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miraclemama

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Greetings All! My name is Stephanie and my son, Christian, is profoundly deaf. He was born 16 weeks early. He was 1lb 6oz and 11" long. We aren't sure what "caused" his deafness as my husband and myself are both hearing. We think it was the low birthweight, extremely premature and length of ventilation (14 1/2 weeks). Anyways, they caught it at the newborn hearing screen. He was announced as profoundly deaf last August (he was born 2-15-04). After this, we decided on a cochlear implant for him. We knew the sooner he was implanted, the sooner he'd be able to hear and speak. So, he was implanted this April, turned on May 25th and after only 3 mappings can hear at 25 dB! It's amazing! He received the Clarion body worn (since he's small). Anyways, he goes to an oral school (Desert Voices) and is already impressing the teacher! He can mimick the lenght of words already (after only 3 hearing classes).

Please do not attack me because I chose this for my son, just wanted to introduce myself.

But, do ask any questions that you have reguarding my son's prematurity or his deafness, I do not mind answering questions.
Thank you,
Stephanie
PS, my son's website is www.geocities.com/s_lynne_flores/Christian.html
 
Hey Stephanie,
I don't think you'll find too many anti-CI militants here....Attitudes towards CI are SLOWLY but surely changing in the Deaf community.
I do know that some people think that some parents are being a little too hasty with the CI, but it sounds like your son definitly needed the CI.
Just a word of advice....I'm really not trying to attack you. I definitly think that oral skills are a good thing to have (and I know many people here are glad they can hear and speak). However, please don't a) Make therapy a lifestyle. There are too many dhh adults who grew up with every single waking moment a therapy session. You want your child to remember a fun childhood, not a childhood filled with therapy. You don't want your child to see you as more of a therapist then a mother. Some parents get a little carried away with the therapy mentality of going oral. b) Be anti-Sign. Too often oral parents are bombarded by messages that Sign is bad or "special needs." Yes, oral skills are good....but being oral-first does not mean that you have to be anti-Sign.
Hope I didn't offend you or anything....
 
miraclemama said:
Greetings All! My name is Stephanie and my son, Christian, is profoundly deaf. He was born 16 weeks early. He was 1lb 6oz and 11" long. We aren't sure what "caused" his deafness as my husband and myself are both hearing. We think it was the low birthweight, extremely premature and length of ventilation (14 1/2 weeks). Anyways, they caught it at the newborn hearing screen. He was announced as profoundly deaf last August (he was born 2-15-04). After this, we decided on a cochlear implant for him. We knew the sooner he was implanted, the sooner he'd be able to hear and speak. So, he was implanted this April, turned on May 25th and after only 3 mappings can hear at 25 dB! It's amazing! He received the Clarion body worn (since he's small). Anyways, he goes to an oral school (Desert Voices) and is already impressing the teacher! He can mimick the lenght of words already (after only 3 hearing classes).

Please do not attack me because I chose this for my son, just wanted to introduce myself.

But, do ask any questions that you have reguarding my son's prematurity or his deafness, I do not mind answering questions.
Thank you,
Stephanie
PS, my son's website is www.geocities.com/s_lynne_flores/Christian.html
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Greetings :)

My sister in law is a teacher at Desert Voice. I think youve picked an excellent school for your son :)

Best of luck with his new journey :)
 
As long as the CI works. I am happy. Great to see a hearing mother join a deaf community website :O such support!!
 
:wave: Hello there,

Welcome to AD and enjoy your stay here, and that's great to hear that you and your hubby had decide to have CI on your son....

Btw, don't worry I won't attack you! ;)
 
Hello Stephanie,

Welcome to AD!

I am a mother and I have a 16 months old daughter. She was born prematurely. I was 33 weeks pregnant with her. She was supposed to be born in April but she was born in Feb. The reason I had her early was because my blood pressure was so high. I was forced to have induced so it could save my daughter's life and my life. She was born at 4 lbs 4 oz. She stayed in NICU for 2 weeks (she was supposed to stay there for 2 months at her due date but she fought so hard to get better to go home with us). She is doing good so far. If you need someone to talk to, you can pm me.
 
:welcome: to our AD!

I wont attack you...I think it is selfish for parents to put CI in baby's head...it is not fair to the child. It has to be child's decision. That's my opinion.

I grew up wearing hearing aids, uses sign language and learned how to talk...I can speak very well..Im Adult now and ready to get CI for myself...I believe deafies have rights to decide if they want it or not.


Please do not take away sign lanugage from your son...he deserved to know sign language and uses it at home and school.

Oral School is not a good option for any deafies...Mainstreaming School is the best option...going to hearing classes with an interpreter is the best way to learn in education. Reading oral without sign language will lead your child more frustration.

Please do not be selfish to take sign language away from your son. :) And remember, your son will always be deaf. He will never be hearing. Accept it! :)
 
welcome to AD, enjoy your stay :D i'm glad to see many parents of deaf child joining this forum.. its awsome isn't it?
 
Meg said:
Greetings :)

My sister in law is a teacher at Desert Voice. I think youve picked an excellent school for your son :)

Best of luck with his new journey :)
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Meg, are you hearing or deaf? Are you out of your mind? Oral school is not excellent school whatsoever! Going to mainstreaming is the best...

I cant believe you support oral school...
 
Coloravalache, private oral schools(or oral schools in wealthy suburbs) are the only option for dhh kids whose parents want them to talk......most other programs either don't concentrate enough on speech therapy or they don't have skilled teachers/therapists.
 
Reading oral without sign language will lead your child more frustration.
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Reading oral? huh? But yeah, GOOD POINT......oral only is FRUSTRATING to put it mildly!
 
coloravalanche said:
Meg, are you hearing or deaf? Are you out of your mind? Oral school is not excellent school whatsoever! Going to mainstreaming is the best...

I cant believe you support oral school...
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Im profoundly deaf.

Im not out of my mind. You have no right to judge me. I do not judge others who went to school for the Deaf or were taught ASL first before spoken English, etc. We are all different but we can embrace each other with compassion and respect.

Sorry but that is my opinion. No need to criticize me. I was raised in an oral school. It was an excellent school for me. I have no regrets for my background. My parents did their best in their time before there were a wide variety of options in educating a deaf child.

I have every right to believe that Desert Voice is an excellent school. I know some of the staff there personally and a few parents there too. My neice graduated from there and she is now a 6th grader at a regular school and knows ASL now.
 
Herzlich Willkommen zu AD

Come and share your posts here with us :thumb:
 
Hello and welcome to Alldeaf miraclemama! That's great and must be a joy to 'see' the significant improvements and accomplishments he is gaining....I do wish all the very best for him and sure looks like you and your husband will be doing whatever is possible for him throughout his journey in this life.

Also, hope you'll enjoy your stay here in AD!! ;)




(Mod Note: Please let's keep our indifferences in regard to Ci's out of this 'Introduction Thread' and not resort to personal views/rants that really has no bearing to this thread, for those views, there's another specific forum here in AD where these sort of discussions and debates, etc. can be placed in--thank you!!)
 
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