defgrl

For years, I had known how to sign and had Deaf friends, etc. However, I had always labelled myself as "Hearing." I have had "Deaf feelings" for many years, but I thought that I was "nutso" or that something was wrong with me in some way because I had these feelings and experiences. When I learned Sign at age 20, I felt like a whole new world opened up for me. Sure, I wanted to be Deaf. I wanted to belong! But I did not find out about my own hearing problem(?s) until 1996. Even then, I still continued to label myself as "Hearing." I have started asking Deaf people what I am. Most say I have to decide for myself. I have more trouble with mainstream society's definition of deafness (small "d") than with Deaf people definition of Deafness (big "D"). For now, I am calling myself "Hard-of-Hearing" However, I am not trying to hide who I am from the Deaf Community. I am also see a psychologist. However, he is HOH himself and he can sign. Very well, in fact. There are some people who insist that I am "Hearing." But they will conceed that I am "hearing impaired." I think some of the confusion is from all the different labels and the different views. I have Asperger's and I may have LD's as well. I am a visual-spatial learner. I think Sign IS easier to communicate in.