Newbie here!

Hello &
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Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome! I want to say that I am using some basic sign with my son. He doesn't have the cochlear implant on all the time (like when he's sleeping or in water *swimming or bath*). He will eventually be mainstreamed, but not yet. He is going to an oral school because they have a birth to three program where I can give him a headstart in learning. When he is 2yrs 9mos, he can go to a preschool. I really do want what is best for him. In my husband and my opinion, what we are doing is what is best for him. While I respect everyones opinions, I hope that you respect mine and not criticize myself or my husband for choices we have made.
Again, thanks for the warm welcome!
 
I want to say that I am using some basic sign with my son. He doesn't have the cochlear implant on all the time (like when he's sleeping or in water *swimming or bath*). He will eventually be mainstreamed, but not yet. He is going to an oral school because they have a birth to three program where I can give him a headstart in learning. When he is 2yrs 9mos, he can go to a preschool. I really do want what is best for him. In my husband and my opinion, what we are doing is what is best for him. While I respect everyones opinions, I hope that you respect mine and not criticize myself or my husband for choices we have made.
Again, thanks for the warm welcome!
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Well that's good that you're using some basic sign!!! Continue it....Sign is a lot of fun and a great tool to have! I remember reading somewhere that most raised oral kids do eventually pick up Sign. The debate really doesn't seem to be about methodology any more, so much as which language should be a deaf kids's first language. Matter of fact, it's a common sight at AG Bell conferences to see SIGN 'terps! There's nothing wrong with going oral first......Many of us realize that many hearing parents a) do not have good fluency in Sign, so it would be difficult for them to provide a good Signed language model for their kids and b) think that TC programs do not concentrate enough on oral skills.
I don't think anyone's really criticizing you.....We're just bringing up concerns and our experiances. Many of us here grew up oral-only,(and some of us here are oral sucesses! ) and many of us know that the oral option is often promoted as a utopia or a perfect solution with no real downsides.
Many of our parents were told a lot of the same things that hearing parents of dhh kids today are told!
I know that you think that you're doing what's best way for him......but many of our parents in retrospect say that they should have gone with BOTH ASL and speech. We don't want you to have to look back in ten or fifteen years and say "I should have done this...should have done that."
Again, there's nothing wrong with going oral-first. Oral skills ARE important!
Just don't fall into the trap of thinking that oral skills are gonna be enough, or that ASL/Sign and Deaf Culture don't really offer anything of value.
Oh, and also PLEASE PLEASE monitor your son's progress VERY carefully!
He may still need Sign. I know that for example apraxia (a nereological disorder which inhibits spoken language production) is very common in dhh kids. So even if your child has good hearing responses, he may still have difficulty with production of speech. I know too, that while complete oral failure is pretty rare, there are still kids who need TC programs who started out in oral programs. I actually think that oral-first is a legitimate option, as long as a) progress is carefully monitored...you don't want to take the risk that your child might be behind in language b/c you've focused so much on speech and that b) ASL is introduced as a second language early on. Don't make the mistake of letting your son discover Sign on his own.
The reason why many of us are anti-oral, isn't b/c we are anti-hearing world or are Deaf extremists is but b/c oralism is pushed in a very ablist-/audist manner. It is not pushed as "Your child can have an extra valuable life skill to commuicate with the hearing world without an interpreter eternally by their side." but, rather as " Your child won't need Sign!" If oral education wasn't anti-Sign, then I doubt that there would be so many orally educated late to Sign Deafies against it. Do you see now? Thing is ASL/Sign is promoted as "special needs" and not a real language. I wonder how many parents would choose oral-only for their kids if knowledge of Sign was promoted/pushed as bilingalism!
 
:wave: :welcome: Hello Miraclemamma and welcome to Alldeaf. I hope you have enjoyed your stay here with us.

What a story about Christian!!! Being that small and fighting to survive. You and your husband must be so proud to see how much he has grown in the last year.

How is Christian doing now? All the best to you and hubby on your little guy Christian!!!

Look forward to your postings, take care and God Bless!!! :hug:
 
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