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 Sound and Fury: General Discussion [all categories]
 Sound and Fury
 Real-Life Stories (Page 2)
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hava New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 01-11-2002 12:13 PM
  
I was struck by how articulate the young girl was. She was very clear about her feelings (pro and con the implant). She obviously has a strong desire to interact with others (hearing and deaf). I was upset to see the grandparents on both sides being so staunch in their positions. It bothered me that the hearing grandmother didn't even bother to learn sign language for her own child, let alone her grandchildren. Being able to communicate is essential - especially with people who are so close to our hearts. I didn't understand why the deaf grandparents felt threatened by the cochlear implant - it won't make the deaf community extinct. All it does is give sound - the person has to learn to make sense of the sound. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being bilingual/bicultural - you don't have to throw one away, to embrace the other. I have a progressive hearing loss that has affected me my whole life. I was told by my deaf friends that I am not truly deaf, because I speak and can still hear with hearing aids. However, I don't feel completely comfortable in the hearing world, either. My culture is really a mix of many influencing factors in my life. I'm not a part of any one culture - but a blend of cultures. I think most people are really not part of one culture - but of many. |
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amyb Member Posts: 11 |
posted 01-11-2002 06:00 PM
I am the only hearing child in an all deaf family, both immediate and extended. Luckily all my children were born hearing. The movie really struck a nerve with me. I wanted to get up and hit my television. What bothered me the most was the fact the child’s best interest for a normal life without barriers without frustrations and dependency was replaced for acceptance from the deaf community. Growing up as the only hearing child was awful. Not because I am ashamed of my parents or family's deafness, but because I was the one everyone depended on. My only wish as a child was for a hearing family. I always felt like I didn’t belong. When deaf friends were introduced to my siblings it was such a positive event because it gave them joy to see a deaf child, when they were introduced to me I was made to feel there was something wrong with me because I could hear. I was made to feel badly because I was smarter than my parents and at times was accused of being a smart a** when I was only trying to be the help they asked for.As a child I tried to poke holes in my ear drums just to fit in, just to be accepted just to lead a "normal" life. I tell my parents often if the implant were available to them as a child I would wish they had it. Life as a deaf person can be rewarding in some aspects of life but not one person deaf or hearing can say it is not frustrating. My mother can only read at a fourth grade level, her education was lacking and this has caused for great problems in her life as well as mine. I think to say a cure for deafness is not acceptable by the deaf community is absurd! I was made to feel badly because my children were born hearing, no one was happy that my children would grow up without barriers that they were perfect when they were born, everyone wished a handicap upon my children, they wished for the same limiting life they have. I was made to feel guilty by my parents and deaf friends because my life was easier than theirs. The hurt I felt was unbearable and it made me lose so much respect for my family. My deaf friends were also disappointed, what kind of culture is that?? Instead of seeing the miracle of a healthy child they could only see it wasn't unhealthy? So you see being hearing in an all deaf family is almost the same as being deaf in an all hearing family. It all has the same out come frustration and childhoods lost. the solution? A cure. Not every deaf family has deaf children, and I wish the focus was for the future generations of deaf couples and their hearing children. The product of CODA is riddled with emotional pain frustration and tales of a childhood stolen. So when thinking of implants think not only of the individual receiving them but the future children and family of that person. I understand the deaf culture very well and I understand the reasons for it. It is a culture that deaf people can turn to where there is no frustrations in communication ,there are no barriers and it is comforting. I also know that many deaf people form friendships not based on common interests opinions or ideas, many form friendships because the communication is not limited and for the simple fact that they are deaf. The culture does not see people as individuals that have different needs, wants or methods of communication. I have witnessed other deaf criticize another deaf person for using a different form of sign other than ASL, deaf criticizing deaf for wanting an implant to make their lives easier. It is a culture that is not based on the love for another human being; it's based on who is the better deaf person, who has the better communication skills in ASL, who has more deafness in the family. They are the first to say they are proud of Miss America because she is deaf and the first to whine when they find out she cannot use ASL. I see cries of DEAF POWER! While at the same time when a deaf person who is educated in a hearing school with better education and is successful, is in some form or another, not the perfect deaf person because they didn't go to a deaf school. Why on earth would I want to put any child in that world? I would want my children to grow up in a loving environment, in a world where who she is inside really matters. I hope that someday the cure for deafness prevails and the right to lead a normal life without the barriers isn't put under a microscope. For all considering the implant I say go for it, open the doors to success and be who ever you want to be, dream every dream and know there is nothing stopping you from obtaining that dream! |
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KMR New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 01-16-2002 01:10 PM
Our daughter is now 6 and profoundly deaf. She received a CI at 2 ½. We opted for the implant because we wanted to give her all the opportunities possible. We realized that she would not be well thought of by the Deaf Culture. That is sad for them. But she is not a part of the Deaf Culture. And even if we had opted for signing, she would still not be part a culture which seems to desire that deaf children born to hearing parents be separated from them and given, in essence, to the culture to raise. She is not the daughter of the culture. She is our daughter—hearing or deaf—just as our other children are. We cannot give her out of our family because of her inability to hear so that others can direct her life and her mode of communication and her world. This is the issue. We are her parents and it is our responsibility to do what is best for her. And what is best for her is to keep her in her family of origin where she is loved for who she is and not a pawn of a system dedicated to their own survival on the backs of our deaf daughter. What is best for her is to give her every opportunity to learn and achieve so that she will be well prepared for life. She is not a possession to be handed to others. She is a person whom we love for all of who she is. Not all families make the same decision and that is how it is. But for some to say that we have somehow done her an injustice by keeping her from a culture which she was ‘born’ into merely by the fact that some hair cells in her cochlea are broken or missing is absurd. Our daughter is homeschooled, reading at a 3rd grade level, speaks and hears, and uses Cued Speech. That is another aspect of deaf education which is not adequately addressed by the Deaf Culture: literacy. We are appalled to know that the average deaf high school graduate reads at a third to fourth grade level. It is unforgivable that a culture which is so strong could accept that when it can be changed. Cued Speech is not a language but a tool for literacy. One of the letters called the deaf enhanced visual learners. Cued Speech shows the sounds that the person cannot hear. This allows the child to internalize English so that when they are learning to read, they can understand English sentence structure, grammar, syntax, etc. We are clearly out of the mainstream on many levels…which we like if the Deaf Culture would prefer to be the mainstream for our daughter. She will never be a hearing person, even though she hears. If she wants to sign, we will support her fully. If she wants to turn off the CI eventually, we will support that fully. But until that time, we will do whatever we have to, to give her all the opportunities that we can, just as we do for our other children. We do not believe that our decision is the only right one, although clearly we prefer it. No, not all deaf people are illiterate, but some are. No, not all deaf people can not function in the hearing world, but some cannot. We believe that number is too high. And part of the reason that is true is that the Deaf Culture is more concerned with its own survival at any cost, than it is with the lives and futures of all the deaf children who are born today, no matter what decisions their parents make for them. Hearing people do not hate deaf people. But hearing people do not like deaf people to tell them that deaf people somehow know better what is best for their children than the parents do. Deaf people can, and do, lead wonderful lives. And so do hearing people. From the film, one would think that deaf people spend far more time hating hearing people than hearing people do deaf people. |
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ASLmyk unregistered Posts: 1 |
posted 01-30-2002 12:46 AM
Like KMR, my wife and I have a profoundly deaf 6 year old. Even though we are both hearing, we chose ASL as the primary means of communication for our child. We do not condemn the cochlear implant, but complete strangers have questioned our choice. On the other hand, many deaf adults have praised us for taking the initiative to learn ASL. It seems odd to me that there is so much debating about an issue from hearing people, when the people of Deaf culture have generally voiced the facts. 1) Deaf children are often denied the use of a visual language. 2) They have been forced to use methods of communication that contradict the way they were born. 3) They often (not always) fail at using these methods. 4) They often have marginal English skills, decreasing chances for financial success. The enhancement of personal and cultural identity is also harmed, as they are denied a language (ASL) or people with whom they can share all levels of communication (Deaf culture). Hearing people think this can all be "fixed" by going back to step 2, altering their physical (and eventually genetic) makeup. But what about step 1, use of a visual/manual language?? If we can accept this as a possibility, then all of the negatives seem to be avoidable. After mastery of a 1st language, acquisition of a 2nd is possible. No options are perfect, but some are better financed than others. Consider the money sponsoring cochlear (and brainstem and genetic) research. Compare that with the money that goes toward adequate education for teachers. Hearing people in America have something like an 8th grade reading level, which is not altogether significantly better than the Deaf. Deaf education is considered to be failing, although parents are refusing to sign because they have been marketed to believe that people cannot function without speaking, and therefore medical/"miracle" hearing technology is required. Do I sometimes wish my daughter could hear? Yes! I am Hearing. I have come to know the world through the better use of 5 senses, and place great value on these senses. Can a person come to know the world through other means? Certainly! Some cultures use as few as 3 colors in their language system, and they seem to do fine. The Dani use only the numbers 1,2,3, and “many”, but their worldview has not required alteration. But when a group of empowered people insists that they have no problem managing a world through the use of 4 senses, we insist that they are mistaken. American culture mandates that we fix or improve that which need not be changed at all. I prefer to love my child by changing the way I communicate with her, not by operating on her in order to change the way she communicates with me. I hope that I have done justice to the topic, and to the Deaf community to whom I owe my better understanding of the world. |
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RickA Member Posts: 10 |
posted 02-03-2002 12:56 AM
"American culture mandates that we fix or improve that which need not be changed at all. I prefer to love my child by changing the way I communicate with her, not by operating on her in order to change the way she communicates with me. I hope that I have done justice to the topic," Sorry but you have not. As a parent of a child with a ci, I can tell you that you demonstrate a lack of understanding of the relationship between parents such as my wife and I and our child. You do, however, parrot the anti-ci line very well. It is simplistic and also ludicrous to label the time, effort and research that went into our decision to give our daughter the opportunities and benefits associated with the ci as a "fix". It is also insulting and derrogatory and reflects poorly upon you. Is denigrating our decision a way you attempt to justify your decision? We love our child dearly, but our love for her is neither determined by nor limited to the communication mode that we chose for her. Do you think a parents' love for their child is that limited? If our sole concern was simply how we would communicate with our child than a ci would not be necessary. However, as one of the many concerns that we had was how she would be able to communicate with not just us, but her family, her friends, her neighbors and the rest of the world, we felt that a ci would be in her best interests. That she can today converse freely and unemcumbered with virtually everyone she meets on a daily basis, is due in large part to her ci. BTW your trendy reference to "American Culture" as being the reason for parents seeking cis for their children leaves you unable to explain the thousands of other parents worldwide who have chosen to give their children the same benefits and opportunities that our child has with the ci. [This message has been edited by RickA (edited 02-03-2002).] |
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Reader unregistered Posts: 10 |
posted 02-05-2002 11:38 AM
THE SITE HAS ACCIDENTALLY CHANGED THE NAME "ASLMYK" TO "READER". THIS RESPONSE IS FROM ASLMYK, SORRY FOR ANY CONFUSION. quote: First of all, "American Culture" is no more trendy than using "BTW", and I don't think the criticism adds anything to the discussion. If it helps, I will use "technological culture", but I'm still referring to the same concept. "thousands of other parents worldwide" have agreed with your choice to surgically implant a device into the skull of their child in order to help their child identify sounds. It could be millions of people, and I would still feel that it is not justifiable. |
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bearzy2u New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 02-05-2002 09:46 PM
quote: Hi I am the mother of a 16 year old son who is profoundly deaf. He had spinal menigitis when he was 2 1/2 years old. I just wanted to know if you would like to e-mail me. Or him just to have a friend. My address is pjw@onlyinternet.net Thanks Peg |
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Nora Member Posts: 7 |
posted 02-06-2002 01:18 AM
My 3-year-old daughter's experience with her cochlear implant (she was implanted at age 17 months) has been like that of any hearing child acquiring speech and language. Her speech and language both are at age-appropriate levels, and no one would know, unless they saw her device, that anything was different about her. She goes to a mainstream preschool and socializes as any other kid in the class. We, and everyone who meets her, are amazed at how naturally she progressed. I did nothing different with her than with my two hearing kids, except spend more time playing and talking to her. This can be any child's result, if he or she is put in a good, oral parent-infant program right from the start, and is implanted before age 2. My daughter has not spent tedious amounts of time learning about sound -- she has developed this quite naturally -- through play and interest -- the way any child does. I'm seeing a lot of comments about parents who choose to implant their child denying a deaf child his or her natural language. ASL is not anyone's natural language. It is learned, as is any language. People keep saying that parents who implant their child don't accept his or her deafness. Do they mean that to show that we accept our child's deafness we have to choose a visual language for her that dooms her to a third grade reading level and cuts her off from communicating with the vast majority of the world? It sounds to me like they're trying to justify their own decision. Why would I limit my child by ensuring that she is tied to an interpreter and pen and paper for the rest of her life?
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nette b Member Posts: 3 |
posted 02-06-2002 10:50 AM
"Life is a succession of lessons that must be lived to be understood" - Helen Keller Neither side knows what it's like to be the other. Adults like myself who were hearing and then deaf do know. If you put aside your own feelings for a moment and consider the child instead, are you certain you have made the right choice? If so, carry on, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If not, maybe you ought to reconsider. Ultimately, the deaf child will make his/her own decision. Many, many deaf children decide as adults to have a CI and many do not. This isn't about the parents or grandparents, this isn't about a hearing or deaf community, this is about the best interests of one person. This has become a battlefield instead of an educational forum. The lessons these children need to learn aren't "you're wrong, I'm right" they're "I respect your decision". |
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McGrin Member Posts: 3 |
posted 02-06-2002 01:54 PM
Nette B GOD BLESS YOU! You have stated it so well. All of this should be about what is the best decision for that child and his or her family. And as with everything else the "best" may change depending on the circumstances! |
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RickA Member Posts: 10 |
posted 02-09-2002 07:46 AM
"First of all, "American Culture" is no more trendy than using "BTW", and I don't think the criticism adds anything to the discussion." That is intersting coming from someone who critized the decisions of parents who chose to implant their children. "thousands of other parents worldwide" have agreed with your choice to surgically implant a device into the skull of their child in order to help their child identify sounds." You should go back and re-read my post. I said thousands of other parents worldwide have chosen to implant their children whether they agree with our decision to implant our child is unknown and irrelevent. Bottomline your comment that the parental implant decision is a result of "American Culture" is flat out incorrect. Further, why the "into the skull" reference? My daughter's implant rests on her outer skull not inside it. Are you trying to create the misimpression that a safe surgery that leading surgeons have described as relatively simple surgery is something else? Are you trying to give the misimpression that parents who choose the cochlear implant are less concerned than you about their child's well being? Or are you still attempting to justify your decision by attacking others? "It could be millions of people, and I would still feel that it is not justifiable." Fine, I have no problem with that. Unlike some members of Deaf Culture I believe that parents have the right to make decisions for their children that they determine to be in their best interests. I fully support your right not to choose to implant your child, sadly, however, some members of Deaf Culture neither respect nor support our right to choose the cochlear implant for our child. [This message has been edited by RickA (edited 02-09-2002).] |
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4my2kidz New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 02-23-2002 06:08 PM
Hi, I don't see anything wrong for anyone including a child, to get the Cochlear Implant. It doesn't cure deafness but it helps you when you walk in the hearing world. If hearing aid can't help you, then an implant might can. Both of my young children have Cochlear Implants. They're doing great. I know English, ASL, & Cued Speech. It's good to learn everything. Sincerely, |
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CommonSense New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 03-20-2002 02:33 AM
quote: You have fulfilled your wish. You have done a great justice to the Deaf Community by allowing them to brainwash you. Unfortunately it was at the expense of your daughter. I wonder how you feel if you were born blind and your parents denied you the surgery that might have restored your vision so that you might experience the joy of groping in the dark, learning to read Braille, using a stick [ASL] to find your way, and the privileged companionship of a seeing-eye dog. How will you answer your daughter when she asks you someday: I'm sure your reply : Will be more than adequate. [This message has been edited by CommonSense (edited 03-20-2002).] |
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hearingmom Member Posts: 2 |
posted 08-04-2002 02:57 PM
oh my...i just watched the tape of the show today.i am beginging the procedures to implant my 2 deaf children. and i dont care not one little bit about other peoples opinions. not at all!!!!! what i do to my kids , is between me and my kids. i feel that deaf people that have a problem with the implant , only have a problem because that would be admitting they are not normal or equal to hearing people or admitting they DO have a handicap. it's not about that at all. if a deaf person is fine being deaf and choses to stay deaf , that is his perogative.and there is nothing wrong with that. but......if a deaf person wants to hear and and wants to talk and learn language , that is ok too. so people should respect their choices and not try to change their minds or belittle their choices. my whole family is hearing. my children's fathers side of the family is hearing.for generations , there is no deafness in either side of the family. but for some reason our children were born deaf. my son is 8 and my daughter is 6. i chose to wait until they were old enough to make the decision their selves. they both want to hear. so i support their decision. i will take them to get their implants. i admit, it has been very hard for me raising 2 deaf children , especially doing it all by myself..since their father couldnt accept their deafness and dissapeared for 5 years. my kids are really fluant with asl and go to Maryland School for the Deaf, which i think is an awesome school. my son is a dorm student and my daughter is dormed part time . but that is the only time they interact with deaf people is when they are in school. i live over an hour from the school, so its a 2 hour bus ride to and from the school. they have to get up at 5 am and are picked up at 5:40 am. this is why they now dorm. so the decision i made about getting the implant will greatly benefit my children in many different ways , if the implant is successful. so no matter what any one says , i know i am doing the right thing. |
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hearingmom Member Posts: 2 |
posted 08-04-2002 03:22 PM
i also want to respond to you , COMMONSENSE because you dont have much at all....deaf childern/people are not retards. why must you attack someone because of their choices when it does not reflect on you WHAT SO EVER, and lash out at them and call their child retarted . i take offense to that ..my kids are deaf , and highly intelligent..they just cant hear. you however , sound retarded , and angry , and seems like you are just seeking a little bit of attention , so heres your attention. now go away. |
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Kiw-Mum New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 08-25-2002 07:00 AM
Golly, I was mistaken. I found this site quite by accident, I was looking for a chat room "for parents with hearing impaired child/ren". My daughter who is nearly 2 was diagnosed as having a severe/profound loss at 3months she wore hearing aids from 4months up until Feb 25 this year. Her hearing deterioated rapidly she became profound, with no hearing loss on either side of her family I made one of the hardest decisions of my life I (not we but me) entrusted my babys life into the hands of complete strangers and decided to have her implanted. It has been the most best decision, my daughter had "switch on" 2nd April of this year and she is already putting 3 and 4 words together something she would never be able to have done prior to the implant no I was not and am not ashamed of my baby, I had her implanted for various reasons not only educational reasons but socially and for her own safety when shes older she can now hear when someone is behind her. I have to travel 4 hour round trip for therapy once a week and 10 hour round trip (we sleep over) for mapping and check-ups monthly, and yes its hard work giving her language and listening opportunities every waking hour but what you put in is what you get out. So why can't we all agree what we do for OUR OWN children may not be what you would do for your own but we all have OUR OWN childrens best interests at heart. Children do not discriminate it is us adults who teach them discrimination. |
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Linden Member Posts: 2 |
posted 04-25-2004 11:16 AM
I am a student in an Interpreter Education program. This is a great resource for me, to understand many points of view on the CI. Thanks to all for sharing so openly. |
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rosepetals1975 New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 01-19-2005 05:16 PM
Hello!! Sign Language and the deaf have always facinated me. I met my husband a year ago and fell in love with him. I knew no sign language other than part of the alphabet. Even though I did not understand sign language I seemd to understand what he was saying to me. One day I got tired of writting everything so I started learning ASL. If I did not know the word I would spell it and he would show me the sign for it. It became a passion for me and i wanted to learn more. I invested in books and started studying more with the help of my husband ,friend, and other deaf people. Everyone is shocked how much I have learned in a year and I am starting to understand more and more. I am a member of the Toledo Deaf Club and I never saw a group of people that were more understanding, accepting, and patient as the deaf people are. I have so many deaf friends now and they are no different than anyone else. I will say this..just because a person is deaf does not make them any less of a person or mean that they are dumb. They just cannot hear. I do not understand why some people can be so cruel as one friend said to me "I think the deaf should stay with the deaf". I totally disagree with that because like any other human being the deaf can be loved, give love , and feel love. In all honesty I think I like the deaf culture better than my hearing culture. Seriously I think a lot can be learned from the deaf. I love my husband and I would not trade him for anything in the world. People should learn to look at others for what they are on the inside not for what is on the outside because all of us have flaws though maybe some of them are more noticeable than others. Always remember this though, no matter what in Gods eyes we are all complete. |
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emilyismyhope New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 12-03-2006 08:24 PM
I am a 16 year old, hearing. We watched Sound Of Fury in my ASL class. After we watched the movie we had to sign in front of the class if we agreed with the cochlear implant. Like if we had a child would we have our child get an implant? Mostly everyone in the class said they would. I going to say no(I'm the last to sign). If god made them that way, or if they were born that way, lost hearing,etc. There's a reason, and they should just go on with it. People can live without hearing. |
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Shawna Hoagland Member Posts: 3 |
posted 12-05-2006 07:05 PM
quote: yes, they can live without hearing but imagine how much easier it would be if they could hear. and the family isnt going to go rush out and do something they cant afford so if they can and want to, let them. |
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ecots New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 01-18-2007 07:23 PM
My experience is a little different but I hope it will help parents in their decisions. I am a 31 years old with a CI and the mother of two toddlers. I began losing my hearing when I was 7 years old and slipped through the system until I was seventeen.My family was in denial that there was anything wrong with me because my speech is very good. I struggled to understand the world around me and fit in on a daily basis never understanding what was missing. My grades were poor and I was often thought to be unintelligent. I was never in any special classes in fact I graduated out of determination and a lot of summer school ,from a talent and gifted school (proud bottom of the class:-). However, when I received my first pair of hearing aids at the age of seventeen I was amazed at the sounds of birds, cars, wind, water, life! I loved them for school and quiet environments they truly were a good tool to help me in those areas. I wore digital aids for ten years then my hearing loss became so profound that they no longer were of benefit during my first pregnancy. I did not hear my son for the first year of his life. It was exhausting to have to rely on your other senses for everything. Simple things like catching an elevator scanning the lights looking for which door will open then trying to make it before it closes because you can't hear the ding to cue you in. Not to mention relay calls!!! It takes forever to handle simple calls. I became so reliant on other people my self esteem was almost nonexistent. When my son was 1yr I had a CI it has changed my life! I can hear my children playing in their rooms, wind, movies, make telephone calls by myself! I would not trade my independence an the joy of hearing my children's voices for anything in the world.! Not even deaf culture!!! The world is vast and opportunities are endless. I am still deaf when I take off my implant. I still receive deaf waiver and am in entitled to the perks if you want to call them that, which come with being disabled, like free college tuition. I am back in school pursuing a new career path. My message here is basically it is daunting and tiring trying to please everyone as parents it is impossible. However, please remember that there is a very short window of opportunity for speech development most doctors agree that seven years it the cut off age. Your children will always be able to remove there implant and chose not to hear as adults; but, as adults without speech they can not chose to hear again. That is a gift only you can provide for them now. I was lucky to have had my speech develop before I lost my hearing because CI were not avail be 30years ago. I had the rare ability to chose as an adult this is not normally the case and I cannot even touch the tip of the iceberg when I say my world is so much brighter, simpler, happier and yes chaotic and louder than ever before and I love it! |
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Vida New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 02-22-2007 01:04 PM
The most amazing teacher I have ever had was Deaf. She taught us that her deafness is her identity, not her disability or impairment. She said she would never call her students "signing impaired"... She deeply cares about all of her students and is so kind. I am still in constant contact with her and will never forget the impact she has had on my life, broadening my horizons, enforcing tolerance, and helping me succeed in life. |
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chinsnquads New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 04-27-2009 05:32 AM
quote: yes, some Deaf children have lower literacy rates, but not all. oralism isnt the greatest thing either. very few kids succeed at this unless they do get implanted. im hearing but im completely opposed to implanting children, especially infants. yes, your daughter was a successful client for the CI, but what if something went wrong in the operation? would you have been able to live with that? after watching this film, i talked to my parents and asked them what they would've done if i had been born deaf, and they immediately answered with CI. it would've been a waste of money, because i would've taken it off all these years later. by implanting a child at such a young age and never exposing the child to ASL....that's just sad in my view. this beautiful language is NOT a crutch nor an inhibiter. by being a pure oralist, you are inhibiting your daughter from communicating in her natural language. however, she was lucky enough to be successful, so what do you care, right? no need for "what if"s, right? my roommate is HOH and wants a CI, but thats her decision because she lives on the border of the 2 worlds and she admits that she doesnt have Deaf pride, but just wants to hear like i do. i on the other hand, want to be deaf/HOH. overall, i would like to say that if you open your heart to the Deaf World, you will find a whole new world of beauty and so will your daughter. i dont think that its the parents decision whether or not this child should be implanted. the surgery is so risky. let them choose what they want. and also, i'd like to end my comment by saying that if this offends you in any way, i'm sorry, but i had to speak up. if you'd like to discuss anything, here's my email: chinsnquads@yahoo.com |
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