What does it mean to be "oral"?

deafdyke said:
Well I think, that the hoh kids who were msdx as MR could have quite possibly had more severe losses. I don't use the term mentally retarded, since as you stated that is offensive and getting to be slightly outdated. However, I do use the term MR simply b/c it's more specific then simply using the term "developmentally delayed." I know that developmentally delayed is the "new" term....but that term isn't as good since "developmental delays" can include things like autism, cerebal palsy, and even some learning disabilites.
No. I know the difference. You misunderstood me. I didn't say "mild hoh" I stated hoh in general......meaning a very significent loss.
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If you want to be more specific, use cognitive disability. CP and learning disabilities are not included in developmental delays. Autism is a specific dx of its own.
 
Hear Again said:
To me, oral is learning by hearing. I don't differentiate between oral deaf or oral HoH. I also do not believe there are varying degrees of oral education unless it involves TC. If Shel or Jillio are reading this, I would like to read their perspective.
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Oral education is one that relies solely on spoken language, both receptively and expressively.
 
AlleyCat said:
Good post -- the bolded part. I know I don't speak entirely correctly either (I used to think I did until I was told otherwise! :giggle:) But I don't care either, as long as I learned to talk and am understood for the most part.
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:giggle:

Exactly AlleyCat. :)
 
deafdyke said:
Well most hearing kids who have speech tend to only need articulation therapy. You basicly learned how to say sounds you couldn't right?
Well speech for dhh kids is a lot more complicated......It usually involves language therapy (I don't remember the specifics of it since I caught up in spoken language by the time I was in kindergarten. However I DID have spoken language therapy as a preschooler and kindergartener) as well as some articulation therapy (some common sounds that dhh kids work on are the s sounds and the th sound. I clearly remember sitting in the speech therapist's office learning how to say that sound) Dhh kids also have training on things like pitch, volumne, modulation etc.
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DD,

Lay off my case in trying to define what kind of speech therapy I had. I had speeh therapy period. Is that not good enough for you???
 
DD,

I was only 5 or 6 years old at the time I had speech therapy, so I can't tell you what I specifically learned. All I do remember is that I worked for months on proper pronunciation. I suspect that I worked on pitch and intonation as well, but I can't be certain of this because I was too young to remember. As I said, I really don't give a flying fig what or how I was taught as long as it worked which it evidently did because I've been told I have excellent speech with the exception of how I pronounce words containing the letter "R" and "S." I do not care if people have a problem with the way I pronounce those words. If someone is going to be so obsessed about me being able to speak perfectly, they can kiss my you-know-what. Sorry to be blunt, but that's how I feel. By the way, I also don't overanalyze how I was taught Braille at age 4/5. I don't know what kind of techniques were used to teach it to me nor do I care. I'm able to read Braille at more than 100 wpm, so whatever method they used to instruct me, apparently it worked.
 
jillio said:
If you want to be more specific, use cognitive disability. CP and learning disabilities are not included in developmental delays. Autism is a specific dx of its own.
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Exactly. I hope DD takes your advice because using the words mentally retarded is extremely offensive.

How would DD like it if I called her slang for her sexual orientation? I would never do that and as someone who claims to be an advocate for the deaf and HoH, I would hope she'd treat people with cognitive disabilities in a similar manner.
 
Oh so cognitive disability is the latest phrase now. Seems like these phrases change every so often and it's hard to keep up with it. The problem with positive language is that they change so often that it's hard to keep up.

When I first got work as a masseur I made the mistake of using the old word now offensive word meaning cognitive disability. I didn't mean it to be offensive. It's what they used to be called back in my school days.
"So I was told to describe them as having learning difficulties instead. Makes my head spin round.

I am not meaning any offense but maybe we could try being a little less touchy. I don't think Deafdyke meant to offend.
 
The term mentally retarded is very offensive. That term hasn't been used for over 20 years.

For someone who claims to be an advocate for the deaf and HoH, I would hope DD would have known that.

I wouldn't even be bothered if someone used the term mentally challenged, but mentally retarded is insulting and inappropriate.
 
Hear Again said:
The term mentally retarded is very offensive. That term hasn't been used for over 20 years.

For someone who claims to be an advocate for the deaf and HoH, I would hope DD would have known that.

I wouldn't even be bothered if someone used the term mentally challenged, but mentally retarded is insulting and inappropriate.
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Actually the term "mentally retarded" is still very much in use today. A friend of mine works with kids who have autism and the teachers of the school refer to those with autism as "MR kids". My friend has also seen this in other schools. I guess by acronym-izing it, they think it becomes less offensive...?
 
Hmm. In the exposure I've had to congnitively impaired children, I've never heard the term mentally retarded used. Perhaps it's because of where I live. We do have a number of educational programs for children and teachers alike about people with disabilities, so that may explain why.
 
I guess I would be considered, an Oral HOH person to some, since I do speak well enough and understand well enough to communicate orally.

But many people still catagorize me as being deaf/HOH.

It does not bother me. I know what I am capable of, and people see what I can do.
 
Hear Again said:
The term mentally retarded is very offensive. That term hasn't been used for over 20 years.

For someone who claims to be an advocate for the deaf and HoH, I would hope DD would have known that.

I wouldn't even be bothered if someone used the term mentally challenged, but mentally retarded is insulting and inappropriate.
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And the term has changed to cognitive disability because it more accurately describes the condition.
 
Daredevel7 said:
Actually the term "mentally retarded" is still very much in use today. A friend of mine works with kids who have autism and the teachers of the school refer to those with autism as "MR kids". My friend has also seen this in other schools. I guess by acronym-izing it, they think it becomes less offensive...?
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Could be. But keep in mind that there are teachers of the deaf that refer to their students as hearing impaired, as well. Some just don't bother to make the effort to change old habits.
 
jillio said:
And the term has changed to cognitive disability because it more accurately describes the condition.
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I did not know the term Mentally Challenged been changed to Cognitive disability.

Learn something new everyday.

But would some consider that offensive, since the word "disability" is being used instead of "challenged" ?
 
I don't use cognitive disabilites...I use congnitive delays or needs. At where I work, we use "children with additional needs."
 
I've heard the term "special needs children." That doesn't bother me as much as "mentally retarded" does.
 
I have come across all kinds of terms <"developmental disability", "delayed" "special needs", "special ed"> and worked with kids with spina bifida,autism, CP, Down Syndrome.....I personally was in "Ex Ed" as young child and as I think most of you know I have LD. I haven't come across "mental retardation" or"MR" as an official term in some time - currently here we do seem be using "cognitive disability". At the agency where I worked <Case manger> we used "developmental disability" - this about 10 years ago. One of the things I talked about when I was doing case management with adults with severe LD, cognitive disabilities, autism and "dual diagnosis" was about plans and thoughts of the individuals themselves with whom I worked. Together we made these short- and long-term goals, discussed likes and dislikes and discussed what clients thought about many things, which included how they perceived themselves.
 
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