What communication tools was you raised in?

sr171soars said:
You probably hit the nail on the head with the institutionalize bit... I have no idea what deaf education is like in other parts of the world. I would surmise the struggles you mentioned (here in the US) many times that it would be worst elsewhere (depending on the country of course).
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Yea that is why I am curious...I love to learn about how deaf schools operate in other countries. :)

My friend is a missionary in parts of Africa..every summer, he goes to different parts of Africa to consult deaf educators there about deaf children's learning needs. I believe that South Africa is one of the more weathy countries in Africa so I doubt he has gone there since he goes to the third world countries. Correct me if I am wrong about South Africa so that's why Kasheeva's comment about "seeing" so much sparked my curiousity.

:ty:
 
shel90 said:
Yea that is why I am curious...I love to learn about how deaf schools operate in other countries. :)

My friend is a missionary in parts of Africa..every summer, he goes to different parts of Africa to consult deaf educators there about deaf children's learning needs. I believe that South Africa is one of the more weathy countries in Africa so I doubt he has gone there since he goes to the third world countries. Correct me if I am wrong about South Africa so that's why Kasheeva's comment about "seeing" so much sparked my curiousity.

:ty:
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You are correct that SA is one of the wealthest countries in Africa. Having said that, there are miserable pockets of poverty there. That goes back to the legacy of Apartheid...
 
shel90 said:
Just the way she phrased it after saying that she visited the deaf schools and glad that she was raised orally cuz she got to see so much. That makes me wonder if the deaf children at the schools in her country are completely isolated or it is her own personal view that because she grew up orally, she got to "see" more as opposed if she grew up signing. I used to say the latter growing up about experiencing more just cuz I grew up orally but that view changed once I became fluent in ASL and got involved with the deaf community. I would rather not jump to any assumptions so that's why I am hoping she will answer.
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Got it, i'm in the same boat as you smile!!!
 
shel90 said:
Yea that is why I am curious...I love to learn about how deaf schools operate in other countries. :)

My friend is a missionary in parts of Africa..every summer, he goes to different parts of Africa to consult deaf educators there about deaf children's learning needs. I believe that South Africa is one of the more weathy countries in Africa so I doubt he has gone there since he goes to the third world countries. Correct me if I am wrong about South Africa so that's why Kasheeva's comment about "seeing" so much sparked my curiousity.

:ty:
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OHHHHH I would love that tooo, I think it's awesome to go to third world.. smile... as even did you see the video about deaf kids in iraq?? let me find the link for ya... to view... smile... this video gave me the goosebumps!!! i want to go to third world... to help them have a brighter future...I'm dying to find an organization to go to these places even just to help build a school or something... NEVEr stop your dreams.... smile...

CNN.com Video
 
Great thread! I enjoyed reading all the different experiences how people were taught how to communicate.

This is a long post, so my apologies ahead of time!

I was taught the John Tracy Clinic oralist method. Went to their summer school one time when I was about 3 years old. My family got the correspondence course and followed it religiously. I grew up in a very small city, and was the only person who was deaf in elementary, middle, and secondary school so obviously my only mode of communication was speaking and lip-reading. My parents did not make the effort to consider sign language or a combination of sign and speech to help me learn to communicate.

I think they were influenced by this woman who had a son that was deaf and she was very much an oralist. I'm not sure how they got to know her, but in a small city it was well known I was the "poor little deaf girl" so well-meaning people offered their opinions and my parents being young and inexperienced decided to make me as "normal" as possible which meant countless hours of speech therapy to the point I was isolated from my peers.

I do not have good memories learning to speak and lip-read because I was "forced" to do the speech lessons when I would rather be playing with my friends or out at the library, skating rink, swimming pool, etc. I would often refuse to do my "lessons." Sometimes I would be spanked, but most of the time my family resorted to bribing me with trips and toys and even money so I would sit there and do the daily hour or two hours of speech therapy. As a result I'm now "programmed" to not do anything I don't want to do unless I get something in return and I do not have exactly a good relationship with my family because of what they did even though they thought they were doing it in my best interest. That is not a good thing, and it's been very difficult for me to try and get past that.

I used to wish my parents had sent me to the provincial school for the deaf. I would have learned ASL and been less alone. My parents tell me they used to weekly take me to a "deaf kindergarten" in a city about an hour and half drive away, but I don't remember that.

In fact, I did not meet any deaf people until I went to university and there was an older woman who was late-deafened in my class. I do remember there were two little girls about five years younger than me, and when their parents met mine to see how they could help their daughters they saw what was involved, and I happened to have a temper tantrum during their visit because I wanted to visit with the girls and instead I was being made to do my speech therapy. They decided their children might be better off at the school for the deaf. Now those same girls are much better off than I am because they did not have the isolation from other deaf peers and the "your speech is still not good enough" stuff I got.

Anyway, when I met that late-deafened classmate, it was like a light went off in my head and I realized there was more than one way to communicate. I thought all people like me spoke and lip-read. Was I wrong! This classmate taught me some basic ASL and finger spelling so we could communicate in class and I would stare in awe at her sign language interpreter (I wasn't able to get an oral interpreter due to no one being available). She told me about a conference in Toronto where dozens of deaf and hard of hearing youth would be attending. She wasn't going because she was a bit too old, but she thought I should go. I went by myself to this conference, and whoa, that was the best life experience I have ever had to this day.

I realized just how isolated I was as a speaking and lip-reading deaf person, and that many deaf people communicated with ASL. After the conference in my second year of university I decided it was time to learn ASL. Now I communicate with ASL to deaf people and voice to hearing people, but I have to admit my ASL level is not fluent and sometimes I forget and use my voice and mouthing words when doing ASL in talking with deaf people.

I think deaf people these days are much luckier than those from the 70s, and up to the mid-80s (before "deaf power"). I'm still trying to catch up to the Deaf community and become fluent in ASL. My speech and lip-reading is not good, probably because of my age as I am now having trouble with small print, and I think I will need to take lip-reading classes. I still hate it when people correct my speech, especially in front of other people. I even had a professor do that a couple times and I could have thrown my book at him, but instead I privately told him to cut it out (in a nice way though).

I am interested in this Total Communication and "SimComm." Any web-sites that further explain this?
 
Hello Everyone!
First of all...I like to say Apology! i dont mean to use all captial as yelling at you...NO, Thats not what I mean! I just leave it all captial. I didnt realized it sound like yelling at you...very apology. ok...
i know there are many different opinions we have eachother...
I just dont like only one deaf kid in hearing school, and only interpreter for her/him..
because I had my 2 deaf sons into mainstream, when I visited the school, realized they put deaf kids at end of wall with all hearing kids up front. Thats why i feel its not right, some deaf kids are lonely at recess..
I had seen my own eyes..prefer not for deaf kids to go mainstream..because one of deaf lady, her mom admitted to me about 20 yrs ago that she wish she never pull her out of deaf school to mainstream..wish to let her stay at deaf school. because she dont communicate very well.
its depend how smart deaf kids or how parent communicate with deaf kids at nighttime at home? Hope you understand what I mean.
she stay home every night with noone talk to..shes so lonely. her mainstream school isnt in same town, she ride bus to abt 1 1/2 hr to mainstream school everyday then get home after school, then she had noone to play with..noone talk with..
Thats why I believe deaf kids go to deaf school, so at night time they can play with all same deaf kids, join different activites, trips with deaf kids..
will have good memories when have class reunion..while she dont have good memories, no class reunion because her senior picture is in her hometown high school yearbook that she never knew all students at her hometown.
I really love deaf school, when see friends at class reunion, our memories come back and laugh together..
I know theres many different opinion..
Enjoy your day..smile..
 
GILLYOB said:
Hello Everyone!
First of all...I like to say Apology! i dont mean to use all captial as yelling at you...NO, Thats not what I mean! I just leave it all captial. I didnt realized it sound like yelling at you...very apology. ok...
i know there are many different opinions we have eachother...
I just dont like only one deaf kid in hearing school, and only interpreter for her/him..
because I had my 2 deaf sons into mainstream, when I visited the school, realized they put deaf kids at end of wall with all hearing kids up front. Thats why i feel its not right, some deaf kids are lonely at recess..
I had seen my own eyes..prefer not for deaf kids to go mainstream..because one of deaf lady, her mom admitted to me about 20 yrs ago that she wish she never pull her out of deaf school to mainstream..wish to let her stay at deaf school. because she dont communicate very well.
its depend how smart deaf kids or how parent communicate with deaf kids at nighttime at home? Hope you understand what I mean.
she stay home every night with noone talk to..shes so lonely. her mainstream school isnt in same town, she ride bus to abt 1 1/2 hr to mainstream school everyday then get home after school, then she had noone to play with..noone talk with..
Thats why I believe deaf kids go to deaf school, so at night time they can play with all same deaf kids, join different activites, trips with deaf kids..
will have good memories when have class reunion..while she dont have good memories, no class reunion because her senior picture is in her hometown high school yearbook that she never knew all students at her hometown.
I really love deaf school, when see friends at class reunion, our memories come back and laugh together..
I know theres many different opinion..
Enjoy your day..smile..
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I know exactly what u mean cuz I grew up feeling isolated as the only deaf student at my school. I wish there were other deaf children my age so that way I could feel connected instead of having the void. My best friend is deaf but she went to a different school until finally in high school, we got permission to attend the same high school. It helped a LOT..still wud have been nice to have more but sometimes we can't control everything so just had to make the best of it. High school was better for me cuz kids were more mature. My only issues in high school were when a large group of my friends got together, it was hard for me to keep up with the conversations, being so bored in classes due to not understanding what was being discussed, and a few other things.

I think my schools (elementary middle school and high schools) had no idea how to meet my needs or recognize the signs that I didn't have full access to everything.
That's a huge problem with mainstreamed schools today..teachers are not well trained on deaf education and the issues that comes with deaf children.
 
shel90 said:
...I think my schools (elementary middle school and high schools) had no idea how to meet my needs or recognize the signs that I didn't have full access to everything. That's a huge problem with mainstreamed schools today..teachers are not well trained on deaf education and the issues that comes with deaf children.
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You are right. By the way, I have yet to see a teacher's college require an introductory course or two on teaching deaf children as part of completing the program. I think such courses are an elective from the special education department and there isn't any incentive for teachers to take such classes. That's just my thoughts.
 
Oral. I was mildly deaf but my hearing grew worse in high school. I wish I had learnt sign language. I did sign a bit at doncaster deaf college but then my sight went. It's hard to pick up sign language when you are legally blind.
 
I hope the parents of deaf children are reading this thread. We need more parents to listen to us because we have experienced what it is like to be deaf or deafblind rather than listening to the "specialists" who dont know what it is like. :roll:
 
Agreed 100%. Before you make a for-sure decision, talk to a specialist, but ALSO talk to people who are deaf/hoh and one who did ASL and another who was mainstreamed. Consider your child's circumstances. Are they going to be the only deaf kid in their school? Are they going to need special accomodations? Can they follow a conversation in a room full of people? Sit down, talk to your child and show them their options.
 
shel90 said:
I hope the parents of deaf children are reading this thread. We need more parents to listen to us because we have experienced what it is like to be deaf or deafblind rather than listening to the "specialists" who dont know what it is like. :roll:
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I agree with you! It is too bad that some people don't listen to us.
 
Oral at a deaf day school. That school changed to sign language soon after I left that school. I did learn sign language at the oral school as the school bus is the only place I can sign freely. PSE at private catholic school. Now use PSE/ASL depending on who I am talking to.
 
I was mainstreamed.. apparently I'm a postie... Hoh is preferred term. I have always been HoH, I never put hoh..because I feel this is who I am.. I'm in the middle ground..never quite fitting in either culture.. anyway..

grew up speaking English... had speech therapy to teach me to say "pah" "ta ta ta" but somehow I still don't know to say my p's c's t's and whatever... for me those words really don't exist.. anyway.. learned I was NOT hearing impaired at 32 in college.. was given oral interpreter...I asked for ASL.. and began ASL classes.. I prefer what is called Simm Comm.. I really prefer that at times because it utilizes my speech, hearing and I love ASL. ... still in college.. rely on mostly ASL/PSE interpreters...and my children and I use the Simmcomm..thing
 
Mainstream schools for me all the way! With my pure language of AUSLAN and spoken english. Had deaf unit in middle/high school.
 
I was raised oral and still I am oral but I'm inside deaf world
 
Shel, speaking of how you like to know what deaf education is like in other countries, let me tell you something I recently heard.....don't have links so....A group of deaf tourists were in Burma and when they asked the Burmese Travel Bureau where the deaf schools in that country were so they could go and visit them. The reply they got is, "There are no deaf people in Burma". :eek3:

Also, in North Korea, the deaf folks are shipped to remote places in the country to starve to death. And we think we have it bad, lol.

Wish I could get my hands on some links to back these allegations up.
 
Tousi said:
Shel, speaking of how you like to know what deaf education is like in other countries, let me tell you something I recently heard.....don't have links so....A group of deaf tourists were in Burma and when they asked the Burmese Travel Bureau where the deaf schools in that country were so they could go and visit them. The reply they got is, "There are no deaf people in Burma". :eek3:

Also, in North Korea, the deaf folks are shipped to remote places in the country to starve to death. And we think we have it bad, lol.

Wish I could get my hands on some links to back these allegations up.
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No deaf in Burma? What do they do with them?
 
jillio said:
No deaf in Burma? What do they do with them?
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They just stuff them somewhere; they can do any number of things. Maybe the most humane thing they do is just simply lie about the existence of that population and where their schools are.
 
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