Parent of a deaf child (13 months old)

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bchamberlin

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Not sure where to start really... I haven't reached out to any community yet regarding my son's condition. He was born deaf with malformed cochlea. He's got some other minor issues that genetics and the like are still looking into. He's been receiving sign language therapy for several months and we're in the process of getting him cleared to be a recipient of inplants. Next week he gets an MRI to see if he has an auditory nerve. Obvisouly if he doesn't then inplants are out of the question. If he does have the nerve, we still may decide against inplants at this time. He's pretty small and has had some other issues. They aren't even sure how successful inplants would actually be because of his inner ear anatomy. We've accepted the fact that he may never hear. Still there are times when it's hard to take but those times are becoming fewer and fewer and spaced apart. I know this forum is specifically aimed at those who cannot hear. If anyone can direct me someplace for parents of deaf children, I'd really appreciate it.

Brian
 
There many parents deaf children here. Yay for parent deaf child teach sign language! :)
 
Thanks. =) It's taking me longer to learn than my wife but I'm getting there. We think he's starting to use certain signs. It's actually pretty exciting.

--Brian
 
That awesome! Keep practice, you will learn! Soon you will sign same old pro. :)
 
Just wanted to say hey! Yes, Sunshine is right, there are many of us here..I'm a newbie too, and a mom of a deaf 2 year old. Everyone has been so helpful, and nice!

Do you have a local center on deafness? I googled a bit and found that we have one, and there are meet-ups & other resources. Just an idea..

I know my hubby doesn't always feel like he is good with his ASL either, but I see how much he is improving everyday.. It sounds like you are doing well, keep it up!
 
deafdyke said:
Have you contacted your state's Deaf School too? Is he in speech therapy? I would suggest that you join American Society for Deaf Children: American Society for Deaf Children and Hands and Voices Hands & Voices
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Yes, my son gets therapy nearly every week and we have been in touch with the school, just not visited yet. I think we were waiting to see if he ends up getting inplants. If he does, he may end up going to the elementary school his siblings went to. We live out in the country and that would probably be the most convienent. If he does not get inplants then we will most definately have to make arrangements for him to go to Maryland School for the Deaf. The people there have been fantastic.
 
bchamberlin said:
Yes, my son gets therapy nearly every week and we have been in touch with the school, just not visited yet. I think we were waiting to see if he ends up getting inplants. If he does, he may end up going to the elementary school his siblings went to. We live out in the country and that would probably be the most convienent. If he does not get inplants then we will most definately have to make arrangements for him to go to Maryland School for the Deaf. The people there have been fantastic.
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NO! Send him to Maryland School for the Deaf! Unless the elementary school has a really good deaf program,(VERY doubtful) it cannot and will not replace the programming and curriculum at a REALLY GOOD school for the Deaf. Yes, it would be the "most convenient" BUT I can guarentee you that he will just get crappy minimal accomondations, and think he's the ONLY functionally HOH kid in the universe. Kids with CIs AND HOH kids benifit strongly from the addition of ASL ... I think there are prolly functionally hoh kids with both speech and ASL at almost all the deaf schools and formal programs in the US. We're not suggesting "oh send him to the dorms when he's three or four" like in the old days. (*shudder*) It may be a long bus ride but he would get to go to a TOP NOTCH deaf school!
 
and deaf schools are NOT just for voice off kids or oral/mainstream failures like in the old days. I think that MSD is one of the most academic deaf schools out there. It's not one of those schools/programs with a handful of academic kids, and the rest mentally disabled.
 
Keep in mind, your son might be better off at Maryland school for the Deaf because their academic performance is stellar compared to many, many hearing schools.

MSD students has outperformed hearing peers in state exams.

So please take that into consideration regardless if he has implants or not.
 
Oh and not to mention that the preschools/kindergartens/ early childhood programs are TOP NOTCH at deaf schools!
 
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