This is my response to: http://candysweetblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/doing-deaf-differently-re-inventing-and-re-defining-differently
I agree with you, Candy regarding "doing deaf differently" however the problem is that doing deaf differently in your blog is close to being indifferent towards the real issue here which is an elephant in our room.
Here is the issue, while AGB philosophy/system of education have turned few deaf children into successful deaf oralists living in the hearing world. (by the way, I am successful Deaf adult living in the hearing world as well so I don't quite understand fully the AGB's definition of "successful" or "living in the hearing world?")
Back to the issue: So many Deaf/HH children are missing out the full scope of education development due to selective language development based on auditory value of the society at infant/toddler age when language development is at its critical stage. These adults are now not able to reach their highest ability as I have been blessed with simply because they are being handed a plate of option: The Oral plate or the ASL plate. As a result this poor elephant is: So many deaf/hh adults are struggling to live fully because they do not have the literacy skills. They end up paying with their lives based on our limited options that we have handed them. We do not really talk about that. Why can't we allow these deaf/hh children have early start in bilingualism as many hearing infants and toddlers are having? The hearing infants/toddlers are being handed a festive plate. Research have proven that ASL is beneficial to hearing infants, how can they not be the same for deaf infants? Worst than that, we are denying them ASL because we believe in this myth: If ASL is introduced then speaking will be hindered. Many deaf children have proven that to be wrong. Again, we do not hear about these stories as we do not hear stories about so many "failed" cochlear implanted children who ended up with little or no language skills.
Let's do deaf differently than what we have been doing the past 200 years: Let's stop the struggle between AGB and Gallaudet! Lets include ALL! Speech, Listening, and Signing... Now that is Doing Deaf differently! :) Giving it ALL to our Deaf and HH children! This is something we have not tried for all children. Let's do it differently this time around and benefit all children! Let's not play Russia roulette with our children: Teach them speech first, see which child will succeed by the definition of AGB. If this child does not speak, then send them off to ASL. This is not how language development work in infants and toddlers. We all know that! This is not "re-inventing and re-defining" deaf, this is doing the same thing for 200 years. Let's really re-invent and re-definite our approach. Give our children the language development they deserve rightfully. Give them ALL education and communication skills and help them ALL succeed! They deserve that from us! I really want to do deaf differently! :)
Kind regards,
DeafMother4ALL, Terrylene Sacchetti
PS: I am doing deaf differently with my children!
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5 comments:
I always have difficulty understanding what bi-lingtualism IS via deaf. It seems to exclude everything oral which is a conundrum in reality, as we all use it to a degree, some more or less than others.
Deaf children in the UK are B=NOT denied access to sign languag, however if there is a skill they are capable of learning oraly,then this is encouraged.
It always seems to me that when bi-lingualism and culture is mooted, what they mean is a war on anything to do with orals, or AGB, and wild claims of force-feeding the deaf with orals, and deliberate obstruction of culture-related input.
I can only say it must only happen in America..... While there may well be adults who feel this was the case for them, few if any deaf children do these days, the transitions you want are happening, but no child will be denied a skill that they are able to acquire, and which helps them. If it is sign OK, if it is oralism then again OK, ability decides, if they have an implant OK again.... what does hold deaf children and the culture back, is the lack of acceptances all around. Nothing is black and white.
My hat goes off to you!
"Doing Deaf Differently" is what they are claiming by perceiving Deaf children using advanced listening technology to track them to speak and hear without the need of ASL while we all know that it is nothing different to exclude ASL.
What I find it interesting is that Geers (2004) states that "For children who receive a cochlear implant between the ages of 2 and 4 years, early cochlear implantation does not ensure better speech perception, speech production, language, or reading skills."
It is just too funny to see how they use technology as an excuse to do differently while we know for a fact that practice has been going on for more than a century.
Hence, we are doing Deaf differently by implementing bilingual programs for all Deaf babies and children that has been denied for ages. Doing differently means change that needs to happen and the change means a need of improvement in linguistic and cognitive abilities.
Let's give ALL to ALL Deaf children!
Yay Terrylene! Well said!
--Don G.
Hello! I'm a new mom-to-be of a beautiful Deaf child whom I plan to raise tri-lingually. Just came across your Vlog and wanted to say thanks for the words of wisdom! :)
Ditto! We are doing Deaf differently for our Deaf daughter also. It amazes me how Deaf community and educated hearing bilinguals in the community are happy to embrace technology and new ideas but always with the whole child in mind, their full development. Yet the oralists are always too scared to admit that children an families would benefit from access to natural sign language. I attended ICED 2010 and one comment (among MANY) that made an impact on me was from Dr Alan Hurwitz: 'we need to add to the child's experience not subtract from their development'. Why can't we give them EVERY opportunity and follow their lead. Our daughter is AWESOME: the sad thing is she is isolated in the mainstream due to a system that does not allow other Deaf children to encounter sign language and Deaf culture -UNFAIR.
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