Research into Family perceptions of Cochlear Implants

ash345 said:
I find the bolded statement hard to believe... there are hardly any deaf kids around... if you look you will find them. I'm sure your daughter can't be the only one where you live. ..
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While hard to believe, it is true. We live in a suburb of NYC and my daughter was the only deaf child in her town until another family moved in while she was in high school. We met other families with deaf children the same age by regularly attending events sponsored by our local AGB chapter and other organizations such as the old CICI. Through that connection we met and socialized regularly with other families and our children became friends. However, that is vastly different then having friends next door and down the block which my daughter had growing up. As the kids grow up, and things such as dance, girl scouts and sports along with homework take up more of their after school life, the need to have friends locally becomes more important.

Getting her driver's license was a huge factor as it gave her the opportunity to be more independent and she and her friends who were deaf would meet at locations convenient to all to do things together.

You are right, if you look hard enough and make it a priority you will find other deaf children and give your child the benefit of having friends both locally and in other areas as well.
Rick
 
deafdyke said:
...... In other words its' " My child is playing with HEARING kids and functioning normally!" wow-y wow!
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Banjo said:
Basically, it's just like saying, "My black child is playing with WHITE kids and functioning normally."
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ash345 said:
"..". Its like saying there are hardly any black kids... ok... so maybe you live in a very White neighborhood, but I'm sure if you looked, you would find a black kid, all you have to do is widen your search. ....
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Let's continue with the analogies....
Your child is born, and the eyes are different. In fact, she looks Chinese.. So now you will have to find other Chinese families, the child needs to learn Chinese, you will have to learn Chinese, because... The child looks Chinese.
And if you look hard enough, you will find plenty of Chinese persons around you....
 
Cloggy said:
Let's continue with the analogies....
Your child is born, and the eyes are different. In fact, she looks Chinese.. So now you will have to find other Chinese families, the child needs to learn Chinese, you will have to learn Chinese, because... The child looks Chinese.
And if you look hard enough, you will find plenty of Chinese persons around you....
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no... its not about looks, how would someone look deaf... really... its still a state of being. If you are white and adopt a chinese child, yes you want the child to know about their heritage, about the culture they were born into, even the language they were born into, and people of the child's culture. A deaf child, it should be the same... they should know about their heritage, the culture they were born into, the language that is natural to them, and others they identify with. I'm not saying my deaf kids will only be able to play with other deaf kids... no... they will be able to play with hearing children, any child (as long as the kid is nice), but these kids need kids around them, people around them who are similar.
 
Cloggy said:
Let's continue with the analogies....
Your child is born, and the eyes are different. In fact, she looks Chinese.. So now you will have to find other Chinese families, the child needs to learn Chinese, you will have to learn Chinese, because... The child looks Chinese.
And if you look hard enough, you will find plenty of Chinese persons around you....
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That is what a certain poster is doing. Her child is actually learning the Chinese customs, language, and meeting other Chinese people. Your point?
 
ash345 said:
no... its not about looks, how would someone look deaf... really... its still a state of being. If you are white and adopt a chinese child, yes you want the child to know about their heritage, about the culture they were born into, even the language they were born into, and people of the child's culture. A deaf child, it should be the same... they should know about their heritage, the culture they were born into, the language that is natural to them, and others they identify with. I'm not saying my deaf kids will only be able to play with other deaf kids... no... they will be able to play with hearing children, any child (as long as the kid is nice), but these kids need kids around them, people around them who are similar.
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AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cloggy the flaw in your reasoning is that just looking vaguely chinese is not even equilvant to physically being dhh. You're assuming that HOH= more hearing then deaf. That is not true.....It's more like when a GLB kid comes out, the family should get involved in ....damn I'm blanking out on that gay rights family support organization, instread of being all "oh so and so will meet someone of the opposite sex and REALLY fall in love" or send their kid to one of those ex gay programs.
 
posts from hell said:
That is what a certain poster is doing. Her child is actually learning the Chinese customs, language, and meeting other Chinese people. Your point?
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A child adopted from China, not a child that just looks Chinese.. and therefore has to be Chinese..

ash345 said:
no... ...A deaf child, it should be the same... they should know about their heritage, the culture they were born into, the language that is natural to them, and others they identify with. ........
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A child born deaf from hearing parents Is not born in Deaf society. Does not have Deaf heritage. The deaf child can hear. Sign language does not need to be her natural language. Any language can be her first..
 
Cloggy said:
A child adopted from China, not a child that just looks Chinese.. and therefore has to be Chinese..
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The difference is?
A child born deaf from hearing parents Is not born in Deaf society. Does not have Deaf heritage. The deaf child can hear. Sign language does not need to be her natural language. Any language can be her first..
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Don't forget: countless of these same deaf people you speak of eventually find their way and go to deaf gatherings, learn sign language regardless, etc...

Oh, and some of them have CI's too. Some of them were oral only.

Again, your point?
 
Even oral deaf child find sign language natural language. They are more expressive than hearing child with hands, face expressions, pointing, mime without knowing sign language and they also find picking up some signs and understand much more quicker and faster than hearing child.

I know some very strong oral deaf people and they ALL do that without noticing when growing up (some did eventually learn sign later life and 1 or 2 still strong oral).
 
posts from hell said:
The difference is?

Don't forget: countless of these same deaf people you speak of eventually find their way and go to deaf gatherings, learn sign language regardless, etc...

Oh, and some of them have CI's too. Some of them were oral only.

Again, your point?
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Historically 90% of deaf children were born to hearing parents so if they didn't have their own language, heritage and etc...then why and how Deaf culture and ASL are in existence. That says a lot about what you stated, PFH.
 
Speedy Hawk said:
Even oral deaf child find sign language natural language. They are more expressive than hearing child with hands, face expressions, pointing, mime without knowing sign language and they also find picking up some signs and understand much more quicker and faster than hearing child.

I know some very strong oral deaf people and they ALL do that without noticing when growing up (some did eventually learn sign later life and 1 or 2 still strong oral).
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I remember the homemade signs that we made up in the oral class when I was little.
 
ash345 said:
no... its not about looks, how would someone look deaf... really... its still a state of being. If you are white and adopt a chinese child, yes you want the child to know about their heritage, about the culture they were born into, even the language they were born into, and people of the child's culture. A deaf child, it should be the same... they should know about their heritage, the culture they were born into, the language that is natural to them, and others they identify with. I'm not saying my deaf kids will only be able to play with other deaf kids... no... they will be able to play with hearing children, any child (as long as the kid is nice), but these kids need kids around them, people around them who are similar.
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Most deaf children, as well as those who are not deaf, learn about the cultures they were born into by their parents and their families as they are raised.

Why is the discussion always limited to the notion that there are just two cultures Deaf and hearing?

People are a product of many different cultural influences some that are influenced by the family one is born into and others that you acquire later on in life by decisions you make for yourself and others probably are just inherent to you as a unique individual. How one chooses to eventually identify oneself is ultimately their own decision.

If one is of the view that Deaf Culture is something you are born into and thus those who are born deaf deserve to be raised Deaf then how does explain those individuals who were born hearing but lost their hearing prelingually due to illnesses such as meningitis or other means?

Do such children who were born hearing deserve the right to be raised according to the [hearing] culture they were born into? Do they also deserve the right to be raised in their "native" [spoken] language as well? Thus would you agree that by raising these children orally their parents were just raising them in the culture into which they were born? Their parents are giving these children the chance to learn their native languages? Or when these children lost their hearing did they also lose their right to [hearing] culture as well? Did it just evaporate and was instantly replaced with Deaf Culture?
 
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Cloggy said:
Let's continue with the analogies....
Your child is born, and the eyes are different. In fact, she looks Chinese.. So now you will have to find other Chinese families, the child needs to learn Chinese, you will have to learn Chinese, because... The child looks Chinese.
And if you look hard enough, you will find plenty of Chinese persons around you....
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Great analogy, how about you and your spouse are white but you have two children, one very pale skinned and the other very dark skin, guess now you have to raise them very differently, different friends, different identity etc.?
 
Misread even for for every. Too early in the morning!

Statement retracted.

To quote Emily Letella: "Never mind"
 
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Speedy Hawk said:
Even oral deaf child find sign language natural language. They are more expressive than hearing child with hands, face expressions, pointing, mime without knowing sign language and they also find picking up some signs and understand much more quicker and faster than hearing child.

I know some very strong oral deaf people and they ALL do that without noticing when growing up (some did eventually learn sign later life and 1 or 2 still strong oral).
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Now that you mentioned it, I have seen the same as well...that says a lot, doesnt it?
 
rick48 said:
Most deaf children, as well as those who are not deaf, learn about the cultures they were born into by their parents and their families as they are raised.
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Just a fyi, you're dead wrong on that one. But I'll allow you to live vicariously.
 
posts from hell said:
Just a fyi, you're dead wrong on that one. But I'll allow you to live vicariously.
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Nope, spot on as to the source of how most children acquire culture and from whom they learn it. As to your second sentence it is as inaccurate as it is asinine.

BTW how then is your child acquiring her cultures?
 
rick48 said:
Nope, spot on as to the source of how most children acquire culture and from whom they learn it. As to your second sentence it is as inaccurate as it is asinine.

BTW how then is your child acquiring her cultures?
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I'm allowing you to think whatever you want. :)
 
I learned NOTHING about deaf culture from my parents or family.

I learned it from the Deaf. All of it.
 
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