Wheelbarrow.
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- Feb 20, 2012
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Hello, my name is Wheelbarrow (my online name) and I am profoundly deaf who use Australian Sign Language and I have cochlear implant on my left ear. I had just recieved the first cochlear implant last year after growing up with two hearing aides and is benefiting from both worlds (deaf world and hearing world) by using sign language to communicate the deaf and an ability to speak to communicate the hearies.
Anyway, basically, this is not the point of this new thread. Since few days ago, when I first had a chat with my ToD (Teacher of the Deaf) about deaf genes. It came to a point when I wondered if my deafness come from a gene? I thought I'd post it here for the experts or people like you to figure the basics out for me?
I have a deaf grandparents, a hearing impaired mother, two deaf aunt, many hearing impaired uncles. All types of deafness and hearing impairment comes from both sides of my family (mothers and fathers side).
I was born hearing (10 out of 10 on AT Newborn Test) with two hearing sisters. Everything was going well when I was baby. My mother knew the importance of learning sign language regardless if the baby was hearing or deaf - to benefit the language development and acquisition. So here you go, as a hearing baby, I learnt Australian Sign Language and was enrolled to bilingual preschool with hearing and deaf students (mainstreamed) with deaf and hearing specalists "treating" me like a deaf baby because my mother wanted me to have EVERY opportunities I can have regardless if I am not deaf.
Around 12 months later, when I was about to turn one year old, after few hearing tests - on my third (or forth) hearing test which it was failed. So which means I was diagnosed with profound hearing impairment just before my first birthday. My mother didn't seem to be shocked, but was extremely relieved by the fact I already had a strong language, so therefore no language delay incurred.
Even though I was diagnosed deaf, I still attend the bilingual preschool without any additional specalist support or early intervention supports. I was still raised normally after when my hearing impairment was diagnosed.
My mother use Australian Sign Language, and is Level 3 Interpreter - and she is moderately hearing impaired and I have a deaf grandparents. Both are severely deaf and actively involved in deaf communities using sign language.
My grandpa himself experienced the same process I had when I was baby. He was born hearing until suffered some sort of illness that it took away all of his hearing when he was really young. My mother was also born hearing, but lost just around 30% of her hearing when she was younger as well, luckily she didn't lose all of her hearing.
My father side family have so many hearing impaired family relatives, most of them was born hearing and lost their hearing when they was baby.
After a deep conversation with my mother, she said she thinks that I lost my hearing due to a vaccination when I was baby. If it is so, then how did all of others lose their hearing?
I had a feeling that it *possibly* is linked to illness genes. An illness gene that "made sure" almost all of the babies lose their hearing before they reach the age of 4.
Even though there are number of hearing impairied (and few deaf) family relatives in my family, there are still a lot of hearing family relatives. My father and my two sisters are hearing.
From what I notice, MOST family members in my mum's side is classified as profound/severe deaf (with one/two hearing impaired) and MOST family members in my dad's side is classified as moderately hearing impaired.
It just can't be a coincidence, you know? All of us are linked together somehow.
I was hoping if any of you know the answer before I consider to pay a visit to the genes specalist to find the true answer.
Thank you
Wheelbarrow
PS Oh just realised, NONE of us was born deaf.
Anyway, basically, this is not the point of this new thread. Since few days ago, when I first had a chat with my ToD (Teacher of the Deaf) about deaf genes. It came to a point when I wondered if my deafness come from a gene? I thought I'd post it here for the experts or people like you to figure the basics out for me?
I have a deaf grandparents, a hearing impaired mother, two deaf aunt, many hearing impaired uncles. All types of deafness and hearing impairment comes from both sides of my family (mothers and fathers side).
I was born hearing (10 out of 10 on AT Newborn Test) with two hearing sisters. Everything was going well when I was baby. My mother knew the importance of learning sign language regardless if the baby was hearing or deaf - to benefit the language development and acquisition. So here you go, as a hearing baby, I learnt Australian Sign Language and was enrolled to bilingual preschool with hearing and deaf students (mainstreamed) with deaf and hearing specalists "treating" me like a deaf baby because my mother wanted me to have EVERY opportunities I can have regardless if I am not deaf.
Around 12 months later, when I was about to turn one year old, after few hearing tests - on my third (or forth) hearing test which it was failed. So which means I was diagnosed with profound hearing impairment just before my first birthday. My mother didn't seem to be shocked, but was extremely relieved by the fact I already had a strong language, so therefore no language delay incurred.
Even though I was diagnosed deaf, I still attend the bilingual preschool without any additional specalist support or early intervention supports. I was still raised normally after when my hearing impairment was diagnosed.
My mother use Australian Sign Language, and is Level 3 Interpreter - and she is moderately hearing impaired and I have a deaf grandparents. Both are severely deaf and actively involved in deaf communities using sign language.
My grandpa himself experienced the same process I had when I was baby. He was born hearing until suffered some sort of illness that it took away all of his hearing when he was really young. My mother was also born hearing, but lost just around 30% of her hearing when she was younger as well, luckily she didn't lose all of her hearing.
My father side family have so many hearing impaired family relatives, most of them was born hearing and lost their hearing when they was baby.
After a deep conversation with my mother, she said she thinks that I lost my hearing due to a vaccination when I was baby. If it is so, then how did all of others lose their hearing?
I had a feeling that it *possibly* is linked to illness genes. An illness gene that "made sure" almost all of the babies lose their hearing before they reach the age of 4.
Even though there are number of hearing impairied (and few deaf) family relatives in my family, there are still a lot of hearing family relatives. My father and my two sisters are hearing.
From what I notice, MOST family members in my mum's side is classified as profound/severe deaf (with one/two hearing impaired) and MOST family members in my dad's side is classified as moderately hearing impaired.
It just can't be a coincidence, you know? All of us are linked together somehow.
I was hoping if any of you know the answer before I consider to pay a visit to the genes specalist to find the true answer.
Thank you
Wheelbarrow
PS Oh just realised, NONE of us was born deaf.