When expecting a child, would you want it to be deaf?

Passivist said:
You have to wonder, WHY, some deaf wants deaf children....
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It actually does make sense, if you think about it. Deaf parents often want a child to whom they can relate on a certain level that they couldn't if their child was hearing. Being hearing, I could never fully, 100% relate to my deaf child (if I had one), because I can hear. Similarily, deaf parents couldn't fully relate to their hearing children.

Personally, I don't care one way or the other. I just want my (future) children to be healthy, period. Whether that means hearing, deaf, in a wheelchair- Don't care. The child will be mine, and I will love it regardless.
 
Is there such controversy among those with other types of disabilities such as those who are blind, or others? Is there any parallel to this debate elsewhere or is it unique to the issue of hearing?
 
The deaf and hearing loss world has the most contention of any other bar none. Every decibel means something to someone, and because the world revolves around communication, making profound loss the most disabling of all to most. With three primary sectors involved (Hearing-Deaf-and the 'Undeaf'), and with all three totally different views and approaches to communication and access issues (Even against other deaf access), and the many who flit between all three sectors, this really is a 'Never-Ending Story' !

At present the main issues are between 'Deaf' and 'Undeaf' not between hearing and deaf people,where even there awareness and access is differently viewed. These issues will never be resolved on current stances made, because one wants alternatives to deafness and communication via sign, and others live via that approach. Agreeing to disagree seems fine, until one man/woman's access becomes a barrier for someone else... then these two sectors will fight each other, it can be vrey heated and vry hard to watch too, but we are talking people's lives.
 
Passivist said:
The deaf and hearing loss world has the most contention of any other bar none. Every decibel means something to someone, and because the world revolves around communication, making profound loss the most disabling of all to most. With three primary sectors involved (Hearing-Deaf-and the 'Undeaf'), and with all three totally different views and approaches to communication and access issues (Even against other deaf access), and the many who flit between all three sectors, this really is a 'Never-Ending Story' !

At present the main issues are between 'Deaf' and 'Undeaf' not between hearing and deaf people,where even there awareness and access is differently viewed. These issues will never be resolved on current stances made, because one wants alternatives to deafness and communication via sign, and others live via that approach. Agreeing to disagree seems fine, until one man/woman's access becomes a barrier for someone else... then these two sectors will fight each other, it can be vrey heated and vry hard to watch too, but we are talking people's lives.
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WISE WORDS!!
 
ayala920 said:
Personally, I don't care one way or the other. I just want my (future) children to be healthy, period. Whether that means hearing, deaf, in a wheelchair- Don't care. The child will be mine, and I will love it regardless.
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Exactly same here.... :)
 
CutePommie said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzy
Many of them are not able to go to college because of their lacking of understanding in english language. Remember many of them, their reading level are in 4 or 5 th grade level.
excuse me jeez!!! they can go college to learn the understanding of english language or reading levels... never to say they cant go college because their lacking in english or their reading levels .. .. oh please !! all of you must to stop ..... you all should to respectable for them to want or not to want to do ... thank you ..
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I did not say it, I said I know many and they are having hard time to learn to read and writing. Many do not have any hope to go to college and get classes passes. I have witnessed this. I should all respect them? huh? Why would they come to me and complained to me about it, not able to understand english and vocabulary. They asked me what it means? What it does say? over again and again. They do not come here on AD to read and put the words here cuz they are not able to do it.

Ur not aware of whole truth out there, just believe what u want in your mind but with me I have known this too long and witnessed. I have right to fight for them to become better life esp younger generation, unlikely my generation. too late for them but not too late for younger generation.
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Rose Immortal said:
Literacy is a big concern I would have if I had a deaf child. I actually think that literacy is even more important than speech because if you do not speak but you can write fluent English, you'll get your point across very nicely in situations where an interpreter isn't available. If I could be assured that my child would become fully literate, hopefully up to the college level (and beyond if he/she wants an advanced degree), that would calm a lot of fears I might have. The good thing is, I do know there are methods out there that could help like Cued Speech. But does anyone know, does the record of success differ for those children who did or did not have any residual hearing (by means of CI or other)?

I ask because I don't have any idea, not for anybody to jump all over me, please.
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True literacy is very important. First few years of child's life is very important, language to develop by communicate first alike ASL or any sign language so this child won't be behind in thier own world. Learning how to read and writing comes later after 6 or so but u need to have a language first to communicate before u can learn how to read and writing. Children with some residual hearing ( whether CI or HA) have more better chance to keep up with language and education than those who had none of them unless they are fluent in ASL as a baby.

CUED speech is not for every deaf child.
 
ayala920 said:
It actually does make sense, if you think about it. Deaf parents often want a child to whom they can relate on a certain level that they couldn't if their child was hearing. Being hearing, I could never fully, 100% relate to my deaf child (if I had one), because I can hear. Similarily, deaf parents couldn't fully relate to their hearing children.
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I think that's why many hearing parents get CI's for their children when they are babies...they want to relate to the child by making them "hearing" like them. Except the child isn't really a hearing child, so it might not work and the kid might grow up and say "forget this CI, Mom and Dad, I'm DEAF!"

There is an article in a Chinese newspaper you all might be interested in, it is called "I hoped our baby would be deaf" - don't worry, the article is in English! :D
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200604/20/eng20060420_259778.html
 
Etoile said:
I think that's why many hearing parents get CI's for their children when they are babies...they want to relate to the child by making them "hearing" like them. Except the child isn't really a hearing child, so it might not work and the kid might grow up and say "forget this CI, Mom and Dad, I'm DEAF!"

There is an article in a Chinese newspaper you all might be interested in, it is called "I hoped our baby would be deaf" - don't worry, the article is in English! :D
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200604/20/eng20060420_259778.html
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It's true that hearing parents want their deaf children to hear like them. But, nobody wants to believe it, or even deny it too.

Here's proof:

Parents

Parents face challenges when their child is born deaf or becomes deaf. At least ninety percent of deaf and hard of hearing children are born to hearing parents who usually want their children to be like themselves, to understand sound, to use their voices and verbally express their thoughts through spoken language, and to hear the voices and spoken language of those around them.
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http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=138140

How sad, It always about them (the parents) :(
 
If I have a deaf son/daughter then I would get him/her implanted and start using sign language at the same time.. it would be the best if the child learns both speech and sign language together... She/he may make her/his own decision around age 7...

BTW, I'm hard of hearing.. I cannot be a hearing parent :D
I can taste both worlds... but like the deaf one more :D
 
ecevit said:
If I have a deaf son/daughter then I would get him/her implanted and start using sign language at the same time.. it would be the best if the child learns both speech and sign language together... She/he may make her/his own decision around age 7
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Whoa, You jumping the gun here, You can still learn speech with hearing aids, I did, Those who met me in real life can prove that to you. CI is not the only tool that helps those with speech. Why do people keeps getting the wrong information? That's what I'm seeing here.
 
Cheri said:
Whoa, You jumping the gun here, You can still learn speech with hearing aids, I did, Those who met me in real life can prove that to you. CI is not the only tool that helps those with speech. Why do people keeps getting the wrong information? That's what I'm seeing here.
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I was speaking of the moment when HAs are not sufficient ...
I prefer HAs.. I still use HA since I still have usable residual hearing..
but when one has very little residul hearing and cannot get by hearing aid then CI is the only assisting device to hear sounds.. I accept that it's not natural ... CI doesn't cure deafness and being deaf isn't a shame.. I just would want my child ( if I have one,of course ) to learn both worlds.. ;)
 
It is possible to learn speech with just HA, only the speech then is most often slurred, or in other way affected, not very clear.
Despite losing hearing slowly over the years and attending speech therapy sessions my speech is NOT the same as a hearing person.
I slurr and can not pronounce well S, C, TCH. SH, T and more.

You repeat what you hear,
No matter how hard you try and how well you try to imitate tongue and mouth position if you don't hear well you miss a lot.

In this aspect the sooner CI the better. Especially with such a heavy loss- 110 Db.. yikes it's a lot, my starts at 70 Db and down.
Imagine I used to hear much much better and still it wasn't enough to have clear speech..


Fuzzy
 
LisaMarie said:
WHOA!!! WHY ARE U SO UPSETTING? I M NOT SHOUTING! I LIKE TO TYPE IN CAPS. IF U DONT LIKE THE WAY I TYPE THEN DEAL WITH IT!
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TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS VERY ANNOYING AND LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE YELLING. That's why it's considered more polite to type in all lowercase than in all caps.
 
Breezy said:
I think you should back off from Cloggy a bit there, he's just speaking from what he knows. I'm not a parent but my friend had a baby a few months ago and i know understand on some level how hard ANY thing but 'healthy' can be upsetting to a parent. It's true parents expect healthy children and it's upsetting when urs is born with a problem. But you learn to adapt and they become more healthy than u could have ever imagined.
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Oh deafness is considered an illness now?! Gee, I guess some of my friends are sick forever, then, huh???
 
To say nothing of bumping a thread for something like that... :dunno:

What are your thoughts on the issue of wanting deaf children, gnulinuxman?
 
gnulinuxman said:
Oh deafness is considered an illness now?! Gee, I guess some of my friends are sick forever, then, huh???
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Way to put words in somebody's mouth. That's not what Breezy said. :P
 
Etoile said:
To say nothing of bumping a thread for something like that... :dunno:

What are your thoughts on the issue of wanting deaf children, gnulinuxman?
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Oh, well, my thoughts are I'll love and accept a child equally whether deaf or hearing. But, being anti-CI, I would sign for a deaf child (or even if hearing so they can be bilingual-bicultural). That's my opinion.
 
Etoile said:
Way to put words in somebody's mouth. That's not what Breezy said. :P
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A child doesn't need to be hearing to be healthy. It seemed to me that Breezy was saying hearing parents want "healthy" children (which somehow seems to exclude deaf children).
 
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