You don't, but you have implied pretty much that oral only is some sort of glorious utopian method that magically assimulates dhh kids into the hearing world. You also take criticism of oral only as basicly a personal attack. I know too that the orgnaization of AG Bell is a little more libral about methodology, even from ten years ago. But, they still can be VERY audist about how hearing and talking means "freedom"....they seem obessed with the fact that Sign users use 'terps. "Oh wittle Smashly uses all those hearing gadgets you see in Harris Communications, but it doesn't matter that she does b/c she's not dependant on a 'terp!"
Please.....we are not against oral skills. We are against oral-ONLY, if it's not the child's choice. If a child has a full toolbox of tools, and decides to use only speech.....................FAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They debate should be more about which language should be first. AG Bell needs to encourage speech skills, but they should also really promote Cued Speech and Sign and other things, instead of hyperfocusing on speech, speech, speech.
Excellent point R2D2.
I do think that implantation criteria should be a little stricter, as some people are seeing it as the LATEST trendy "gotta have" hearing technology. Also think that there should be a little more experimenting with alternative hearing devices. For the pop that has NO benifit from hearing aids, IMPLANT them.....but also expose them to a dual language metholodology til they are old enough to decide what path they want to take.
"You don't, but you have implied pretty much that oral only is some sort of glorious utopian method that magically assimulates dhh kids into the hearing world."
dd,
Thank you for admitting that I have never made those statements. However, now your fallback position is that while I did not make those statements, when I tell parents to make a well informed and reasoned decision that is in their child's best interests, I "implied" something. However, since I know the time, effort and devotion that we put into raising our child, I know that while it was one of the best experiences of our lives, and the best decision for our daughter, the results did not "magically" happen.
So, please show me an example of one of my posts that you say implies the above, that the oral method "magically assimilates dhh kids into the hearing world". Just one will do.
"You also take criticism of oral only as basicly a personal attack."
No, I take personal attacks as personal attacks. Look at just posts 230, 231 and 242 on this thread as well as 50 from the "Why" thread. Can you honestly say that they are not personal attacks and not just against me as a person but as a parent and my relationship with my daughter. Also, why attack my child at all? Ask yourself, what kind of person sinks to that level? I know what kind.
With respect to critiicism of the oral only approach, honestly, ask yourself, what stake do I have in the oral only approach at this point? We used it and my daughter benefited tremendously from it. But she is now grown and no matter what anyone says about it, they cannot not take away from her success. I have no personal need to either defend or support it. In fact, as far as I am concerned their comments about my decision or the results my daughter has received are not relevent. If no one else ever chose to use that method again, it has no effect on her or the benefits she receives from it.
"I do think that implantation criteria should be a little stricter, as some people are seeing it as the LATEST trendy "gotta have" hearing technology."
Never met or heard of any parent who elected to have their child undergo the ci surgery do so for such a superficial reason as because it was "trendy". I really think that your statement is a perfect example of what you often do: stake out an extreme position, make a statement that has "shock value" and then apply it as a generalization to a whole group of people.
I think you do a disservice to the many parents, myself included, who carefully deliberated, and is some cases, agonized over their decision and frankly, I also think you do a disservice to yourself because you lessen your credibility.
Rick