Being severely HoH myself, I grew up mainstreamed and was always treated differently as well. It was never a "good" different either. I grew up feeling I had to always be on guard.


Some would even call this ... paranoia. Take it a step further, and it can become "paranoid schizophrenic" :roll: (no, no, its all in your head, people don't treat you any differently than they treat people who can hear .... :roll: )

My audiologist has a list in his office of all the common misdiagnosis' of the HoH/Deaf. It really opened my eyes a bit.

that's interesting because I always considered myself as paranoid growing up but it could be because I always had to be on guard constantly. That could change some things for me about my childhood.

 

[Steinhauer]

that's interesting because I always considered myself as paranoid growing up but it could be because I always had to be on guard constantly. That could change some things for me about my childhood.

when there is a lack of sensory input, specifically, auditory input, you tend to wonder whats up a little bit more than those who can hear.

perfectly normal

 

[shel90]

when there is a lack of sensory input, specifically, auditory input, you tend to wonder whats up a little bit more than those who can hear.

perfectly normal

That's how I was as a kid and people always told me that I was too paranoid.

 

[deafskeptic]

That's how I was as a kid and people always told me that I was too paranoid.

I've had my own father tell me that I was becoming too paranoid. I always I have to be on guard with the hearing especially when I'm at work.

 

[Steinhauer]

That's how I was as a kid and people always told me that I was too paranoid.

me too - by my hearing mother.

My dad, whom is HoH was always more understanding.

I love my mom .... but sometimes .... ...

just because she can hear doesn't mean she listens.