I read comments like this a lot here about doctors being against ASL.
I've personally never seen this happen. I've been going to doctors all my life and of course growing up with hearing aids and become deaf I've talked to doctors about my ears and hearing more times then I can count and I've never had a hint of any doctors saying "You should get your ears fixed and not learn ASL". But I can also see it from a doctors point of view.
Think about what a doctors job is. People come to them when something is wrong. Something isn't working. They aren't feeling well. They are sick or hurt.
Their job is to find out what's wrong and figure out how to fix it. Their job is not to tell you how to live your life. You go to them and say, "I am loosing (or lost) my hearing. Is there anything that can be done to give me back the ability to hear"?
No doctor should ever answer that question with:
"Well, I might be able to but I won't because you don't need it. All you've got to so is learn ASL and teach all the people in your life ASL and you'll get along fine without being able to hear".
Can someone do just that? Learn ASL, teach their friends and family ASL and live a happy and fore filled life without being able to hear? Of course they can. Thousands of people are doing just that. But why would a doctor suggest that to someone? No, they need to examine the situation. Find out why the person can't hear. Look into what might be able to restore this person's ability to hear and share this information with the person who "Wants to hear". Most likely they'll need to send the patient to someone who specializes in this area of course.
But a doctor is not there to help people determine these things. They are there to find what's wrong or what someone wants "fixed" and find the best way to fix it. To say, "Ok, I examined you and this is why you lost your hearing. Now here are possible options to regain your ability to hear. Here are the pro's and cons of each possible solution to what you want. I'd suggest this but the end decision is up to you."
I'd personally be upset if a doctor told me that I shouldn't get my hearing fixed when I asked if it was possible. If they told me that I shouldn't go that route and just learn to live with it. Because it's not his job to determine that for me if I ask them specifically "Is there any way I can hear again?" That kind of suggestion should come from a counselor, therapist or psychologist. Not a "physician".
So don't expect a "physician" to ever suggest you just learn ASL and live with your deafness. It's not their job to make that decision. Their job is to see if there is a way for you to hear again if you want to.
Ron Jaxon
I've personally never seen this happen. I've been going to doctors all my life and of course growing up with hearing aids and become deaf I've talked to doctors about my ears and hearing more times then I can count and I've never had a hint of any doctors saying "You should get your ears fixed and not learn ASL". But I can also see it from a doctors point of view.
Think about what a doctors job is. People come to them when something is wrong. Something isn't working. They aren't feeling well. They are sick or hurt.
Their job is to find out what's wrong and figure out how to fix it. Their job is not to tell you how to live your life. You go to them and say, "I am loosing (or lost) my hearing. Is there anything that can be done to give me back the ability to hear"?
No doctor should ever answer that question with:
"Well, I might be able to but I won't because you don't need it. All you've got to so is learn ASL and teach all the people in your life ASL and you'll get along fine without being able to hear".
Can someone do just that? Learn ASL, teach their friends and family ASL and live a happy and fore filled life without being able to hear? Of course they can. Thousands of people are doing just that. But why would a doctor suggest that to someone? No, they need to examine the situation. Find out why the person can't hear. Look into what might be able to restore this person's ability to hear and share this information with the person who "Wants to hear". Most likely they'll need to send the patient to someone who specializes in this area of course.
But a doctor is not there to help people determine these things. They are there to find what's wrong or what someone wants "fixed" and find the best way to fix it. To say, "Ok, I examined you and this is why you lost your hearing. Now here are possible options to regain your ability to hear. Here are the pro's and cons of each possible solution to what you want. I'd suggest this but the end decision is up to you."
I'd personally be upset if a doctor told me that I shouldn't get my hearing fixed when I asked if it was possible. If they told me that I shouldn't go that route and just learn to live with it. Because it's not his job to determine that for me if I ask them specifically "Is there any way I can hear again?" That kind of suggestion should come from a counselor, therapist or psychologist. Not a "physician".
So don't expect a "physician" to ever suggest you just learn ASL and live with your deafness. It's not their job to make that decision. Their job is to see if there is a way for you to hear again if you want to.
Ron Jaxon