Wired for sound- B. Biderman

Audiofuzzy

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Does anyone heard of this lady and read her book? She was implanted late in her life after a lifetime of deafness, her father was deaf too.

her book is about her own experience with being deaf and functioning in hearing life, and getting CI and how she learned to hear.
It is VERY HELPFUL book for anyone who wonder about CI.

I found her book fascinating, close to my own experiences (except CI I don't have one) and I believe everyone who is deaf or HoH should read this book regardless of thinking of getting CI or not.
Also all hearing who consider CI for someone close to them.

It is useful information about CI for ANYONE.

Read it, and then come back to disscuss if it changed your views on CI.


Fuzzy

Beverly Biderman- Wired for Sound

Beverly Biderman has had a progressive hearing loss all her life. It became profound by the time she reached her early teens and from that point on she was completely unable to understand any speech without lipreading, and unable to use the telephone. She is a graduate of York University, Glendon College in Toronto. Beverly Biderman is currently a computing consultant and planning analyst at the Adaptive Technology Resource Center at the University of Toronto. She is an associate editor of CONTACT, the only English-language journal dealing exclusively with cochlear implants, has published a regular column in Computing Canada, and has written extensively on the subject of adaptive computing technology. Beverly serves on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Hearing Society and is active in Cochlear Implant Club International. She is a frequent speaker on the subject of deafness and disabilities. Her experience in growing up deaf and her tremendously life-changing experience of learning to hear with a cochlear implant are the subjects of her book, Wired for Sound: A Journey into Hearing, which was named a Globe and Mail Notable Book, 1998. She is currently at work on a book with a blind co-author on the parallels between the experience of blindness and deafness ("Thunder and Lightning").
Selected Publications:

Wired for Sound: A Journey into Hearing. Toronto: Trifolium Books, 1998.


Order it from Amazon or ask for it in your local library:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1895579325/002-6748448-6045618?v=glance&n=283155
 
hmmm this is shame really..... no one replied???

So many deaf pple, involved with CI, so heated discussions pro and against,
and not ONE person who made an effort to actually READ about the subject?

Fuzzy
 
Audiofuzzy said:
Does anyone heard of this lady and read her book? She was implanted late in her life after a lifetime of deafness, her father was deaf too............
Yes, I read it. Got it at home.

Real good info. She struggled a lot in the beginning but persevered.

Good read.
 
Sorry I only just saw this post. Ive never heard of her book but I'm definitely going to look for it!
 
Although I have not read any other book written by an implantee, or about implants for that matter,
I feel this one by Beverly is so great because she describes so very clearly, very comprehensibly and in an interesting way her experience of being implanted, and then her struggle with learnign how to hear.

I feel her account is very well written and I am suprised no one seem to know about this book (except Cloggy), and hardly anyone seem to be interested in it,
and yet this is a book that should be sort of manadatory for those who consider CI or just discuss CI from any point of view..

Fuzzy
 
Have you read Michael Chorost's book? Thats another one I'd reccommend to everybody.
 
neecy said:
Have you read Michael Chorost's book? Thats another one I'd reccommend to everybody.
Came across it on DF. WIll order it sometime but I still have so many other books to read...
 
No and thank you for letting us know about it. It is on my " to buy and read" list.

Fuzzy
 
Started in Michael Chorost's book. Good read. Agree on the intimate parts, but otherwise excellent info.

He mentionned speech strategies and how he preferred SAS before CIS. The I wondered: what is used for Lotte? Because, no matter what they use, it will be her first sound. Change the strategy and the sounds will be "wrong".
What will happen if they use a new strategy for her...

Have to ask the professionels in Oslo.
 
Cloggy said:
Started in Michael Chorost's book. Good read. Agree on the intimate parts, but otherwise excellent info.

He mentionned speech strategies and how he preferred SAS before CIS. The I wondered: what is used for Lotte? Because, no matter what they use, it will be her first sound. Change the strategy and the sounds will be "wrong".
What will happen if they use a new strategy for her...

Have to ask the professionels in Oslo.
it may depend on her performance.
IMO: there will be a day that she will be telling you that she wants better mapping so she might be aware of which maps to use.

I am guessing they did the neural response imaging which they use software to auto-map the program based on her audtiory repsonses. I don't mean she raise her hand if she hear it or not. she just sit and let the software do the work. I am guessing that was done..

otherwise, it's good idea to ask them though..
 
Boult said:
it may depend on her performance.
IMO: there will be a day that she will be telling you that she wants better mapping so she might be aware of which maps to use.

I am guessing they did the neural response imaging which they use software to auto-map the program based on her audtiory repsonses. I don't mean she raise her hand if she hear it or not. she just sit and let the software do the work. I am guessing that was done..

otherwise, it's good idea to ask them though..
Sure, in the beginning they were very careful. They think they allready maxed out on the "power". They won't go any further. (There's no need, she hears fine.)
They indication for response they use is eye-reflex. When they went up a bit too high, she started blinking at louder sounds, so they nodged it back.

I must say they were great. Apart from two incidents, she never had any discomfort. Even flushing the toilet for example has never been a problem.

She occaisionnaly experiements with having the CI on/off, but normally she just wears it.
It's not even 2nd nature for her. It's first nature.
 
I admit I'm not a big fan of books. If these stories were printed in magazines, it'd be a different story ;)

Sorry.
 
Fragmenter said:
I admit I'm not a big fan of books. If these stories were printed in magazines, it'd be a different story ;)

Sorry.
For stories I agree. For experiences and information, I'll have a book anytime.
The 2 books mentioned here are very informative regarding CI. "Beverly Biderman- Wired for Sound" shows the work that is sometimes needed to learn to hear. "Rebuild" is less about the struggle to hear, more about psychological process.
Mind you, both adult experiences.
 
I would really like to read "Wired for Sound." I actually heard about I elsewhere and was trying to find it at my local library earlier today, but they don't have it, and neither to any of the libraries within the Interlibrary Loan consortium. Disappointing. Hopefully I'll remember this when I move to DC. I'm sure Gallaudet or one of its ILL partners will have it.

I second the recommendation on Michael Chorost. Read it, loved it, placed an order for it yesterday through Amazon. :)
 
Boult said:
You want magazine article? not sure if you saw this already?
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.11/bolero.html

This is Michael Chorost's article the same guy who wrote the book "Rebuilt"

his website is at http://www.michaelchorost.com/ if you scroll down to the part he talk about his cat. (Aug 14 cat adventure) you will enjoy that one.
Yeh, that's a good story. Loved reading that. Shows how fast technology is moving.....
From his book you can see he's got friends in high places. Not everyone get's a treatment like he get's
 
Cloggy said:
Yeh, that's a good story. Loved reading that. Shows how fast technology is moving.....
From his book you can see he's got friends in high places. Not everyone get's a treatment like he get's
Yeah I know. He has a career though...

by the way Cloggy, Maybe you want to view this video that he was on;
http://www.archive.org/details/FutureSalon_08_2004 related to Neural Biotechnologies.

Information about this;
http://www.futuresalon.org/2004/07/computers_and_d.html

Michael listed this site on his website via Links page at bottom;
http://www.michaelchorost.com/?page_id=13
 
I got my copy of Michael Chorost's book for $5.99 at bargain book Close Outs but I notice that they don't have any in stock at the moment. I think they were getting rid of a batch of hardcover books before the release of the paperback version.

It's worth keeping an eye open there if you are on a tight budget.
 
R2D2 said:
I got my copy of Michael Chorost's book for $5.99 at bargain book Close Outs but I notice that they don't have any in stock at the moment. I think they were getting rid of a batch of hardcover books before the release of the paperback version.

It's worth keeping an eye open there if you are on a tight budget.

Amazon's used books are good too. After shipping and handling, I paid under $8. Quite the deal!
 
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