FxAvatar

That is great to hear Dogmom. Right now, the only persons I know that are HoH is my family (no help there). I have been "cracking out" on Signing times and the net, but without anyone that knows ASL yet. I have asked around but nobody seems to know anyone else in the neighborhood that is HoH (with sign) or d/Deaf. The nearby suburb group that I joined in hopes to find someone to practice with does not meet for about 3 weeks, so i am hoping to get some more signs under my belt so i don't just stand there confused (my guess is I will anyways). I have gotten a webcam to chat with the friends I make at the face-to-face meeting, but so far, I have just been using it to see my own signs and practice my ABC's phonically (read somewhere it helps when you start to read someone FS'ing to sound out the letters then to mentally try to spell). Not sure if it is the "right" way, but so far so good.

It helps that I too was in LD as a kid/teen and found I was a visual learner. To see and mimic tends to burn things into memory faster for me then to read it from a book, the trick is getting the grammer down. I know it seems silly to learn from YouTube, but some, like CaptainValor, have the ASL translation next to the English translation when you click "more". It lets me look at them both, figure out why and what order things are placed, then watch the video to see a example of it.

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

LDNanna

FX, if everything isnt set yet, why not attempt to get in touch with Vocational Rehab in your area? Cant hurt. They can be very helpful and some even provide advocacy services.

dogmom

FXAvatar - like you am VERY visual learner, visual-tactile. But I was diagnosed w/LD til college, and continually failing remedial college math, still having difficulty reading clocks, etc.

When I was in college I did have DVR <Voc.Rehab> services. They assisted w/funds for books and post-college initial job search and prep. They paid for LD testing also. The testing results and the advocacy of Disabled Student Services Center at university helped me get accommodations for classes.

dogmom

"....was NOT diagnosed w/LD til college..."

khar59

Oh that's interesting because we have never really found out in our family about our hearing loss. That probably means ours in dominant or maybe not.

My nana was hoh and 3 out of 5 kids I know are hoh, one of them my mother. Out of those 5 off-spring one died in WWII so don't know about him. One uncle who died in 40's I'm not sure of either but he has 2 children that are hoh. The other hoh adults have at least 1 child in their families that are hoh. In my family my mother, sister and I are hoh, my brother is not.

My sister has 5 children and one is hoh. I have 4 children and 2 are hoh. My brother who is not hoh has 2 children that are not hoh.

Yeah, really I have no clue. So far none of my grandchildren are hoh even though one parent is hoh. Interesting.

khar59

I found out this year our insurance company doesn't cover hearing test. However, when I commented that is seemed like discrimination to the CS person I got a call back from the supervisor within 15 minutes to tell me that as a discretionary measure they would pay for a hearing test!

I think so many emphasis on eyesight in companies that have computers and employees developing eyesight issues, but not much with hearing unless it's a noisy industry.

khar59

Yeah, but aren't you police? I would have thought that your union would have negotiated all that if your hearing loss is work related or whatever?

I'm from New Zealand and unless you are covered for work related issues from a noisy industry etc you have to pay for yourself. However, as I say that my daughter got her's free because she was a full-time student and needed them for learning. If you work over 20 hours you can also get them free. For the life of me I couldn't get them free as a CS operator for a newspaper cause I only worked 15 hrs per week. Now tell me why I shouldn't qualify at all??

I bought mine off HearingPlanet.com here in America and they cost me half the price as from an audiologist. I also had to go to a hearingplanet referrred audiologist before I could get them. So I want to debunk this myth I've seen on this site that buying from the internet is bad. These companies do make you go to an audiologist and the costs for visits and fittings were paid for through the hearingplanet people.

FxAvatar

Hum, With starting classes, I am going to check into this. Class enrollment has just started, but I am waiting for a transcript from my college classes I took 10 years ago to be transfered to the school. I think I will use this time to check into my local Voc.Rehab.
As for taking classes for Sign, I am kinda in a impass. I checked my local commuity college and it turns out they do have classses, but the only night class I can take would conflict with my work since I travel alot. I have placed a post under the header sign language to see if anyone has any sugestions. I will post more details in that forum about my issues with learning sign...

dogmom

Good Luck, FX! Sure, check out the Voc Rehab, a lotta things have changed since I was client. If you have any documentation of "condition" or "disability" or whatever, be sure to bring-maybe see if there's a website.

ASL classes are not that plentiful where I am either. If appropriate for you, you could check out Deaf Church in your area. Also, your state's Deaf Association <part of NAD>, Deaf Chat coffee <check website>, Deaf Professional Happy Hour, and/or ITP student signing associations.

Sorry if anything repetitive-

FxAvatar

You know, as I was sitting on a plane waiting to fly out to Phoenix to train some co-workers, I happened to look down at three guys that load/unload luggage. As I watched these three guys attempt to yell over the ear plugs that they are forced to wear, I thought to myself “wow, I wonder why they do not just pick up basic sign?.. even SEE would be make perfect bedfellows with a job like that”. Then something I thought about earlier when I was worried about losing my current job over my hearing quality dropping and the random complete loss of sound (I talk on the phone most of the time, and fly out to do group support too).. I am starting classes to become an Electrical/Computer Engineer, but what happens if it gets worse (and from my family history, I know it will in time) or goes totally out? I am starting to learn sign for prep for the “chance” it could go out or when the slow fade reaches the point I would rather sign then fight to read lips, but what if I am banking my future on a career that someone that is deaf can not do?.. (as a side note, not sure if I have said it yet, but my two best friends have decided to learn ASL with me, to support me as I struggle with learning the new language. They have also started to teach their kids sign as well, so we will all learn it together.. )
I searched AD, but other than military service and a long posting about serving as a Police Officer, I really have not found much in what can someone that has had his or her hearing then lost it.. do? I know that tech can replace some of the hearing that is lost for many, and this is path that I am not sure I can or will take. But, going with the extreme case that one of these random sound “outages” never ends and I find myself deaf, will I still be able to go to college?.. become a engineer?.. It is not like I can just get a Terp for class, I have just started learning myself. After watching a few vblogs to see what signs I can catch as they talk (kind of a test myself thing for my upcoming meet and greet), I know I have a long way. I was told it takes about 6+ years to become fluent, what if my ears don’t give me that long. I guess I could get a note taker and hope like hell I can learn to read lips fast, but not sure what else I could do, and that will not even touch how to work in my real world job..
So, I am not sure how to ask, but has anyone that was hearing and in college, or a full career ever find themselves out of a job due to hearing loss?..

dogmom

FX, patience - brainstorming below-
I have posted this part here before but don't know if you saw....I recently had a job w/dogs and I was put "off-schedule" in Sept. because of my LD and also <from my perspective, nothing was literally said, but I can guess based on experiences> my new hoh of status. The position just isn't good match for me in general so that's how it will be....but I will just try again with something else. I am used to trying different ways. My husband who is deaf w/o HA's-no sign - went college and had no aids at time. Now it is true he was born w/Rubella syndrome so comparison can't be exactly same, but am just using as an example to show possibility. Student services for d/Deaf offer a broad range of assistance in college and depending on college or university there may even be a Late-Deafened or hoh support group - or you could form one. Perhaps there is Deaf Center in your area, or an ALD chapter? <www.alda.org>. I guess I believe that YES - you can still go to college and become an engineer - maybe will take longer, you will have to do differently than you planned- but from my optimistic viewpoint and as someone who has had find various coping strategies, I think you can! Don't sell yourself short/underestimate yourself! And I am glad for you that your friends have decided to share this journey with you

And I once saw a tv program about a guy who used to race stockcars was involved all various aspects of it - one time he had accident that caused him to become blind such that he had very little sight left - technically not low--vision. He stayed involved in the racing industry and became mechanic/part of pit crew instead.

yup, a visual language would help in many instances, indeed; the thing is, in my thinking to make sure ASL remains available for Deaf as language/cultural tool.

sallylou

I agree with dogmom. Don't limit yourself. There are always solutions to the hearing issues.

I know that my local community college has a person on staff to deal with ADA issues. Universities should have someone, too. Find out who it is and contact that person.

Colleges and universities want students and they will help you. The only hard part will be deciding what you want to study and pursue.

__________________

SerendipityG3A

And getting your doctor to provide documentation that your school's disabilities department will understand, which in my case means getting an audiologist appointment that coincides with my hearing schedule, which is unfortunately severely unpredictably random.

Don't worry, Bott, I'm really happy about it all!

sallylou

SerendipityG3A, what are you studying? If you care to share, that is?

__________________

FxAvatar

Sweet, I will have to check into that, I have the results from my hearing test.

This is exactly what I was worried about, if my field of study will be issue for when (not really a if looking at my parents, but when) my hearing gets worse. For now, yes, I am just under the normal hearing level. I can still make out what people say as long as it is not in a loud room, but five years from now, after I have dumped time and money into becoming a engineer, I just don't want to plan for a field that could be limited based off my hearing (for example, if you knew your sight was going, would you go to school to become a pilot?).
I know that I can look to fix my hearing, for now, the audiologist said that HA's will not help me and an ENT is needed to look at the inner ear. I am sure that as my loss gets worse that I can lean on tech like HA's, I was mainly wondering if my choice in fields was going to be effected by my hearing loss..

sallylou

If you want to be an engineer, you can find a way to be an engineer, even if you are completely deaf. We have more technology now. It seems like everyone communicates via computer now. Most of what I did involved email.

__________________

FxAvatar

I am, it is just that I will be starting classes soon, and when making a roadmap to get the degree I want, I was just wanting to know before I start if I need to change directions.

This is in effect what I want to prevent from hitting. It is not that I don’t love the challenge, hell; if I hated challenges I would not be looking to become an engineer. I just don’t want to start a uphill battle with the shear part of a mountain. I want to know that the top is at least reachable, even if it is a tough climb.

Wow. I am really impressed. Did he just read the lips of the instructors?

I am sure there is a chapter, Kansas City is a big town, I am just so new to the Deaf community that I have not really known about it. As for a group at the school, I will ask when I go for a campus visit later this week/next week.

I am a shy guy, but when I set my eyes on a goal, I tend to make things happen to get to it. If I want something, I will do what I need to make sure I get it. (not that I have everything I want in life, far from it, but I tend to be stubborn headed when I set goals I make it happen).

Thanks, me too. Frankly I did not expect the response I got from my friends after getting the reaction I got from my family. The family just blew it off, while my fiends turned it into a learning opportunity for themselves and their kids.

Hum, I would see this more as a compromise that I would not want to reach for. He also had an accident once in the field that made him go blind, I know I am losing my hearing while debating on starting in that field. I KNOW my current field would be almost impossible to do deaf, I answer phones for a living (I could just see my bosses reaction to the configuration and/or costs of adding VRS to every tech call I took). The next step up on my career line is a divide, Network admin or system admin. The network side has never really interested me, but the system side has. The drawback is the next tier above that one is getting into the engineer level (my org. goal coming out of high school, but I could not afford it at the time) and that takes a bachelors in engineering. Now that I have a good amount of experience in the PC field, and I am making the money that I can pay for the first 2 years of college, I am resetting my goals of that engineer degree. I had decided to do this before I had my hearing checked, I just figured that since I only missed what people say every now and then, and in groups or busy rooms, and some sounds that others noticed and I did not, .. that I was fine.. ( I know, ostridge in the ground mindset, but hay, that too runs in the family :shy: ). Frankly, if not for my random sound drop outs, I would never had thought to go looking into my HoH.

Forgive me if my meaning was not clear. My thinking was that people, even the hearing, could benefit from the use of a visual language, not to take anything away from the Deaf community or culture. That some jobs that the use of hearing is limited or not available (like those that work with planes) could benefit from basic sign language. They have already formed their own limited version of gesture based guidance when talking to pilots to guide them (with the lighted sticks), but the use of a standardized language like ASL or a modified version like SEE would be great for them to learn. I did not mean that they should or even could take anything away from the Deaf community, but better themselves from it.

SerendipityG3A

Honestly, I'm still having a tough time deciding. I've asked everybody and their dog for help, but the best I can get out of them is, "You can do anything you want. It doesn't matter that you're deaf!" I donno what I want to do. I do know that I don't wanna fight for it. I've been fighting for everything I've ever gotten out of life because of my hearing loss until it came down to the most important thing: my career. Now I'm just burned out and can't do it anymore. I think I'm on the right track to figure it out though. One last fight, as soon as I get the courage (and the paperwork from all my doctors). Vocational Rehabilitation. It baffles me why somebody didn't tell me about that years ago.

FxAvatar

Man, I love Google. After posting that last post with Dogmom’s husband, I thought that maybe on another site I could find something about deaf engineers. Well, that search lead me to deafhhcareer.com and that site had a posting from someone that is deaf and in each of my end goal careers. Now, they both had hearing loss at a younger age, but they both struggled with debating if the field was right for them as deaf persons. Each one of them have the degree I was after, but they both gone to Rochester Institute of Technology. A school that seems to be more targeted to the Deaf community then the one I am planning to attend. I will have to check into that as a fallback if I run into issues with my current college. It is re-assuring to see someone that has been there and has made it in the field. They both had hearing loss way greater then my own, but none the less, they are able to work in the field..

dogmom

FX, just a quick note - when I wrote "patience", I didn't mean you were being IMpatient, I just meant, for you to please have patience with ME because I was going on in a "brainstorming", possibly "rambling" kinda way when I wrote back about your concern about college/job.
sorry about confusion!

KristinaB

That would be partially the case for me. My work was mainly telephone related for a small office of a 501c3 not for profit agency. Since there were only 9 employees ADA did not come into play. I am unalbe to work now, even after moving to first a different city, then to a different state, due to hearing loss and neuralgia. (total numbness on the right side of body. I can't stand or sit for periods for longer than 5-10 minutes. I have to move constantly or I fall or slide off whatever I am sitting on. I do all my typing one handedly and it's not even my dominate had. I am able to do some sign, and will do more as I learn and the numbness does not affect that since I do not have to touch or hold anything. When typing I can't feel the keys with the numb hand and I have broken too many keyboards just by typing too hard. (Cooking is a riot!)

So I lost the last job I had due to hearing loss, but can't find a new job due to the neuralgia and hearing loss combined.

__________________
Taking life one day at a time.

deafskeptic

Mmm. It took me a long time to learn to tell time. I still have trouble reading clocks;I find digtial clocks much easier to read than the kind that have the classic clock face. However, I do not find digtial clocks very pleasing to look at so I have the other kind. I'm not very good with math though I've always excelled at Art.

Like you, I'm a visual-tactile learner.

__________________
Left ear implanted with Med-El on April 24 2007.
Activated on May 9th.
Upgraded to Opus 2 9/10/2010
Think Pink.
FREE JILLIO!

Bottesini

I have digital clocks and my watch is digital too. It's the only way I can tell time!

__________________

FxAvatar

Well, I have to say I am lucky that I have no issue with clocks (other then hitting the snooze too many times). I have no issues with analog (ones with the hands), digital (my morning alarm clock) or Binary (my inner geek is showing here). For me, it is more of issues locking my vision onto the clocks, my vision sometimes splits and it is like holding a 2lb weight all day to lock focus. This is normally fixed by a few minutes with a ink pen to get my vision to sync. I typically don't notice it unless I am tired..

KristinaB

Just thought I would tell everybody, I had emailed the local, Palm Beach County Association of the Deaf regarding anything they had that would help me. Well, I got an email today: They are having a captioned movie with a deaf social and admission is only $3 with free popcorn and soda or water. The lady who sent me the email thought this would be a good way to "get me in the door" and start meeting new deaf people in the area. She has already mentioned my problem (trouble learning ASL) to a bunch of regulars and they will be looking for me and are willing to help. My son is going as well, since he is becoming real protective of me in social situations lately.

FX: I have been on this journey for 3 years and it looks like some doors are finally opening other than those on the internet. AllDeaf has been a lifesaver for me more times than I can count. Keep up with AD so you don't lose your mind trying to find help and resources.

__________________
Taking life one day at a time.

FxAvatar

Will do. I too have taken steps to find locals. I found a sign study group in my local area that are meeting next weekend (have been signed up for a while, just waiting to meet them). I am dragging my 2 best friends along with me since I am also kinda shy. I figure meeting some of the ASL students and those that use ASL in daily life will help boost my courage when it comes to learning the language.

KristinaB

My son has decided to be my bodyguard and will go with me for the movie tonight. Even though the family is not interested in learning ASL with me, they are over-protective of me. I too am very shy, more so since this happened, but then once I meet people and open up at little, I sometimes can't shut up. The movie is "The Taking of Pelham 123".

Once I can pay the membership fee, then I will be able to go to the deaf social each Tuesday.

__________________
Taking life one day at a time.

suitemindcrime

Hi there.

I come from a family that is HOH, so mine is hereditary. However, I had great hearing until the age of 30, when very suddenly my hearing started to decline. I can hear background noises seemingly fine, can even hear music, but speech ranges are almost gone. It's very frustrating to me that I can't understand what someone is saying when it wasn't too long ago that I would have been able to do so.

I always hoped that the hearing loss would skip me. It skipped my mother, though it seems that she's lost a little now that I think about it. My aunt is profoundly deaf, from the same genetic issue. My youngest brother is deaf as well, but my older younger brother (I have two younger brothers) hasn't had any loss as of yet. I have two young cousins who are profoundly deaf.

I'm very scared right now because the hearing loss happened to me so suddenly and is rapidly declining. I'm learning ASL, (thankfully my Partner was once an ASL interpreter and is teaching me), but I feel that I don't really fit into the hearing culture anymore, and am terrified that I won't fit in well with the deaf culture either.

Wow. What a way to introduce myself!

dogmom

hi FX and all, including suitemindcrime

sorry I am late FX in responding to your longer post/reply with ques. about my husband and his going to school....been really hectic here!
Hubby reads lips some and at the time his hearing loss was less profound, enough to affect his success at attendance w/o HA's. His major was CIS/programming and he's always been really bright with that, VERY techie, excellent mechanically, etc., and had a lot of experience with that prior to going to college so he was able to use that to help him. When I was diagnosed w/LD he and I had been going out for a few months. I went through Disabled Student Services to get diagnosis and told him about it. He was having some difficulty w/his other major and he ended up getting notetakers for that and later for some of his very advanced classes. His first job out of college, the employer purchased HA's for him so he could use phone. Since then he has also done security, network admin., etc. also can do electronics, some engineering things - says he woulda got degree in engineering had he been wiser.


suitemindcrime,

am in my 30's and started losing my hearing a couple years ago now. My mother has hearing loss but she is in her 70's and hers seems to have started very recently. Had an aunt who was deaf but I don't know anything beyond that; I was born premature at 6 months and had lots of colds, have allergies etc. I had delayed speech and language issues.
I was somewhat familiar w/some aspects of Deaf community because in college I worked w/Deaf kids and staff in recreational Summer program and learned some ASL, took ASL class in college by hearing man.....but then graduated from school and went into Social Work. Used what little I knew on occasion w/clerks, etc., went to Deaf festival one time. About 4 or so years ago now I saw ad for ASL class posted at my health food co-op and emailed person and started learning ASL again. My teacher is Deaf. Have become more involved in Deaf community and have been to Deaf social. Husband and I use some home signs here and there but he is shy to sign in public, raised oral, no contact w/Deaf people. He was adopted. Has "Rubella
syndrome". Has some emotional bagged about childhood things.

My experience has been, that as I am open to learning ASL and see Deaf culture as quite significant, and don't perceive hearing or speech as being better, the reception from Deaf community here has been very positive.

FxAvatar

That is great that he was able to get through most of his school without the need for much assistance. This is where I find myself. My thought is to get back to school while I still can make out what the teacher is saying. I doubt lectures will be a issue, but I have a feeling labs will be a pain since group gatherings are just this side of impossible for me to keep track of what people are saying (though I try and read lips, I suck at it).

Ok, I do have a question on this. I was talking to my friend last night and she is a Social Worker and a foster parent. She was telling me that I would make a good foster parent. Despite my disagreement, she seemed very adamant about it. Since that conversation was semi-linked to why she was not going with me to the D/deaf – Hearing mixer this coming weekend (she has a class needed for foster care), I asked her how often she ran into kids that sign or what kind of need did she see for bilingual/ASL based foster parents and she said TONS. My friend said that by the time I get my degree, I will have been in school for 4-5 years, If I work on my ASL during those years, get in with the Deaf community ect, that I could look to help the young HoH or deaf children that need a home even more since I would have a basic understanding of sign.
I was wondering by your comment above it seemed that you lost contact with ASL based communication when you entered social work (if I am reading that right). I would think that a social worker that has SOME form of sign skills would be linked to the kids that would have that need. Not saying I know how the social services system works, but I would think that those Social workers or foster parents that speak French would be flagged as preferred when a French speaking kid is placed in the system.