Lighthouse77
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I should mention that both my sister and I have the love for music. We would put on our headphones and just listen to it for hours.
Circumstances vary. That is dependent on the person with hearing loss and amount and type of hearing loss. It's also a parental thing and the ultimate decision rests with them. One cannot say "yes" or "no" to this question since hearing loss range from mild to profound and how soon they are exposed to sound and words early on in their life. Secondly, technology has a come a long, long way that can address a lot of the communication gaps. It's become a more gray issue than a black and white one.
Rick and kokonut, on the other hand...........Very few dhh folks are anti-speech therapy. We just think that speech should be used as part of a full toolbox approach, rather then it being the sole "tool" that a dhh kid uses.Circumstances vary. That is dependent on the person with hearing loss and amount and type of hearing loss. It's also a parental thing and the ultimate decision rests with them. One cannot say "yes" or "no" to this question since hearing loss range from mild to profound and how soon they are exposed to sound and words early on in their life. Secondly, technology has a come a long, long way that can address a lot of the communication gaps. It's become a more gray issue than a black and white one.
Rick and kokonut, on the other hand...........Very few dhh folks are anti-speech therapy. We just think that speech should be used as part of a full toolbox approach, rather then it being the sole "tool" that a dhh kid uses.
Early Intervention needs to be structured so that dhh kids can develop good quality abilty in both ASL and speech.
I know a lot of kids who grew up oral sucesses and it was thought that they didn't "need" ASL. They discovered it late in life and still wish they had been introduced to it as kids.
(and these are kids who had more hoh losses) ASL shouldn't be thought of as a "special needs" crutch, but rather as a useful second language.
You are going to have to clarify what you mean by "spoken language track" at MSSD, and offer some support that would show this to be true. There certainly isn't anything that says anything about a "spoken language track" anywhere in their program description or department descriptions.
I'm all for final parental decision on how they want to raise their kids.....BUT, it does seem like a lot of the parents who chose oral only aren't fully aware of the downsides of oral only.It's also a parental thing and the ultimate decision rests with them. Secondly, technology has a come a long, long way that can address a lot of the communication gaps. It's become a more gray issue
Rick and kokonut, on the other hand...........Very few dhh folks are anti-speech therapy. We just think that speech should be used as part of a full toolbox approach, rather then it being the sole "tool" that a dhh kid uses.
Early Intervention needs to be structured so that dhh kids can develop good quality abilty in both ASL and speech.
I know a lot of kids who grew up oral sucesses and it was thought that they didn't "need" ASL. They discovered it late in life and still wish they had been introduced to it as kids.
(and these are kids who had more hoh losses) ASL shouldn't be thought of as a "special needs" crutch, but rather as a useful second language.
I have many friends who are deaf like me, but cannot speak and they really battle it out...really, really do...It pains me so.
Because they are oral failures. It causes language delays. ASL is all they've got.
So while you managed without sign language you need to understand that signing is important too at an infant level before speaking is introduced not as a prop for those that fail the system. Who knows you too may have been even more successful with a fuller range of tools.
Define "more successful" and in what context.
If they become bookworms like Shel or have visual props of some kind of another it does help them, but at the end of the day they are still being deprived of equal communication.
On the other hand............ I mean I do know oral-aural sucesses who were offered ASL as small kids via EI, and they CHOSE to drop the ASL. They consciously decided that they didn't need ASL, and would prefer speech.I'm thinking both oral and aural successes that don't need sign language (as opposed to simply "ASL"). There are a lot of factors involved here. Just because one has a hearing loss doesn't mean one MUST or need to learn sign language
Ok, I've been away for days due to seeing my little sister get married and going to Oracoke Island so I'm catching up on this tread.
I attended MSSD in the 80s and I certainly don't recall anything like that in the MSSD programs and I don't think they would have ever put such a thing in their program as it would go against their philosophy.
I'm thinking both oral and aural successes that don't need sign language (as opposed to simply "ASL"). There are a lot of factors involved here. Just because one has a hearing loss doesn't mean one MUST or need to learn sign language. In many other cases it's a good idea to incorporate sign language as part of the overall communication package. Just as true in the opposite sense of those who do much, much better with ASL/sign language than attempt at oral and/or aural communication. You have your extremes (with successes) and then you have the middle or even the grey area.
The oral only system forces deaf people to go through life depending on a failing system. If they become bookworms like Shel or have visual props of some kind of another it does help them, but at the end of the day they are still being deprived of equal communication.
The sad thing is that oralists will allow a deaf person to go for years and years of failure. Then spit them out and you get someone who can't communicate very well. Then the oralist people will point to them and use them as an example of what signing does for you. But That's not true. It was oralism that turned them out that way in the first place.
For a better example of signing deaf you have to look at those who were not language deprived such as signing deaf children of deaf adults who are able to express themselves better then I can.