most parents I met at KODA events have hearing children and that is fine with them. No need to move to Frederick, argued with deaf kids more often in signs, etc....
I am not sure what do you mean by that?
If I have a deaf kid, I will have to move to a city with a deaf school or drive longer distance to drop my kid at a mainstreamed school.
Have you been to Gallaudet? KG and PKZ alumni prayed for their kids to be deaf, like them.
Deafness just doesn't compare to those types of disabilities. From what I've seen deafness seems to be more of a annoyance than truly disabling. More like being left-handed or shorter than average.
Quite frankly I'm very happy that my granddaughter is left-handed. And if I had to choose, I'd certainly pick deafness over the Cystic Fibrosis she was born with.
I can tell you one thing, raising a hearing child is hard on me. The standard how a hearing child should speak and write is higher.. The teacher make him bring home his English homework, but I don't know how to help him without his work being graded wrong. With a deaf child, we are at the same level. But don't worry, your parents love you very much. And as long as you treat their deafness as a treasure, and not look down upon or something to hide, then your relationship with them will improve. I love my hearing child very much.
Here's an excellent explanation about genetic research and deafness. The author describes how different parents feel about deafness. Highly recommended.
My Perspective As a Deaf Person Working With Geneticists - Genetics and Deafness - Information on Hearing Loss - About Hearing Loss - Boys Town National Research Hospital
I wish it was 90% of deaf children born to deaf parents..then we wouldnt have so many deaf children with language delay or deficients issues. Then, more hearing parents wouldnt have their "dream" of a "perfect" child ruined.
It'd be kind of cool if there was a switch at birth program between hearing families with a deaf child and deaf families with a hearing child so the children could get the early language exposure they need. Of course that would divide the Deaf and hearing worlds even more but it would make a lot of childhoods happier too.
It'd be kind of cool if there was a switch at birth program between hearing families with a deaf child and deaf families with a hearing child so the children could get the early language exposure they need. Of course that would divide the Deaf and hearing worlds even more but it would make a lot of childhoods happier too.
I think it would be awful!! I have two hearing children and I would not have wanted to trad for anything!
I think CJB was referring to the immoral debate of switching babies at birth... without the parents knowing about it.
Remind me of a case from Ghost Whisperer that involved kids that were switched without the parents' knowledge, and one of the kids died... and wanted to inform her birth mom.
I think it would be awful!! I have two hearing children and I would not have wanted to trad for anything!