Appointment

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ryancher

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Our son has an appointment in 2 weeks in the cochlear unit. Our appointment consists of SLP and Social Work. We are still awaiting an appointment for audiology... they will be getting back to us shortly. I don't know if he'll be a candidate but I want to revisit it.

He also has an appointment at our regular hospital for his scheduled hearing test on Monday. I'm going to look into ordering him a set of Naida's and a FM system at home. He's eligible for new aids in 3 weeks. :D

As for progress, he's doing awesome. Everything has happened in the past couple months. He knows about 10 signs now. And we're recognizing a lot of speech - although it is missing a lot of consonents but intonation is there. For example, "peek a boo" is "eek a oo". I honestly don't think he's getting all speech with his aids - which is why we are not recognizing his words. I think he is trying to speak but gets frustrated when we don't understand him. Poor little guy! :| He can only repeat what he hears.
 
Good luck! Are you at a top of the line hospital? I don't think most dhh kids NEED the services of a top of the line ENT/audi etc, BUT when you're dealing with weird "out of the norm" problems, it might be best to go see a special specialist. They might be able to give you some leads as to why your son isn't speaking.
 
So, first, sign more :D 10 signs is nice, but he needs hundreds to communicate.

Second, you are right, he can only speak what he hears, so if he is only repeating vowels it is likely that he is missing up to 90% of spoken language through listening.

Third, Deafdyke is full of crap. Your child needs the best possible professionals. He is already nearly 3 (right?) and is 3 full years delayed in language. This is an EMERGENCY! If he does not get access to a full fluent language ASAP he will have long term language, literacy, cognitive, and social-emotional issues FOREVER. Language is the gateway to thinking, if you impair one, you impair both.
 
Oh yes, we are going to one of the best Cochlear Implant Units for children in our area.

If he's not a candidate (which we'll find out) atleast the SLP there will meet with him.

I understand he needs more signs... and don't you worry... he is being exposed to them. There is no ignorance on our part! We're doing everything we can plus more. Tyler is one smart cookie and he will get it!
 
It sounds like you're doing everything right!

I would not worry about what the others who call others' posts "crap" say.

Let us know how your CI meeting goes. We'll be wishing for the best for Tyler! :)
 
Thanks AlleyCat! :)

We're trying to expose Tyler to as much sign & speech as possible. I've got lots of DVD's, books, signs, not to mention a Deaf teacher & a Deaf friend who are exposing him to ASL. I want Tyler to have access to all methods - TC.

I know he's behind but he's improving and I have no doubt that he'll do awesome with whatever he chooses.
 
ryancher said:
Thanks AlleyCat! :)

We're trying to expose Tyler to as much sign & speech as possible. I've got lots of DVD's, books, signs, not to mention a Deaf teacher & a Deaf friend who are exposing him to ASL. I want Tyler to have access to all methods - TC.

I know he's behind but he's improving and I have no doubt that he'll do awesome with whatever he chooses.
Click to expand...

The term TC isn't a fav around here and in Deaf education in general, so I would recommend saying "English-ASL bimodal bilingualism" or Dual language for short. TC reminds people of nothing more than talking and signing poor ASL at the same time, which didn't work out great :D
 
To me, "total communication" is exactly that - total accessibility/availability to various communication modes - ASL, oral, lip reading, PECS, written english, etc... Whatever works for him!

I didn't pick the term "tc" - in fact I had no idea prior to Tyler was "tc" even was. It was suggested and described to me from our Deaf teacher from the Regional Residental School.

I apologize if it's not a "fav" term around here... but it's the mode we have chosen.

"English-ASL bimodal bilingualism" or "Dual language" or "Total Communication" = you know what I mean.
 
ryancher said:
To me, "total communication" is exactly that - total accessibility/availability to various communication modes - ASL, oral, lip reading, PECS, written english, etc... Whatever works for him!

I didn't pick the term "tc" - in fact I had no idea prior to Tyler was "tc" even was. It was suggested and described to me from our Deaf teacher from the Regional Residental School.

I apologize if it's not a "fav" term around here... but it's the mode we have chosen.

"English-ASL bimodal bilingualism" or "Dual language" or "Total Communication" = you know what I mean.
Click to expand...

I think the feelings about TC vary from place to place: where I live it's simcomm (ASL + simultaneous speaking) that gets a bad rap. Personally, I like it for communication in a mixed group because it includes all: signers and speakers together. I agree with the criticism though, when it's used as a teaching tool in the classroom, apart from sandwiching vocabulary to clarify, I think there needs to be a little bit of separation between the languages early on :).
 
Okay... it sounds as though you're relating tc to SEE? That's not what I meant.

Yes, we do SEE with Tyler - and I am quite aware it's not a language... but it's giving us some of the initial signs and easing frustration. And as for exposing him to a language - we're introducing Tyler to people who know ASL. We don't know ASL yet which is why we are learning signs first. But at the same time, I'm doing my best to involve Tyler with ASL speaking people too.

When I say tc... I mean total communication - not bilingual or dual - I mean just offering him a wide variety of options to choose from. Introducing him to Deaf ASL people, Oral, SEE, written english, PECS, etc... Giving him every means to communicate. I don't mean strictly signed english only (I refer to that as SEE). I mean just encouraging all methods and allowing him to do what feels most comfortable to him.
 
ryancher said:
To me, "total communication" is exactly that - total accessibility/availability to various communication modes - ASL, oral, lip reading, PECS, written english, etc... Whatever works for him!

I didn't pick the term "tc" - in fact I had no idea prior to Tyler was "tc" even was. It was suggested and described to me from our Deaf teacher from the Regional Residental School.

I apologize if it's not a "fav" term around here... but it's the mode we have chosen.

"English-ASL bimodal bilingualism" or "Dual language" or "Total Communication" = you know what I mean.
Click to expand...

They aren't the same thing, that is why I clarified. Most often TC means speaking and signing at the same time. It is very inefficient, it leads to language confusion and bad ASL AND bad English. I was suggesting that perhaps you were using dual language, which would mean English through listening and speaking and ASL. If you are not, and are simply squashing ASL and English together, trying to force them to line up, then by all means call it TC.
 
GrendelQ said:
Simcomm is not the same as SEE.
Click to expand...

Correct...

SEE is a signing system by using the English grammar with voice off. Usually, a lot of concepts get lost due to the fact that English is a spoken, not a signed language.

Sim-com is using spoken English and ASL together which is linguistically confusing for many children.

TC is the educational philosophy of using whatever mode of communication the child uses in the classroom setting in which becomes difficult due to having students with different mode of communication and trying to use them all in a lesson. As a result, the teachers end up using Sim-Com

BiBi is the philosophy of keeping ASL and English separate with the emphasis of using the language in its correct mode hence, keeping English in the spoken and written form and ASL in the signed form.
 
I think people end up using english order signing (which is similar to SEE or other MCE) with simcomm... I mean it's like rubbing your head and patting your tummy at the same time.
 
shel90 said:
BiBi is the philosophy of keeping ASL and English separate with the emphasis of using the language in its correct mode hence, keeping English in the spoken and written form and ASL in the signed form.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what we're hoping for.

But obviously we don't know ASL so we're providing him with whatever signs we know - and then introduce him into playgroups and Deaf people to facilitate ASL for all us.

I'm only referring to TC - by means of giving him whatever he needs.
 
shel90 said:
Correct...

SEE is a signing system by using the English grammar with voice off. Usually, a lot of concepts get lost due to the fact that English is a spoken, not a signed language.

Sim-com is using spoken English and ASL together which is linguistically confusing for many children.

TC is the educational philosophy of using whatever mode of communication the child uses in the classroom setting in which becomes difficult due to having students with different mode of communication and trying to use them all in a lesson. As a result, the teachers end up using Sim-Com

BiBi is the philosophy of keeping ASL and English separate with the emphasis of using the language in its correct mode hence, keeping English in the spoken and written form and ASL in the signed form.
Click to expand...

Thanks Shel, I had a feeling you might set these up, short and sweet :)

My daughter is learning in both English and ASL at a school that follows the bi-bi philosophy. When we have conference and meetings at the school, many there use simcom in conversations to be inclusive, but those who do, do it as a courtesy and explain that this is not a mode of communication they use with the children. Frankly, I'm amazed as those who can do it, retaining the integrity of both languages: it would be like speaking in English and simultaneously writing in Japanese for me -- deafgal's rubbing tummy/patting head analogy really fits :).

Our school has another campus in anther city in which Total Communication is the approach used -- from what I've seen and found in discussions with visiting teachers from that program, it's a very different learning environment from ours.
 
ryancher said:
Our son has an appointment in 2 weeks in the cochlear unit. Our appointment consists of SLP and Social Work. We are still awaiting an appointment for audiology... they will be getting back to us shortly. I don't know if he'll be a candidate but I want to revisit it.

He also has an appointment at our regular hospital for his scheduled hearing test on Monday. I'm going to look into ordering him a set of Naida's and a FM system at home. He's eligible for new aids in 3 weeks. :D

As for progress, he's doing awesome. Everything has happened in the past couple months. He knows about 10 signs now. And we're recognizing a lot of speech - although it is missing a lot of consonents but intonation is there. For example, "peek a boo" is "eek a oo". I honestly don't think he's getting all speech with his aids - which is why we are not recognizing his words. I think he is trying to speak but gets frustrated when we don't understand him. Poor little guy! :| He can only repeat what he hears.
Click to expand...

Did you have your appt yet? If so how did it go?
Elliott seen his audiologist a few weeks ago and his left ear (which was his better ear) totally dropped to almost nothing. We are seeing his ENT doctor next week to discuss a CI.
 
Good luck and hopefully you will be able to get a CI as soon as possible. They make a BIG difference. The sooner he starts hearing sounds the quicker he will be to make sense of it. People born with "natural" hearing don't under stand a thing till they hear and learn. Those with the implant have to go through the same thing and find out what makes what sound. Does it matter if you hear a chug chug chug instead of a chew chew chew as long as it is interpreted as a train?
 
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