CuriouslyMute, just curiously how do you grow up? Did you go to Deaf school, or go just regular school? I'm sorry as I am not sure how to ask you questions since I find this very interesting and am curious of your experience. You learn to sign?
Special ed school, not Deaf school.
I'm only now learning sign. I wish I had learned it years ago.
If you go to regular school, then my question would be, how do you talk with others?
At the time, I generally didnt talk to others. I used to be a very angry and bitter person. You would not have liked who I used to be, I sure don't.
These days, I either sign or write. I have a little writing board for communicating with non-signers. You might be amazed at how many people cant figure that out and still struggle to understand me. (There was even a waitress who, upon handing her my writing board with my order written neatly on it, turned to the speaking people I was with and asked them "What does she want?".)
Did speech therapist trying work their ass, with gallons of sweat in attempt to make you talk?
No. The people I had to deal with actually thought I was simply refusing to speak. I was often punished (or worse) for not speaking. Funny how none of them were around when I spent hours attempting to make sound just to please them. I can make one sound, but its a very useless squeak that takes a lot of effort to do.
Were you able to hear and understand everything clearly?
Yes. The trouble I had was I got bored and stopped listening. Why?
I was put in the Talented and Gifted program. They didn't want to deal with my silence, and they also figured out I'm not exactly "normal". (I am actually multiple. There is myself and 8 other headmates for a total of 9. No... not a "disorder", we aren't broken, just different. All 9 are extremely separate, but we do communicate with each other.)
Because of this, they stuffed me (well, us) in special ed. That class was far too slow for me.
This is actually what started my seething hatred of speaking people. (Oh the ridicule I got in that special ed class was the stuff of nightmares.)
Thankfully, I am not the hateful person I once was. Oddly enough, I'm a complete opposite of my former self. I love to be friendly, even though speaking-hearing people still make me very uneasy until I get to know them. I can go further in to that if anybody wants.
I'm sorry, normally i don't ask tons of questions but this thread got me interested.
I don't mind at all. Most people have never run in to someone who is mute, and now I mentioned I am also multiple... I'm about as rare as a unicorn.