Quote:
Originally Posted by flip
I agree that's a good approach under todays circumstances for teachers in deaf schools, when facing this kind of parents.
But I find it cruel to see children forced to wear CI all the time, even when they ask to put if off, either because they want a rest or because they do not like it. A doctor told the parents and teachers to not let a new impanted child with sign language competence put of the CI, else the child could develop a bad habit of not wearing CI.
I wonder if this is child abuse? Are there other similar situations where children are forced to use technology against their will legally?
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Yes. I force my children to go to the dentist, where technology is used to make pictures and check their teeth.
I force my children to eat with knife and fork (OK, that's old technology, and not very American) and
I force my children to turn off the lights before they go to sleep,
I force them to flush the toilet, etc...
What I am saying is that like with other things, children have to get used to some things.
And when the choice has been made for CI, that includes the effort to learn to hear and interpret sound.
With us, Lotte rejected the HA and we "forced" it on her. She never rejected the CI. (Actually, she was fine with the HA in the kindergarten because many children wore them. As soon as she was in the car, she would rip them off
)
When children with CI are older, the parents will let it be up to the child to wear the CI. Often they will take it off after a long day with intense listning, just like people with HA's that take them off when they come home.
But at the start of the hearing proces, it is imporant to get used to the sounds and equipment.
After all, when a child wants to take off the CI or HA, it is very likely it is because it is something weird on their head. Not because they have a sudden urge to start sign-language.
With Lotte, she had no benefit with the HA, so she didn't want it.
With the CI, she benefitted and she's fine with it. In fact, she requests to have them on.
Of course a child can be tired of all the sounds coming in, and parents should allways keep that in mind, especially after a long day. And the child should be allowed to take it off.
But child abuse..... NO. Not even remotely!
Let's go back to the topic