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Hearing Children
Although I am Hearing, I did not speak until I was four years old. There is evidence, as reported by my mother that I had some Home Signs, but she felt that signing was not an option for me. I once asked her why, and she said, "even though you're Hard-of-Hearing, you heard as well as you could...and I was afraid if I let you learn to sign, you would never speak, and thus not be accepted anywhere." Mother worried quite a bit about whether I would ever learn to talk! Now I can't shut up!
However, I do know some signs taught to me by Hearing who can sign, and by Deaf friends. I also have a good knowledge of the Manual Alphabet, and I could spell for a Deaf person if the occassion arose. I once almost had to at church for an old Deaf man because some old Hearing ladies tried to make him move, and I was going to tell them he had to sit there. But I just watched, and the Hearing ladies left him alone.
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