Recent content by sylbea

"Oral" is just used more commonly than "aural", perhaps to avoid confusion. If anything, the latter would be the correct word to put it.

How did you work on your speech skills, if you don't mind me asking? What about when you listen?

Not necessarily better if one still has yet to grasp of the concept of sound. It's the same with dyslexia or auditory processing disorder. For some, deafness is due to a neurological problem, and that will always require some effort to compensate.

It's unfortunate how that turned out for them. It needs to be more known that not everyone will necessarily benefit from mainstreaming. If you don't mind me asking, do they speak? If so, are they well-understood?

Certainly. It's discouraging how many deaf people are unemployed given the state of economy these days, even though there are many successful others in lucrative jobs. It needs to be stressed that interpersonal skills don't have to be compromised with ignorance - that's what the deaf...

Been there, done that, got it. How, then do you feel when you have to cope with speaking as well as listening, as part of the survival? Is it second nature to you now, or do you still find it tiring at times?

1. Yes, I went through the FM system. But despite being able to hear the teacher's voice better, I relied more on speechreading to obtain information. Back then the teacher would always write down on the blackboard for us to take notes, so I didn't need a notetaker until I got one in college...

Seems there's also the issue with distance and not just the language barrier. It's not that evenly distributed here in the UK except for the big cities. I have no knowledge at all of BSL, but I'm willing to learn it so I can make a better connection with the deaf and new experiences will follow.

I meant that education could be a means of demonstrating our capability, and that still asks of the person to decide its worth, and that can affect the whole outcome. What happens once you graduate and enter the working world? Sign language will be an asset for sure, but there still remains...

That must be quite the transition. How do you feel about it?

Whatever works for you and others, works. Goes to show how verbal doesn't have to be the norm of communication.

Definitely. But it sure sometimes feel like you're up against the world, if you get my drift. There's always the issue with ableism. All the more reason to learn sign myself, I'll have to be really dumb not to take this opportunity. Do you then identify more with the deaf, despite being oral...

Thank you, I'll be looking into classes the first thing. I've decided to remain oral for the most part as well. I'm curious as to why you're mostly oral given you went to deaf school and your "rusty ASL". What made you decide it? That's interesting, I've never known that before even now. But...

Precisely. We've got to cope with the real ("hearing") world somehow, and in some ways it can be seen as an opportunity to maximise rather than to restrict - even if that means having to play to our limitations as well as our strengths. Sign language is indeed crucial to communication and...

That is a good approach, to be assertive about one's own limitations and that way the others are supportive of them. The right company is what counts. I can completely relate on over-stimulation. Sometimes it's literally energy-draining having to adjust to the setting in general. Some people...