Frisky Feline

creative and always curious.

I am Deaf parent of hearing kids. So I have no place to put some opinions on Deaf parents of Deaf Kids and I highly respect them. They are the same as I am.

I have met a several friends who are Deaf parents and have Deaf kids, ( yes I met Deaf parents of Deaf kids with CIs, Sure). Speaking of Deaf parents of Deaf kids, that i asked them if they are considering to have their kids to get CI. They all answer was the same result. "My kids are doing fine, happy, and proud Deaf. " So it gave me some ideas to create a thread here.

I know some of you who have deaf/hoh or not have kids yet. Do you consider giving deaf kids a CI?

If you guys don't feel comfortable to give your opinion here then DONT! Most of you know that this thread will lead to a heat debating but I hope it is not going to happen. i am just curious about Deaf parents of Deaf kids who are looking to give their deaf kids to get a CI.

Nothing else.

Poll would be convenient.

Deafness

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Bottesini

I put maybe.... My kids are adults, but are hoh with a progressive loss inherited from their Father's side.

So if they get to the point of profound deafness that would surely be their choice.

But then they wouldn't be little kids either.

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shel90

No, I wouldn't if I had deaf children. If they want to when they are older, that's fine.

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DeafCaroline

I would leave that decision to my kids if they were born Deaf. Even with CIs, one could still struggle, I don't see how that's better than being Deaf. Having grown up knowing what it's like to have parents override what you KNOW you need as a deaf person even though they had no idea what it's like to be in your shoes, I would not presume to do the same to my deaf kids.

deafdyke

It depends. If my kid had very little or very poor speech understanding with HA, I would implant, and then give them speech and sign. If it was an ambigious case, I would wait until they were three or older so a) we'd have a clearer picture of how she could hear and b) so they could help make the decision about whether or not they wanted it. I have a syndrome where the hearing loss can be surgeicly cured. (canalplasty) Little kids can have the surgery but my parents and I waited until I was a teenager, so I could help make the decision. I am glad they did. The surgery failed, and I still have to wear a hearing aid. I realize now I simply hadn't come to terms with being HOH back then.

AlleyCat

I couldn't agree more with the bolded. I would leave it up to the kids to decide. Nobody can walk a so-called mile in a deaf child's shoes for even an inch when they don't understand what it is.

deafdyke

But what if the kid was deep profound? I would implant if the kid was deep profound and clearly did not benifit from HA, just as a full toolbox sort of approach.

AlleyCat

Meaning what? Gets the oral skills you so want all deaf children to have? Otherwise, what's the point? Look at PFH, Shel, me, MANY others who don't need oral skills/speech to get where we are. What does the CI do for us as a child? (And I have a profound loss, remember. Am I that bad off?)

Miss-Delectable

I had pondered on this question just few days ago.

If I had a deaf child, no, I will not opt for a CI. I won't be pushed into anything by medical staff.

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deafbajagal

For my daughter? No.

JabberJay

I'm not deaf yet but deafness is pretty strong in my family, I will probably be profound before I turn 40.
I wouldn't implant if my kid was born deaf, I wouldn't even get the implant myself, when the kid is old enough he or she can ask for one and I wouldn't have a problem then.

I just look at all the things that can go wrong and think, hearing isn't worth brain damage, nerve damage, ...big long list of possible side effects...

Personally for me it's bad enough that my family also has a high rate of epilepsy and other conditions that affect the brain, why would I want to possibly add more?

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deafdyke

Yes, but do you have a deep profound loss? You have a profound aidable loss right? God, in the old days Clarke was BOOMING when there were just hearing aided kids. I do think it's hard to tell how well an infant/toddler hears. Heck we all played the " Now I hear you now, I don't" game. I am saying it would depend on circumstances. I also know that now a days unless you're DODA, it's getting more common for kids to be more oral ( I remember two posts, one from a parent in Oregon and one from a parent in Wisconsin, saying that their kids' programs used Sign, but many of the kids were very oral.) I'm not saying that kids without oral skills cannot suceed. They can, but voice off kids are going to become pretty unusual.
I also know of DODAs who have told their parents they want to learn how to speak......that's why I'm full toolbox!

bbaseballboy123

I would if i have deaf kids of which are canidiates of having one when i get older. Not sure if i would go bilateral thought.
And sure as hell not go with any company that has all inside CI (which would require future surgeries to replace the battery or w.e).
I agree with this mainly.

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AlleyCat

I understand the full toolbox. But CIs in babies just because you want them to have oral skills? An example from Oregon, and from Wisconsin doesn't justify all. Even another poster and I had to tell you that things are different today. She and I went to the same school -- one that YOU did not attend, and you used a "friend" as a reference for your statements, and we both could tell you it is NOT what you thought it was.

SkullChick

Wirelessly posted

I'd wait until they're old enough to understand when I ask if they want one or not and stick with one ear and let them makes decision later in life to go bilateral (teens)

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deafskeptic

While I agree with DD's toolbox approach, I don't think CIs are needed for good speech. Nor do I think CIs are needed in young deaf kids nowadays. I would never have my deaf kids grow up orally.

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deafskeptic

For the record, DD, I was born with a severe to profound deafness. The majority of my loss was largely in the profound range at anything above 500 hz even then.
Yet the lack of a CI for me didn't keep me from being understood by most adults by the time I was 12.

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flip

Simple answer: no.

Seen too many ****ed up teenagers with CI.

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bbaseballboy123

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Speedy Hawk

I don't have kids, but if I ever do had kids and they deaf.......

I said maybe, only if THEIR choice want CI and old enough to understand what it means, not copying other people like young kids do.

I wouldn't implant my kids, but if they old enough and ask for one, I would let them.

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rick48

Thought Cloggy had started a thread about deaf parents choosing cis for their children? Whatever happened to it? It just suddenly disappeared?

shel90

Now, I remember. No wonder I got a sense of deja vu.

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deafskeptic

I put down maybe for this reason. No way in hell am I going the oral route for my deaf kids.

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KristinaB

I said no mainly because, even though both my kids are hoh, they have both said no to HA's and both gave a resounding NO! to CI's. Their decision had nothing to do with my thought and beliefs. They research themselves, talked with the audiologist and to people they saw with CI's back in Missouri and made their decision then.

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Frisky Feline

Oh I remember now. yeah.

shel90

wow, that's powerful about your kids making that decision for themselves.

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deafdyke

deafskeptic, this is exactly my thinking. What I wanted to say is that it would be a case by case basis. Like I don't know how I would chose until presented with the case. Make sense? And yes, CIs are not needed for good speech. Many of us including those with severe and profound losses learned to speak well without CI.
I would ALSO not have my dhh kids grow up orally either. As I've repeated on the forums, I don't think that kids or anyone should even consider CI until they've totally and completely maxed out on hearing aids.
There are exceptions thou. What about auditory nereopathy? What about recruitment? And yes, aren't there deaf folks who learned to speak with very little hearing? I remmy Curtis Pride only had 5% hearing and still learned to speak orally...and jill is always saying there are severe and profounders who speak better then hoh kids.

Oceanbreeze

Wow, just wow.

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deafdyke

Yes indeedy! I'm ALL for kids making the decision for themselves. But sometimes that isn't possible that is all.

shel90

I was born with a very very very very very severe profound deafness and so was my brother. We probably are more deaf than 90% of the Deaf population and we are both doing fine without CIs. It is all about learning assertiveness, self-advocating, and most of all loving ourselves.

i was taught to hate myself by the audists growing up which made me disabled. Discovering the Deaf community, I was able to learn how to advocate for myself in the hearing world so I feel less disabled.

How is that for amphlication? That is what these ignorant hearing parents conbtinue to not to understand no matter how much we educate them

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