HI, from Texas

[Pennysmom]

Hi, my name is PJ. I am an ASL student from Texas. I am looking to chat meet a deaf person that can help me with a paper I need to write for class. It is for my Deaf Culture class. Can anyone help me? I have the following questions:

1. When did you become deaf?

2. How did your parents react to your deafness?

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family?

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up?

5. When did you learn ASL?

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club?

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants?


I hope someone responds. Thanks! :


Or for privacy you can e mail me at pennygirlracing@yahoo.com

 

[Banjo]

1. When did you become deaf?

I was born deaf.

2. How did your parents react to your deafness?

Like most parents, they were shocked and worried about my future. But I'm glad that they realized the importance of giving me an education. They learned sign language and communicate with me. They love me dearly and always had been by my side and will be.

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family?

Not really. There's a possibility that on my mother's side that there was some form of waardenburg's syndrome which I have.

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up?

From kindergarten to grade 6, I attended a public school with a deaf program. Total communication, with SEE, ASL involved. Then I entered a provincial school for the deaf, it was a residential school but I was a day student.

Then I recently graduated from a college in May/June. It wasn't a college for the deaf.

5. When did you learn ASL?

I've seen ASL my whole life, but I was taken into learning the ASL when I entered the fourth grade.

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club?

Not really, but I am active in some deaf forums if that count.

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants?

I believe that it is up to the parents on if they want to implant the child or not. But deaf adults also are entitled to their own decisions on getting implanted or not.

 

[VamPyroX]

Welcome to AllDeaf! To answer your questions...

1. When did you become deaf?

I became deaf around the age of one.

2. How did your parents react to your deafness?

My real mom seemed to be like... "oops!" That's partially why I ended up in foster care. My foster parents were like, "Wow, what a gift that God has given us!

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family?

Nope. I became deaf due to a common childhood sickness that was not cared for properly.

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up?

The first school I went to was a deaf oral institute. The rest of my schools were mainstream schools.

5. When did you learn ASL?

I didn't really learn ASL until I graduated high school. While growing up, I used SEE. After graduating high school and going to college, I began using ASL interpreters. That's when I started learning some ASL.

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club?

I was involved with a deaf student government organization, NTID Student Congress. I am currently involved with a deaf mentoring group called the Student Life Team. I have been involved with a deaf fraternity, Sigma Nu, for five years.

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants?

I'm not really crazy for them. I usually see no point in getting them. If there's a really good reason for getting them, then that's fine with me. However, I don't like the idea of getting CIs just so that they can hear better like the hearies... because they usually end up leaving their deaf friends out and start trying to be "hearies".

 

[DVDFreaker]

1. When did you become deaf?

I was hearning at first but I became hard of hearing when I was born after 2 months (3 months premature).

2. How did your parents react to your deafness?

My parents were scared

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family?

Nope, I'm the only hard of hearing person in the family

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up?

Mainstream school all my life

5. When did you learn ASL?

I don't learn ASL, I learned SEE and still do but I know some ASL but gotta learn more though but I'm very good at signing.

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club?

Nope.

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants?

My opinion of cochler implants that it's the person's decision, if the person thinks that it will make their hearing better, I say go for it!

 

[CoolieFroggie]

1. When did you become deaf? unknow i have 3 stories how i m become deaf but i would say that i born from birth.

2. How did your parents react to your deafness? My bio-mother freak out and leave my dad with me.

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family? My uncle has some loss of earing but it's not count because of me.

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up? Elem school with deaf program, age 12 Deaf school till i graduted.

5. When did you learn ASL? I learn ASL when i move to Minnesota when i was 15

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club? mm no

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants? I already have one, and it's not sussceful *sp?* because it's old verison, I had a channel 1 but right now they have channel 24!

 

[sleepytaz]

1. When did you become deaf?
I was born deaf

2. How did your parents react to your deafness?
Like most of parents would react, they worried and were scared, but they accepted it and learned sign for me.

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family?
No, I'm the only one (not counting those losing their hearing with age)

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up?
Mainstreamed with deaf program til 10th grade and my last two years of high school, I was mainstreamed with an interpreter

5. When did you learn ASL?
I learned total communication and see, but learned ASL at lion camp when I was in 7th grade, but didn't really use it.

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club?
no

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants?
It is their choice, but for me... it isn't for me

 

[Pennysmom]

Thank you

Thank you very much for those that replied. But, what is SEE? I haven't heard of that.

 

[Banjo]

Thank you very much for those that replied. But, what is SEE? I haven't heard of that.

Signed Exact English.

 

[Pennysmom]

Oh, that must be what my teacher is called signed english, which she uses in class rather than ASL. I wouldn't have known but another student said that was what she was using when she should be using ASL since that is what we are there to learn.
Thanks again for your response. I hope to talk to you again soon. It is 12:30 here, I am going to bed soon. I also have a paper to write on a famous deaf person that I need to work on this week. Any ideas. I am thinking of doing it on the American Gladiator that is deaf and she has gone on to become a body builder.

 

[Angel]

Hello and welcome to AD!...


1. When did you become deaf?

at the age of 5

2. How did your parents react to your deafness?

I guess I would say they were shocked and worried about what they're going to do since they have no clue how to raise a deaf child I suppose...

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family?

No

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up?

I attended a public school with a deaf program called ' Total communication '...

5. When did you learn ASL?

When I was in middle school I suppose....

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club?

No, not yet...

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants?

I believe that it is up to each person who wants to hear more but I don't believe a child who has no role or decision on having a cochlear implants in their youngest age....It's not up to the parents themselves alone but it should take two to make that choice not one and beside the child is going to wear them not the parents themselves.....<<<<That's what I strongly believe!!!

 

[Gemtun]

1. When did you become deaf?
At birth

2. How did your parents react to your deafness?
Shocked and guilty - wondering why God would punish them for having 2 deaf babies

3. Is there a history of deafness in the family?
None before my brother and I

4. What type of schools did you attend growing up?
Strictly oral - only deaf student in entire class all these years

5. When did you learn ASL?
About 23 to 24 years old

6. Do you belong to a deaf organization or club?
Formerly but too busy these days to be active in any organizations

7. What is your opinion of cochlear implants?
I have one so its obvious that I embrace CIs...it is not a cure, but one of many tools I need to survive in this ever-increasingly competitive world