You Have to Learn the Rules of the Game

I really like this quote by Albert Einstein:

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” 

It is very important that you learn the "rules of the game" if you want to be successful. No matter where you are, you usually indirectly and directly learn or are taught the "rules of the game" through experiencing everyday customs and manners that are traditionally practiced by most in the culture you grow up in. For example, in America, it is expected that you have a good command of the English language, work hard, and not complain too much if you want to be successful in conventional society. In most areas of the United States, it also helps to be up to date with the latest news, gossip, celebrities, television shows, or movies.

However, it does not mean that you have to be like everyone else or do the exactly the same things other successful people are doing. I believe that once you have a full understanding of the rules of the game, you can have the power to play better, challenge the rules of the game, or to change them.

My high school art teacher once gave me very good advice:

"Before you can paint whatever you like in however fashion you like, you must first learn the basics and the traditional rules of art."

So, this is where the idea of mainstreaming comes in. One of the goals of mainstreaming is to give students with special needs the chance to integrate with the general population while receiving the same type of education. Many hope that with mainstreaming, the students with special needs will effectively learn the rules of the game played by the general population.

I do agree with the notion that by being surrounded by the general population you will pick up naturally how to socialize and interact with others appropriately. For example, I think it is a terrible idea to place a student with behavioral issues into a class where everyone else has behavioral issues. How is this child supposed to learn how to behave appropriately or learn what is supposed to be typical behavior?

When it comes to the deaf or hard of hearing child it is different.

I feel that some deaf and hard of hearing children with the inability to communicate with others naturally is going to have a hard time in a mainstreamed environment. Perhaps there are ways to help these certain students, but throwing them into a general education classroom and leaving them without much support and equal access to information and communication is most likely not the answer.

How are some deaf and hard of hearing students supposed to learn the rules of the game if they do not have equal access to the information they need to know? How are they supposed to learn the rules of the game if they are emotionally or socially stunted due to a lack of natural communication with their peers? How are these students supposed to learn if their family members are reluctant to make the effort to interact and communicate with them at home?

For example, what about the deaf or hard of hearing child who will regularly miss what is being said in side conversations, in jokes being told, within a group of people socializing, from the radio, or from non-captioned videos or television programs being shown in class or at home?

What about the student with the interpreter by her side at all times, making it awkward for her to interact with some students?

What about the student who is always behind in class because he or she regularly misses what is being said because the teacher is going too fast or because of constant background noises?

Most people learn the rules of the game through school, social interactions, casual conversations, watching television, watching movies, and listening to the radio.

How do we provide mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students equal access to all of these things that typically hearing students take for granted?

Mainstreaming is not perfect, but I believe we can make it work. There has to be a way to make it work.

It is important that we look at and try to understand the difficult issues some mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students may face before we can make the necessary changes. If we truly want them to be mainstreamed or part of the general population we must make it easier for them to access the information they need in order to learn how to be productive members of general society.

I am working on it.

But, first I must learn the rules of the game played by this public school district. Then, hopefully, I will be able to play better than everyone else for the sake of these students.

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Issues I Have With Mainstreaming Deaf & HOH Students

During my two years as an itinerant teacher servicing deaf and hard of hearing students I have come across some issues with mainstreaming that concerns me. It is important for me to note that this is based on a public school district in a rural area. All public school districts have different ways of mainstreaming D/HH students. Some are better than others.

While there are several good reasons to mainstream a deaf or hard of hearing child, there are several negative issues that we should be concerned about. I want people, especially parents and teachers, to be aware of them so that we can try to figure out how to best deal with these issues.

One issue I have involves sign language interpreters. I come across many teachers who have little or no experience with interpreters who are very uncomfortable with working with them. It takes a while for them to get used to them. By the time they may finally start getting used to the idea of having an interpreter in the classroom, usually it is towards the end of the school year, when it is too late. I find that many teachers are in denial that they are uncomfortable with the interpreters and that they don't want them there. If I don't know how they are really feeling about the having an interpreter in the classroom, how am I suppose to help them? Telling me that "everything is fine" is not going to help. I always urge teachers to ask questions or tell me any concerns they may have. But, I think that because of the ridiculous demands thrown at the teachers, while they deal with hundreds of other issues and their students, they would rather not deal with whatever issues they may have with the interpreter. While they act as if "everything is great" the real problems and issues go unsolved.

I also have another issue involving sign language interpreters. I worry about what type of sign language they are using with the profoundly deaf student or students with delayed expressive language skills, whether they are using SEE, PSE, ASL. Most are not using ASL, from what I have seen. It often does not match the sign language the students use at home (even though most parents hardly use signs at home except when they give demands such as, "No." "Stop." "Come." "Go.", "Eat." etc.). What kind of languages are the students being exposed to and how does it affect them? It has got to be confusing. I wish there were more communication between the parents and the interpreters to establish what type of sign language should be used with their child. I wish more parents would consistently use sign language with their deaf child at home.

One more issue I have with interpreters deals with the pace the teacher goes at in the classroom. Often, the teacher goes too fast. By the time the interpreter has explained to the child in sign language what the teacher has said, the teacher is moving on to a different topic. Sometimes it takes a while for the deaf or hard of hearing child to process what was said, especially if the child is new to sign language or is language delayed. Sometimes the interpreter has to take more time to elaborate what the teacher said (spelling out a word, describing what it means). I can understand why the teacher goes at a fast pace or at a pace that it not appropriate for the deaf/hh student. They have a lot to cover and have to practically speed through some subject matter being taught because of these ridiculous demands they are expected to meet in a timely manner. But, I would like them to try to make more of an effort to slow down or to find ways that the student is understanding what is said without singling out the student (I wish some teachers would stop constantly asking the deaf/hh student, "Did you understand? Do you want me to repeat what I said?"). There has to be way to make the pace appropriate for the deaf and hard of hearing child and his or her classmates. I am currently trying to work with some teachers dealing with this issue.

Another big issue has to do with socialization and self esteem. Where I currently work, there are not many deaf and hard of hearing students at each school. They are scattered about, often being the only deaf or hard of hearing student in the entire school. For many of them, I am the only hard of hearing person (other than their grandparents) that they have met so far in their young lives. That is astonishing. Imagine what it must be like to be the only student with a certain trait in the entire school. How are they supposed to develop healthy sense of selves or self esteems knowing that there is no one else, other than me, that they can relate to or share their feelings with in terms of having a hearing loss? When I was mainstreamed, I knew at least ten other students, if not more, who used hearing aids and FM systems like I did. I knew that I was not the only one. I was involved with a really good deaf and hard of hearing program where they regularly brought in deaf and hard of hearing visitors of all ages. So, I had exposure to different deaf and hard of hearing people, including others who were the same age as me. It makes a big difference to be surrounded by others like you. When I attended private school during my middle and high school years, I did not realize it at the time that I missed the social interaction with others like me.

These are just some of the issues I have with mainstreaming that more people should be aware of. I hope that we can work together to figure out ways to deal with these issues.

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Worried About Neighbors Using Hearing Aids to Spy on You?

Someone typed 'neighbours using amplified hearing aid to spy' in the Google search bar which somehow led him or her to this blog (probably because of my earlier posts about funny hearing aid commercials).

So, the secret is out! Yes, we have been faking being deaf or hard of hearing all along. We work for the aliens helping them spy on the human population using our "hearing aids".

But, really, I do wonder if people have actually been successful in overhearing private conversations using ordinary amplification devices or those 'As Seen on TV' hearing aids. I know that it can be possible with certain FM systems, if someone forgot to turn off the device or if someone place the microphone near the speaker without them knowing it.

Is anyone else paranoid about their neighbors spying on them with amplification devices or hearing aids? Or is anyone planning to spy on their neighbors using these devices? 

If so, please tell us about it!

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Related Posts:

• Amusing "Super Hearing" Hearing Aid Commercial

• Hilarious Hearing Aid Commercial

Doing What is Best For Your Child

I have been in many situations where the child is fighting or refusing something their parents and teachers thought that they would benefit from. This can be a tough situation. Do you continue to insist that the child does what you would like them to do or do you back off and have the child figure it out for him or herself? I suppose it depends on the situation, the child, the family, and other factors. What if your child refuses to eat his or her vegetables and insists on only eating candy? Most likely, you will not give in to your child's demands.

But what if it involves the child's hearing aids? What if it involves the child's preference for a communication mode over another? Do you listen to the child and go with his or her decision? Or do you continue to insist that the child wears the hearing aids or use a particular communication mode?

I had experienced many situations where a child refused to wear hearing aids and I am currently dealing with another situation where a child refuses to use and learn sign language.

Years ago, when I was volunteering in a self contained classroom, there was a first grader who would repeatedly 'lose' or 'misplace' her hearing aids. She did this quite frequently and it became obvious that she did not want to wear her hearing aids. She eventually told her teachers that she did not want to wear them. She would often take them out when no one was looking. After several months of her parents and the teachers trying to encourage her to wear her hearing aids (they even set up a rewards system), the parents finally realized that they can't force her to wear her hearing aids and that trying to encourage her to wear her hearing aids is clearly not working. So they stopped trying to make her wear her hearing aids. The child did well in her school and seemed much happier. The parents and teachers were much happier once they did not have to use up most of their time and energy trying to convince her to wear her hearing aids.

I recently spoke with her teacher at the time who still teaches at the school. We talked about this first grader and about how she refused to wear her hearing aids. The teacher told me that the following year, in second grade, the student decided that she wanted to try wearing her hearing aids again. She made the decision on her own. No one talked with her about it or tried to convince her. She realized that she did benefit from wearing her hearing aids and she actually liked them.

I currently have a student with a mild-moderate hearing loss who is obviously a "listener and speaker" (oral/aural). She loves to talk with others. She understands everything that is being said to her, unless it is whispered or unless she is in a noisy environment. She has a sign language interpreter in the classroom. The sign language interpreter does not sign everything that is being said. She is there more for support. She acts more as a para-pro or teacher's aide than an interpreter. This student has told me many times that she does not want to learn or use sign language. She does not want to tell the interpreter this, for she does not want to hurt her feelings. When I try to sign with her, she looks away or seems uninterested. She will insist that I talk instead. I always ask her, "Don't you want to learn sign language? It is such a neat language! Don't you think?" I don't exactly know why she does not want to learn or use sign language, but she has her reasons. When I ask her if she is embarrassed by it, she will say "No." I have asked her if it was hard for her to learn, and she said, "No." She has told me that she feels that she doesn't need it and that she prefers to talk. But, mom insists that she should have a sign language interpreter in the classroom.

Should we listen to the child and stop with the sign language for now or do we continue to insist that she learns and uses sign language? I almost feel as if we are hamsters running in their wheels going nowhere if we continue to push for her to learn sign language right now.

Maybe later when she is older she will want to learn sign language. I did not learn sign language until I was 23. I learned sign language because I wanted to. Other deaf signers have said that I am pretty fluent in it now, even though I feel as if I am not. But, I was surprised at how quickly I learned it. And it was so much fun. Why? Because I wanted to learn it. I don't think I would have felt the same way if others were insisting that I must learn sign language and I did not want to. I felt the same about speech classes. I thought they were a waste of time because all we did was play board games and say the same words over and over again. But, I did not tell anyone what I really thought of speech classes, because I thought it was just something I had to do and there was not much I can do about it. I think many kids are like this. But, for those few who are not afraid to voice their opinions, we need to listen and maybe let them make the decision. Sometimes you have to let go and relinquish some control. Children learn best when they fumble and make mistakes on their own. Maybe once you decide to let the child not wear hearing aids, they will realize that they really need them to do well in school and outside of school. Maybe you will realize that they do fine and dandy without hearing aids.

But, I can't imagine what you would do if it seems as if they really could benefit with hearing aids, but they refuse to wear them. That would be tough. There is a kid who refuses to wear hearing aids. Before he did very well in communicating with others and he did well in school. When he decided to not wear his hearing aids, he started to not do well in school. He seems to be struggling more with hearing and communicating with others. But, it could be other things going on, other than his hearing. He is a teenager and who knows how much of it has to do with his hearing. Perhaps he would be in the same situation if he was wearing hearing aids. Who knows. But, in reality we cannot force him to wear hearing aids. What are we going to do? Tape them to his ears?

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Hilarious Post from Deaf & HOH Teachers Sound Off!

This post from Deaf & HOH Teachers Sound Off! made me chuckle.

I probably would have laughed too if I was in the same situation. I don't know why the male anatomy is so funny.

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Great Sites for Practicing Finger Spelling and Numbers

I came across these great websites with ASL number and finger spelling quizzes. I used this with a student who is currently learning sign language. She loved it. I recommend visiting the sites if you want to get some receptive practice.

Finger Spelling:  http://www.asl.ms/

ASL Numbers:  http://asl.bz/

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When Captions Censor Inappropriate Language

I was watching a part in a movie where it was very obvious that the crazed gunman was screaming horrible curse words. I could clearly hear the words:

"F*&#k you motherf*&#@%s!!!!!!! Kiss my #%$#!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

It was interesting how the captions were virtually non-existent during this part. Instead, the captions vaguely described how the man was screaming, following a bunch of made up words and symbols. 

I notice that censoring with closed captions happens quite often. I think that it does not make any sense for people to be able to hear the curse words or inappropriate language while the captions don't even acknowledge them. Sometimes they use "nicer" words instead. For example, I often read "witch" instead of "bitch". One time, I kid you not, the captions read "sand bag" even though it was very clear that the person said "douche bag". Nevertheless, it was hilarious reading, "Man, you are such a sand bag!"

Is this some sort of mistake? Are they using captions specifically made for shows that would normally censor curse words? Or are they afraid of offending deaf and hard of hearing people? Do they think we are stupid?

Some of us like to curse too. We are not all pure and innocent babies needing protection from the bad words.

I want to know exactly what kind of curse words or horribly inappropriate language is being used.

I cannot have interesting adult discussions about the part in the movie where the guy called the other guy a "sand bag".

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Abuse and Mistreatment of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Jamie Berke asked a good question on her blog post 'Does Being Deaf or Hard of Hearing Encourage Abuse',

Why would a deaf or hard of hearing child, even with a deaf or signing parent, be at greater risk for mistreatment?

There could be several reasons.  

Here are a few reasons:

If the child is being mistreated mainly because of his or her hearing loss, perhaps communication issues play a part. A relative or friend to the deaf or hard of hearing child may get irritated or frustrated with several communication issues that may come up. Some may subconsciously ignore the child or mistreat the child to avoid dealing with communicating with the child.

The child with low self esteem (sometimes due to how they are treated or viewed by others, especially if they are constantly pitied or babied) has a greater risk of being mistreated by others. Or sometimes children are just naturally shy and withdrawn, making it appear that they have low self esteem. Abusers typically go for the insecure and fragile child. They rarely go after the child with high self esteem and self confidence.

Abuse and maltreatment can be a never ending cycle. The abused or maltreated are at a greater risk than others at becoming abusers themselves. People could be at a greater risk of becoming abusers if they dealt with traumatic events (witnessing a murder, death of a loved one, homelessness, divorce, custody battles, etc.).

It would help to learn what kind of families these deaf and hard of hearing children that were reported to be mistreated, come from. Do they have relatives or family friends who have been abused? Did they experience any traumatic events in their lives? Is the abuse or mistreatment happening mainly because the child has a hearing loss? Who were abusing or mistreating them? Where did they survey these children?  Were they urban dwellers? Lived in rural areas? Were they suburbanites? Did they have large families? Small families? What were their socio-economic status? What kind of schools did they attend? What kind of friends did they have?

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Having Imperfect Speech, Not the End of the World

My speech is not perfect or typical, but it is understandable. I may mispronounce or have trouble clearly saying certain words but I can get my point across effectively through the use of my voice. Most of the comments I get about my speech is that I sound as if I am from Boston or that I have a very interesting accent.

A few years ago, I was told by another teacher that I should probably avoid trying to get a job working with oral/aural deaf/hh students or mainstreamed deaf/hh students who speak and listen. Why? Because I would not be an ideal spoken language model for these students, according to her. She said that I should consider working in schools for the deaf where they use sign language, even though I am not fluent in sign language or comfortable with the idea of using mainly sign language to teach and communicate with my students.

I do agree that deaf and hard of hearing students should have plenty of exposure to appropriate language models. The more they are around ideal language models (signed or spoken), the better. However, it is absolutely ridiculous to think that I can somehow negatively affect my students' spoken language skills by spending a few hours a day with them, five days a week, throughout the school year. I once had a teacher who spoke with a thick German accent. If teachers are able to strongly impact how their students talk, I would have developed a German accent, yah?

I would never discourage someone from doing something they would like to do just because they have a speech difference or are unable to communicate effectively using their voice. There are plenty of people with speech differences who are successful in careers where they often utilize their voice and speaking skills.

Here is a list of some well known successful people with speech differences or atypical speech:

Christopher Walken

Bruce Willis

Marc Anthony

Lou Ferrigno

Drew Barrymore

Barbara Walters

Marilyn Monroe

Howie Seago

Vice President Joseph Biden

Rowan Atkinson ("Mr. Bean")

Anthony Natale

Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait

Truman Capote

Marlee Matlin
Mel Tillis

Jimmy Stewart

Samuel L. Jackson

Winston Churchill

Tom Brokaw

Just because someone has a speech difference or does not have "normal" speech does not mean that they should avoid doing things they love that would traditionally involve using good speaking skills.

It does not do any good to focus only on the negative aspects of having a speech difference or lacking the ability to speak properly. Sometimes having a speech disorder can work in your favor as you find ways of dealing with it, as you can see in this excerpt from David Sedaris' book, Me Talk Pretty One Day:

"At school, where every teacher was a potential spy, I tried to avoid an s sound whenever possible. "Yes," became "correct," or a military "affirmative." "Please," became "with your kind permission," and questions were pleaded rather than asked. After a few weeks of what she called "endless pestering" and what I called "repeated badgering," my mother bought me a pocket thesaurus, which provided me with s-free alternatives to just about everything. I consulted the book both at home in my room and at the daily learning academy other people called our school. Agent Samson was not amused when I began referring to her as an articulation coach, but the majority of my teachers were delighted. "What a nice vocabulary," they said. "My goodness, such big words!" 

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Related Posts:

• My Speech Therapist Was a Jerk
• Working on Improving Your Speech
• My Experiences with Cued Speech
• Accent
• OK, Let's Work on Your 'R's!

"This Make Me Enraged"

I was working with a student on finding other words to use than 'angry'. We made a type of word web, circling the word 'angry' and connecting it to other words we can use or synonyms of 'angry'. My student learned that we can use furious, enraged, upset, mad, or infuriated instead of angry. We also talked about how the words are commonly used in everyday conversations.

The next day, I had her practice her writing. She was working on writing a paragraph about her plans for the weekend. She struggles with writing as she is still trying to figure out the English language (language delay is due to a number of different factors). Writing is not her favorite thing to practice. She stopped in the middle of her writing, looked up, and gravely stated, "This make me enraged."

I was glad, happy, or ecstatic that she was paying attention during our brief synonym lesson the previous day!

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Great Itinerant Teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Blog

I love reading this informative blog about educating deaf and hard of hearing students within a mainstream setting. It has lots of helpful tips about working with D/HH students. I like his most recent post, 'True or False'.

It is called Itinerant Depot. Thought I would showcase it here. :)

Link to blog:  http://2x.51f.us/

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YOU ARE EITHER WITH OR AGAINST THIS SLEEPY KITTY!

*In response to a blog post on DeafRead.

• Related Post: My Response to Certain Issues Being Argued to Death on DeafRead! 

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Treating Hearing Loss Using Supplements, What a Quack

I am sure many of you have come across various unconventional treatments for hearing loss advertised on the internet. Hopefully, you would be wary of these advertisers' claims. It would be wise to do your research and to talk to your doctor before deciding to participate in these supposed treatments.

I recently came across an advertisement claiming that their supplements can treat hearing loss by improving how the nerves in the ears transfer sound. It also claims that these supplements can prevent "dangerous molecules" from coming into your ear after being exposed to loud sounds. They did not specify what these dangerous molecules can be.

Their ingredients are supposedly supported by clinical research. Their studies have shown that 95% of users have experienced positive results.

When looking at the ingredients, I noticed that many of them can be found in other supplements and drugs that are thought to improve memory and brain functioning. Some of the ingredients are antioxidants and vitamins such as magnesium, alpha-lipoic, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.

Their research claims that many people who took the supplement experienced positive results, which is very likely. If the supplements mainly contain ingredients that are supposed to improve brain functioning and memory, it makes sense why users will experience positive results with hearing or listening. When we are in a better mood and alert, it will appear that we hear better because we are able to concentrate well. If we are tired, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or not feeling well, we will have a harder time hearing due to lack of focus and concentration.

If you want to improve your hearing or listening abilities, rather than take these supplements, you could do it by exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, and getting plenty of sleep and rest. In addition, you could take vitamins or certain supplements that have the same ingredients found in this supplement. But, I would recommend to talk with your doctor first before taking any supplements, especially if your are taking other medications and supplements.

Please be wary of certain treatments that claim to prevent or improve hearing, especially those that claim to cure hearing loss or deafness. It is important to do the research and get the facts especially from primary sources.

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It Helps if You Listen to the Parents

Sometimes professionals can make the mistake of not listening to the parents or caregivers when providing certain care or special services to their child. It helps to simply stop and listen to the parents.

I have a great example that involves my older sister.

Her daughter, Charlotte, was having trouble with crawling. I am not sure how old she was at the time, but she was probably over 6 months old, around the time she was supposed to be crawling. She was exhibiting physical delays, according to an early childhood interventionist working with Charlotte. One day, the interventionist along with a physical therapist and  an occupational therapist, came over to evaluate little Charlotte at home. My sister was there watching them interact with Charlotte and evaluate her gross motor skills.

The team of specialists kept trying to get Charlotte's attention with a toy that they brought. They wanted to see if she would crawl towards them. Charlotte sat there and stared at them; clearly uninterested. She was probably thinking, "I'm not moving for that stupid toy. Who are these people? Why should I move for them?" They made silly noises and goofy faces at her trying to coax her to come to them. No matter how hard they tried, she continued to sit there staring at them while they tried to get her to come towards them. The team became very concerned. They were already labeling her as having serious physical delays.

Throughout all of this, my sister kept telling them that she knew what they could use instead of the toy to help motivate Charlotte to crawl. She told them Charlotte does crawl, but only if she is really motivated. They ignored her and assured her that they knew what they were doing and that it was obvious that Charlotte was having problems with crawling on her own at the moment.

Finally, my sister got up and got the thing she knew would get Charlotte excited and moving:
hand sanitizer. For whatever reason, Charlotte went bananas for hand sanitizer, not the actual hand sanitizer gel stuff, but the bottle (of course Charlotte was not allowed to use or play with the gel). She went nuts for the hand sanitizer bottle, probably because she was not allowed to play with it on her own.

Fed up with the team wasting everyone's time, my sister got up, found a bottle of hand sanitizer, and brought it in waving it at Charlotte. Charlotte perked up and immediately started crawling full speed towards it, reaching for her precious hand sanitizer bottle. The team was amazed. They then concluded that there was nothing to be concerned about and they packed up and left. My sister never saw them again.

If only they had listened to her in the beginning.

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What Does it Mean to be Stupid?

One time a student let out an exasperated sigh and grumbled, "I'll never get this. I am too stupid for this." He was frustrated after he attempted to solve a math problem several times. I stopped him right there and said, "No, you are not stupid. You just need more practice and your teacher and I will need to teach this to you in other ways that will help you understand." Sure enough, he eventually got it once we taught it to him in a way he understood.

I meant what I said to him. When someone does not understand how to solve a problem or is unable to understand something fully, I would not say that they are being stupid or dumb (not mute). 

So what does it mean to be stupid? When is it safe to say that someone is committing acts of stupidity? I suppose it depends on how you define this term.

According to me, stupid can mean lack of judgment or thought. For example, I would be stupid to leave my purse inside my unlocked car in plain view. Stupid can also mean to be silly. For example, I am being stupid when I start dancing with my friends in a grocery store for no reason. Stupid can also mean something that irritates you. For example, I wanted to strangle the stupid rear window captioning device when it refused to work for me. In addition, stupid can mean to act careless, like the time I thought it would be fun to ride an abandoned shopping cart down a steep hill.

In reading comments, blogs, and articles online I think it is stupid or thoughtless when someone says all are like this or that all need this and that. How can you possibly know that it will pertain to all if you have not personally met with or learned about each and every one of them? For example, how can you be so sure that all babies who have cochlear implants will be failures? And how can you say that all babies who are implanted will be successful? How can you say that all deaf people are going to have 4th grade reading levels by the time they graduate from high school? How can you say that all deaf cultured people are paranoid backstabbers? It infuriates me when I read things like this online either in blogs, articles, news, or through comments. How can one intelligently say that all are like this and that unless they know all there is to know about this group of people or have personally met every single one of them? Or to claim that something is an absolute fact without being able to back it up with data or primary sources, would be pretty stupid (which I am sure I have done before without thinking).

But, stupid, for me, is not when you are having trouble figuring out how to solve a problem or having trouble understanding a new concept. Sometimes it takes practice and sometimes it takes another way of looking at it or being taught in a way that you understand it. Would you say that you are stupid if you did not fully understand how to change the oil of your car, a completely new concept just taught to you once?

When it comes to solving certain math problems (more than basic math) I struggle. For whatever reason, as a child, it took me a very long time to understand certain math concepts. It took a lot more repetitions than the average student in my class to learn certain math concepts. As a result, this made me feel stupid. Sometimes when I was finally able to understand certain math concepts, I would often have trouble remembering the next day. But, I wouldn't say that I am stupid in math. It just happens to be something that may take me longer to understand or remember than most people. Perhaps, I wasn't taught in a way that I could understand it. Perhaps my brain isn't wired to learn certain math concepts quickly. Maybe I have a math learning disorder. Maybe I just needed a lot more practice.

But, because I felt stupid in math, I wasn't motivated to learn more about math or to practice using math skills. I was discouraged from pursuing careers in math, because I didn't feel confident enough to use math skills. I eventually convinced myself that I will never be good in math. Perhaps with the right training and practice I could have been pretty decent at math. Who knows. 

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Deaf and Dumb. Acceptable?

I am always surprised when I come across recent news articles and blogs using the term 'deaf and dumb'. I am more surprised at how often it happens. I have assumed that most people, especially journalists and professional writers, would know better than to use 'deaf and dumb'. It perpetuates the myth that most deaf people prefer not to speak, are unable to speak, or are 'mute'. Even though I do not think that 'mute' is the best term, I feel it is better than using an outdated term such as 'dumb'. In addition, 'dumb' is used more frequently today to mean 'stupid' or 'idiotic'.

Here is the recent news article I came across that uses the term 'dumb' in its title. It is from the Wall Street Journal's Law Blog:


Philadelphia Story: How to Prosecute a Deaf, Dumb and Illiterate Man?

What do you think? Is 'deaf and dumb' appropriate? Do you use this term to describe deaf people who don't speak, whether they prefer not to or are unable to? Do you know anyone who uses this term?  

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Sign Language Tattoo

'ILY' tattoo from a young woman interested in becoming an interpreter. 

 

Here is a better picture. 

*Pictures taken by (e.

*Please link back if you are going to use these pictures on your website or blog. I would appreciate it!

Related Post: From the Street: ASL Tattoo

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Why Some Families Don't Choose Sign Language

From what I have learned so far from working with families with deaf and hard of hearing children is that there are three main reasons why families do not choose to learn and use ASL or sign language with their deaf or hard of hearing babies.

1) It seems too hard and time consuming, especially for families who live in areas with no support system, who are already overwhelmed with other issues, and for those in situations that are not ideal (mental illness, drug and alcohol problems, homelessness, etc.).

2) Their child is responding well to other methods (oral/aural, cued speech, AVT etc.) and is doing well in all areas of development, especially in language and communication. 

3) Professionals tell the families not to learn sign language because it will hinder the child's spoken language skills (which is not true, I find. Neglect and abuse will more likely hinder spoken language skills along with other factors).

After knowing their reasons for not wanting to learn ASL or sign language, what do we do to try to convince some families who would benefit the most by taking up sign language to use with their deaf or hard of hearing child?

For the family who is overwhelmed by the prospect of learning a new language, it would be better to coax them into it. Also, it is important that they have access to appropriate support and resources they can use. If they don't, there would be no ASL advocate or early intervention specialist who would be trying to convince them to learn ASL or sign language, so they will be on their own and will have to decide what to do and how to go about it. Most likely, for the average family with no support or appropriate resources nearby, they will not go the sign language route, and if they do, they will probably provide sign language in an inconsistent way (not every family is like Mel's family from We Never Landed in Holland).

I really like Dianrez's suggestion about encouraging families to start little by little; baby steps, as they do with baby sign language for hearing babies, so that they don't get too overwhelmed:

Baby ASL is only about two dozen signs in the first few months, at a relaxed one at a time. They are easily learned and intuitive: like milk, water, love.
When the baby starts communicating it gets easier to get into more signs and words (it gets exciting and motivating!) or to go in the direction of voice if the baby is responding more to that. 

For the family who has a child who is doing very well with other methods, I think it would be hard to convince them that their child could benefit more from using sign language. Perhaps, talking about how most people in other countries, especially European countries, are bilingual or even trilingual. Discussing about the opportunities their child will have if she or he knew more than one language. Asking them to think about those they know who grew up using different languages and are fluent in all of them, may be a positive way for them to consider thinking about picking up and using sign language with their child. If there are classes nearby and time and money allows them, they can take these classes together as a family. It helps bring the family together which encourages more one on one with the baby, which has been proven to help encourage the baby's language development. Love and support is what babies need the most. Why not add to it by spending more one on one time with the baby as you learn and use sign language together?

For those families who have been told by other professionals that they absolutely must not use sign language with their child, tell them to ask for second opinions, do their research, talk with other families who do use sign language with their child.
The most important thing we can do after making these suggestions to them is to BACK OFF. We cannot demand, we cannot be angry, and we cannot keep meddling in these families' business. This will only scare them away. 

Let the families make their own decisions. They have to decide what is best for them. They have to consider the type of family they have, their location, availability of models of fluent sign language, what type of resources and support they have access to, how capable they are of learning and using sign language consistently, and so on.

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A Post Worth Reading (from Mel)

Hearing parents need support! It is not so easy to just propose one method you think is the best to some hearing parents and expect everything to work out great.

It's complicated, as Mel explains here:

http://theotherdeafstory.blogspot.com/2011/01/hearing-parents-need-support.html

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How Do We Support Hearing Families Who Choose ASL?

Of course I agree that using ASL with your baby, whether they are deaf, hoh, or hearing, can be a great thing. Children need a language base and if parents or caregivers are able to take the time to learn and use ASL with their child consistently, I would highly recommend it. I would never tell a family not to learn and use ASL or sign language with their child. Then again, I would never tell a family that they HAVE to learn and use sign language or ASL with their child. I would give them as much information as they need about ASL and sign language and then refer them to deaf ASL users who would know more about this than I would. It is up to the parents or caregivers to decide what to do and to do more research and get more than one opinion.

I suggest, not demand. My job is to provided information in a unbiased manner. I try very hard not to insert my opinions, I give them the facts and as much information as best as I can.

Parents have to deal with peoples' opinions all the time. Sometimes they just want the information.

It is difficult when parents approach me and ask me what they should do exactly and I have to tell them that I can't tell them what to do. They have to make the decision themselves.

We have to remember that not all deaf and hoh babies are the same or come from the same families.

When a family decides to use ASL or sign language with their child, it does not always mean that they are going to go about it the right way.

How is the average parent who has never met deaf people or use sign language themselves supposed to provide a natural language environment using a language that is totally foreign to them?

If you advocate that all families must learn and use ASL with their deaf and hoh babies, then how do you propose to support them and make sure that they will follow through? You can't expect that the average hearing family learning some ASL from attending classes or watching sign language DVDs in their spare time will use it fluently and consistently with their child as they are learning the language.

How do we support hearing families learning and using ASL with their deaf and hoh child? What if they live in a rural area where there are no deaf or hoh ASL users? How do you propose this to an alcoholic single father? How do you propose this to a single mother of four children who speaks only Spanish and struggles with learning English as she tries to get by with whatever work she can find?

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All Deaf & HOH Babies Need ASL First?

I wrote about why some deaf people prefer to use sign language. Note that I wrote some, not all. 

There are some people in America who imply that all deaf and hard of hearing babies who grow up using ASL will be more successful than those who don't. People need to be careful in making these types of generalizations. One cannot assume that ALL deaf and hoh babies who grow up using ASL will be better off than the ones whose parents chose to go the oral/aural route, cued speech route, total communication route, SEE route, etc. 

I think it is ridiculous to propose only one method to a parent and not educate them on the other choices; whether they say that only oral/aural methods should apply or whether one says that they must be fluent in ASL first before considering other options. 

It is the parents' responsibility to do the research and decide what is best for their deaf or hoh child.

If all deaf and hoh children should be taught ASL first, would this have included me?

I was and always have been comfortable using spoken English. I have enough hearing in my right ear, especially when aided, that I did not struggle too much with learning spoken language. Spoken English worked for me quite well. Sure, life is not perfect and I will struggle to some degree every day in catching what is being said in certain situations. But, whose life is perfect? We all struggle with something.

Yet, there were some strangers who told me that I should have had the chance to be fluent in ASL first. When I ask why, they will often give me some vague response about how it would have helped me be successful in all areas of development and I would not have had it so hard as a child. So, according to them, because I did not grow up with ASL, I am not successful in all areas of development.

I consider myself to be pretty successful in all areas. I was a very bright and happy child doing well in all areas of development. My parents and family saw this and saw no need to intervene and provide me access to a "visual language system" or ASL just because I had a hearing loss. They made the choice that I will do fine without having to learn ASL or some sort of signed system and go to a school for the deaf. 

My parents acknowledge that I never asked for ASL or some sort of signed system. They also realized that they would never be fluent in ASL and would prefer to communicate with me in their natural language, English. If they were deaf and fluent ASL users, then I would have been fluent in ASL and then spoken English, which would have been awesome, but the reality is that my parents are hearing and fluent in spoken English, which worked out great for me anyway.

But, I do acknowledge that what worked for me may not work for some others.

So, there is nothing wrong with parents not going the ASL or sign language route, unless it is obvious that it should be employed with their child. If their child is very unhappy and unable to communicate with others, I would hope that they would consider other options such as sign language to help with their language acquisition. Parents should do the research and be exposed and educated on ALL communication options and then decide what will be best for their child.

It is important to understand that not all deaf and hard of hearing children are made the same.

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Why Do Some Deaf People Use Sign Language?

I like to look at search terms, using the 'Stats' section of Blogger, that people typed in Google leading them to my blog.

One of them was a question:

 "Why is it that when you are deaf you use sign language instead?"

For most people it may seem silly to ask this question. You may say, "Well, duh, because most deaf people cannot hear much of spoken language and would prefer to communicate visually."

I'll admit, I thought it was a silly question at first.

But, it seems as if some people honestly do not understand why a deaf person would prefer sign language.

I will attempt to answer this question in a way that may be helpful to those who are learning about sign language and how some deaf people communicate.

First of all not all deaf people use sign language. Not all use the same sign language either. Some use ASL, some use SEE, and some use PSE, some use BSL, etc. Those who don't sign may use cued speech or may only use voice and rely on clear and understandable speech, lip reading, visual cues, and what is left of their hearing to get by. 

To understand why those who are deaf would prefer sign language, first try to imagine learning a brand new language, let's say Russian, and you are in a sound proof bubble. The person trying to teach you the new language is standing outside speaking to you in Russian. The person gets angry with you because you are not responding appropriately. Sometimes you can make out some sounds, but you are unable to hear what they are exactly. Did he say 'ka' or 'ta'? Did he say 'bo' or 'po'?

What do you think this would be like? Uncomfortable? Annoying? Fun? Easy to learn?

For some people it is easier for them to learn language and to communicate with others if they utilize sign language. For some others, they are able to pick up spoken language pretty well without sign language; after using certain techniques that may work well with the person.

If you can't hear the sounds I would think that it would make sense to most people why some deaf people prefer sign language or some sort of visual system to learn language and to communicate with others effectively.

Anyone care to add to this?

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