backstage108

Hi everyone. I'm a playwright/writer and was embarking on a stage play about a young deaf woman and so was surfing the web looking for info about the world of the deaf. I came across this website, alldeaf.com. So I'm very curious about all this.

But more importantly, apart from writing, and since I am also Krishna conscious, (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) I was wondering if anyone out there knows about this Eastern philosophy as well. I'm deeply into metaphysics and spiritual things.

Anyway, I would love hearing from those who would like to share info regarding:
1. Deaf at birth? What were the emotional aspects? Psychological?
2. Speech patterns in general
3. Total Deafness coming after so many years of hearing. For example, becoming deaf in teen-age years suddenly.

I know the subject is very vast and I'm kind of groping in the dark. Or maybe there are other websites where one can get info on various topics of this nature.

The play I am attempting to write is of a supernatural nature involving this young woman who, born deaf, regains her hearing after a mystical encounter but the story is a probe into people's attitudes, beliefs etc. as well as thier fears. Hope to hear from you.

Deafness

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on AllDeaf.com

Angel

Hello there,

It's nice to meet a playwritter, Welcome to AD and enjoy your stay here

No, I wasn't born deaf, I lost my hearing at the age of 5 slowly due from illness, I was hoh until I reach my high school years, then I wasn't able to hear quite well as I used to.....My speech is like a hearing person but there are some words I'm unable to say clearly as words I don't often use..I also took speech class through out my childhood years

backstage108

Thanks for the reply. Yes, there are angels. In Sanskrit the word is "devas". I see, you lost your hearing from age 5. In this play I'm writing, I think I will open with ASL. Do you use that at all? Just curious.

CODAchild

Backstage108, it's nice to have you with us at AD. I hope you enjoy your stay here. I am not deaf, I am hearing, but, both my parent's are deaf and the deaf are my second family.

I wish you so much good luck in your play when it's written. Look forward to your postings!!! Have a wonderful day!!!

Gemtun

Welcome to AD

I am deeply into spiritual things and metaphysics but do not know much about Krishna consciousness though.

I was born deaf. I guess that emotional aspect was that my father did not want anything to do with me so he abandoned me when I was six months old along with my 2 year old deaf brother. That scar has never been healed.

I grew up using speech and lipreading but am fluent in ASL now after stumbling across ASL in late 20s.

I cannot relate to others who became late deafened for they know what they are missing and grieve much more than I do.

Good luck with your play writing

Vercingetorix

I suggest you look into ToM (Theory of Mind) to get a better picture of those who are deaf at birth. It might help.

ArkieGal

Welcome to AllDeaf! Enjoy to read the posts!

Angel

Aw Thanks! ...

Yes I still use ASL, I learn ASL very late during my high school years, I grew up by learning to speak by attending speech class and also I learned lipreading too....

Even through I learn all the signs until I reach my high school years but I was a quick learner, it didn't take me too long to know them all! I admit it was fun learning and signing along with my friends and my classmates!

JeepGirl

Hi Backstage, first of all I'd like to welcome you to AD.

I was born deaf (unknown), my parents were freaking out, of course, not knowing what to do with a "deaf" child. I was told by one of my relatives that my father didn't really want to have anything to do with me. My mother and grandparents were very anxious to get all the help by speaking and being able to hear.

At 9 months old, I wore my very first hearing aids and hated it not that I remember it. I started going to a speech therapy to improve my speech which helped a lot. (in that case, my parents refused to do sign language due to lack of speaking) I had proven that I'm just like everyone else as humans. My father realized that then "I can do anything".

I even went to a school thru Vocational Rehabilitation to learn oral and pick up different sounds. I learned to lipread and became very reliable to it.

Throughout school, I became very involved in sports with hearing so I pretty much had so many hearing friends that helped me thru also. I had very little friends that were deaf and they were also into oral and lipreading. By the time I got to High School, I tried to learn sign language but was forbidden to use it (teacher's rules). After I graduated, I was encouraged by deaf friends to hang out more with them and learn what it's like to be in the deaf world and I love it! I felt very much a part of them because I'm deaf myself.

I went to Gallaudet for one semester, it sure was totally different from the hearing world. I had improved my signs and became fluent in ASL. My speech and hearing has plummeted. My family wasn't too happy with that but I had explained to them that when they see a group of my deaf friends, did they understand what we said, they said no.. So I, viced versa, told them I was basically in their world my whole life not understanding most of their conversations and was left out. They just gulped and never bother to change me again. They realized I'm more happier in my world than the hearings.

As of now, I'm still using oral (not perfect), but rely on ASL and lipreading.

backstage108

Gee, so nice to hear from you all. Very fascinating. Reading all these different stories is giving me more fodder so to speak, and may even change the dynamic of my play.

Writing is a remarkable gift. I started writing when I was 30 years old. I always loved film and would practically live in a movie theatres as a child. My family life was very stressful and I suffered some physical and emotional abuse. Now I am much older, 59, and have learned so many things.

As human beings we are all evolving through "consciousness." That is, a higher spiritual awareness. The world of the deaf, blind etc. has always been a mystery to most people, a kind of subculture. When I was a child growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, I would have to walk by a school that I was told was the school for the deaf and to me it was something spooky or mysterious. You know how children are. Anyway, I only write stories based on inspiration. I wrote a screenplay/stage play called "Hopi Rain" about a woman's odyssey of self-discovery after the suicide death of her young son. The woman in the story is a documentary filmmaker and of course, the story is very emotional. Love found and lost, redemption, faith and hope, all the great themes that one finds in the greatest novels I suppose.

Since I write primarily on inspiration, I've been thinking about a young woman who may have been born deaf or became deaf and then comes home one day and because of a vision she had, she not only regains her full hearing, but was told that the world is coming to an end. This creates fear in the local townspeople and they react in various ways. Did the woman see an angel? An alien? So, I'm just throwing out thoughts as I put the story together and naturally, the story has conflict and how people behave, much like the film "Dogville" which I thought was a brilliant but very disturbing film although I suppose in one sense it is a very pessimistic view of the human condition.

According to the ancient Vedic texts in Sanskrit from India, we are now entering a 10,000 year "golden age" in which we will have harmony worlwide and peace. These things come in cycles throughout earth's billions of years. Anyway, I could go on forever, but I really am pleased reading everyone's responses and look forward to communicating with you all.

Wallace

backstage108

Meg: Hi again. yes, I'm very sorry to hear of you father and the scars which you have. I had a somewhat abusive childhood myself. We may not know why things happen "karmically" the wat they do in life. Why some people live and some dies young, why some people are poor and others are rich etc. I suppose on the the greatest things one can do is be able to forgive and this was Jesus's teaching but I must admit, some pain never goes away and I myself, grapple with the ability to forgive my father for the pain he caused my brother and I also. This material world consisting of birth and death is not a happy place, lots of suffering, but if we can remain spiritual then that's the path we should traverse.

C.C.Sinned

Hello &

__________________

TweetyBird

here and enjoy urself here

__________________
Hi everyone, if you interesting to look at my crafts and if u have myspace then add this http://www.myspace.com/craftsqueen and if u dont have myspace then u can email me craftslady2008@gmail.com OR PM me here...

rjr2006

welcome!

HiBluE01

Welcome to AD and enjoy these posts!!!

I was born hearing then I was becoming hard of hearing when I was 3 year old and I became deaf age of 7 (hearing loss).

__________________
HiBluE01

froggy_kayla

Hi, my name is Kayla Anderson, nice to meet ya!! I was born deaf but the doctor don't know what cause from that. But I am working hard on my speech, you wouldn't believe that I'm actually deaf. I also lip-reading and sign language. The doctor thought I wouldn't get past third grade reading level and they were wrong!! lol um.. anything else you would like to know about me just ask me anything u want. well i hope i'll hear from u soon if u don't mind.

backstage108

Hello: Thanks for the message. I can't think of anything to ask, oh, I was thinking about some stage plays they do at a school for the deaf that fascinated me. Apparently, students perform in the play and then there is a vocal interpreter or something. I was thinking of going sometime just to see what it's all about. I have their website but will look it up and post it. I know one of the playwrights who did a play ther recently.

Liebling:-)))

Herzlich Willkommen zu AD

Come and share your posts here with us


I born deafness due rubella. My mother got german measles when she was 3 months pregnant with me.

__________________

*sniffing you*

backstage108

Hi. Dolphins are such beautiful creatures. very spiritual. It's horrible to think that they also have been murdered by man. In this respect, read my latest posting. I talk about how we will evolve into a spiritual species and are entering a 10,000 year golden age. yes, this is true. It is all coming from India. Stay tuned.

PurrMeow

to AD and enjoy this site!

Roadrunner

Hello and welcome to Alldeaf backstage108! Hope you'll enjoy your stay here in AD!!

coloravalanche

to our AD

I was born deaf. When my parents were evanglist for 2 years..during revival at small town in Alabama...my mother was around with sick children - praying with them for their illiness with german measles...she didnt know she was pregnant until a month later...

The doctor informed her she was pregnant..The doctor was concerned about my mother being pregnant and contacted german measles from sick children. He warned her that she would have a baby who will born deaf, blind, and retarded. It frightened my parents..my mother prayed for 9 months that her baby will be okay...

9 months later, I was born at Lakeland, Florida with 4 pounds in 1967...stayed at the hosptial for 3 weeks or a month (cant remmy)....anyway, when I was born, my mother could not hold me immeadiately...they had to put me in special room alone...the doctor and nurses didnt want me to be with other babies in their room bez of german measles...everyday, mom would call nurse to see if I've gained weight yet so my parents could bring me home...finally between 5 to 6 pounds - I was brought home...

My parents assumed that I was healthy and okay...until age 2, they took me to hearing test three different times...all these hearing tests failed...my mother decided that was it..she knew I was deaf for sure...

I wore hearing aids since age 2 or 3...they immeadiately learned sign language...they put me in preschool for the deaf...during at that time, we lived in Fairhope, Alabama...my dad pastored there in a small church...even build the church there...my sister was born there...we are 13 months apart...she is hearing..so mom drove me and my sister to drop me off at preschool in Mobile, Alabama for preschool for the deaf...my parents were very poor..didnt have a penny to drive me to school...it was between 30 minutes to 1 hour to drive everyday...

I learned speech therapy at preschool for the deaf at age 3...age 5, I was in newspaper for children's fund...then my parents decided it was time to leave Fairhope and move to Mobile because of me...

My father continued pastored at different church while build a bigger church in Mobile...I attended at John Will Elementary School...mainstreaming school...I learned in English Sign Language all of my life...

Until age 11, In January, my parents decided to put me into private Bel Air Baptist school for 3 years..I remembered my teacher knew sign language..everyone there were so friendly...until on February 14th, we were giving out valentine cards...I was opening cards...all of sudden, one card hit me real hard...it says, "haha you are deaf and dumb"...I cried so hard...all of my childhood, I was very happy child...and I never felt any different for being deaf when I was around with hearing children until that day on Valentine's Day! I thought we all were equal....until that day when I saw the card...it changed me since then...

My teacher foundout who did it...it was my good friend whom I thought she was my friend...her name was Marie and black girl...I would never forget who she is...A month later on March 29th or 30th, my teacher was killed in car accident...I was grief and sad...I loved this man..Brother Eddie...He was special teacher who influenced my life..

Then I went to Independent Methodist School for 6 years...I was the only deaf student for 9 years at both hearing private schools...

My parents took me to specialist speech therapy at age 11...it was very expensive...they spent about $300 a month for 2 years...my speech has improved...

Basically during teen years...I didnt have the chance to socialize with deaf kids...I socialized at hearing church with interpreter, hearing school without interpreter, (my parents had tried to convinced the school to provide interpreter - but failed)...I had hard time during teen years...I was lonely and depressed started at age 15...I was desperated to be hearing..I wanted to be a singer/actress since small child...

All my life I could speak and wear both hearing aids...

At age 20, I went to Deaf College in Minnesota in 1988...I was in Deaf Culture "Shock"...I was not awared anything about deaf culture...ASL..etc...it took me 4 months to learn in ASL...

Ive struggled all these years between hearing and deaf world...Ive always felt trap in the middle...now, Im handling much better...I decided not to be in deaf community here in my state...only hang around here at AD...

LovelyWoman

Hi and Welcome to this AD
I born deaf so my parent,5 brothers and sister.. I also have deaf daughter and 2 neices too. By the way I have another daughter is hearing .
Hope u enjoy this AD!!

deafdyke

O/T but did you grow up in Randolph or Beverly? Those are the small towns where the Schools for the Deaf were located. (Beverly School for the Deaf has DOWNGRADED to mostly being an early intervention program and is mostly for severely multihandicapped kids, and Boston School for the Deaf closed a few years ago)