Are you Deaf/HOH/etc?

What is your hearing status?

  • Total voters
    48
CSign said:
I just recently watched, "For a Deaf Son" and that statement reminds me of what the little boy went through. There were some scenes where the poor little guy was crying, and you could just see the frustration in his eyes because of his inability to communicate.

I remember in one scene they were at a pool party, and the mom said something like, "you could tell he was different from other 5 years olds because he didn't have words" or something like that.

I teared up watching the little boy. No wonder he was frustrated- he didn't have access to language. It was tough to watch, and I didn't identify at all with the mother. In fact, a lot of the things she said are stereo-typical of "hearing parents". It's too bad the lady didn't get a clue early enough.
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That is too common. Sad.
 
Frisky Feline said:
I was born Deaf.

My mom suspected that I didn't hear until age 9 months old as the confirmed result. She did bring me to the DR while DR used the shiny bell to shake it to see if i did response and I DID. :roll. Dr should know better that I have an excellent eyes that caught the shiny things. Jeez. They assured her that I was FINE. They stated that I was just a stubborn girl. She didn't agree with doctor and then she brought to the other doctor. It was confirmed that I was Deaf.
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:laugh2: That reminds me so much of my daughter: her paperwork from the orphanage in China said she was "stubborn"! They didn't realize she was deaf. I knew she wasn't hearing after a day or two of watching all the other babies crying in fear every time the fireworks went off around our hotel (we were there during the Chinese New Year celebration!), while my baby was totally zen-like and placid no matter what kind of explosion was going off. And was the best napper in a noisy environment :).

But to leave the country, she had to pass the hearing test or officials would have determined her to be ineligible for adoption (they are sticklers for classifications, and she wasn't classified as a 'special needs' baby, nor our adoption approved as such, either). So, during her examination, the doctor held up a squeaky toy and squeaked it on either side of her head, and if she reacted : PASS! She was on my lap for this, and I gave her arm a little squeeze on each side as the doctor made a sound, and she looked on cue. But honestly, I think she would have looked without help: the doctor reached up beside her ear with a colorful toy and squeaked immediately, what child wouldn't follow that? The only time I've ever been grateful to have a rushed doctor.
 
GrendelQ said:
:laugh2: That reminds me so much of my daughter: her paperwork from the orphanage in China said she was "stubborn"! They didn't realize she was deaf. I knew she wasn't hearing after a day or two of watching all the other babies crying in fear every time the fireworks went off around our hotel (we were there during the Chinese New Year celebration!), while my baby was totally zen-like and placid no matter what kind of explosion was going off. And was the best napper in a noisy environment :).

But to leave the country, she had to pass the hearing test or officials would have determined her to be ineligible for adoption (they are sticklers for classifications, and she wasn't classified as a 'special needs' baby, nor our adoption approved as such, either). So, during her examination, the doctor held up a squeaky toy and squeaked it on either side of her head, and if she reacted : PASS! She was on my lap for this, and I gave her arm a little squeeze on each side as the doctor made a sound, and she looked on cue. But honestly, I think she would have looked without help: the doctor reached up beside her ear with a colorful toy and squeaked immediately, what child wouldn't follow that? The only time I've ever been grateful to have a rushed doctor.
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Still, Glad she is home with you guys in USA so She have better options of doing what she wants for her life in usa. :)

yeah some doctors did not think twice when they wants to test on kids who are deaf by using the colorful or shiny stuff. Deaf kids rely on eyes so take a look at something to make sure not to miss them!
 
jillio said:
That is really interesting. I have often cautioned hearing parents that what they think is their child reacting to sound is more often a visual or a kinesthetic reaction. They get this idea that their child is "hearing" certain things, and they end up setting the child up for unrealistic expectations regarding what they can and can't hear. That old "she heard me walk up behind her and turned around" kind of story.
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Yep, mum did and said same thing too. Made it harder for her when 100% sure found out I was profoundly Deaf.

AlleyCat said:
I can be laying in bed (not sleeping) and know that my SO has come into the room. I can feel the vibration on the carpet. Same as many other scenarios. So I totally get where your mom was coming from in realizing you were picking up vibrations.
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For me, I had clear view of the door. Always had night light on in hall and in bedroom, I wake up when my parents come in (they thought I could hear) because they block the light when come in room, you can't help but block the light. Useful for me have early warning system knowing when someone come in room late in night.

Now bedroom I got now isn't possible cos of shape of room.
 
CSign said:
I just recently watched, "For a Deaf Son" and that statement reminds me of what the little boy went through. There were some scenes where the poor little guy was crying, and you could just see the frustration in his eyes because of his inability to communicate.

I remember in one scene they were at a pool party, and the mom said something like, "you could tell he was different from other 5 years olds because he didn't have words" or something like that.

I teared up watching the little boy. No wonder he was frustrated- he didn't have access to language. It was tough to watch, and I didn't identify at all with the mother. In fact, a lot of the things she said are stereo-typical of "hearing parents". It's too bad the lady didn't get a clue early enough.
Click to expand...

Have not seen that movie. Will have to see if I can find it. :) I did not learn to start talking until I was 4 and did not learn ASL til I was I was almost 14.

My mom said once I started to talk, she could not shut me up.. :lol: I had a lot to say.
 
GrendelQ said:
:laugh2: That reminds me so much of my daughter: her paperwork from the orphanage in China said she was "stubborn"! They didn't realize she was deaf. I knew she wasn't hearing after a day or two of watching all the other babies crying in fear every time the fireworks went off around our hotel (we were there during the Chinese New Year celebration!), while my baby was totally zen-like and placid no matter what kind of explosion was going off. And was the best napper in a noisy environment :).

But to leave the country, she had to pass the hearing test or officials would have determined her to be ineligible for adoption (they are sticklers for classifications, and she wasn't classified as a 'special needs' baby, nor our adoption approved as such, either). So, during her examination, the doctor held up a squeaky toy and squeaked it on either side of her head, and if she reacted : PASS! She was on my lap for this, and I gave her arm a little squeeze on each side as the doctor made a sound, and she looked on cue. But honestly, I think she would have looked without help: the doctor reached up beside her ear with a colorful toy and squeaked immediately, what child wouldn't follow that? The only time I've ever been grateful to have a rushed doctor.
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I am glad everything worked out so you guys could adopt her. :) She has so much more opportunities in the US.
What would have they done to her if she was "ineligible" For adoption?
 
Frisky Feline said:
I was born Deaf.

My mom suspected that I didn't hear until age 9 months old as the confirmed result. She did bring me to the DR while DR used the shiny bell to shake it to see if i did response and I DID. :roll. Dr should know better that I have an excellent eyes that caught the shiny things. Jeez. They assured her that I was FINE. They stated that I was just a stubborn girl. She didn't agree with doctor and then she brought to the other doctor. It was confirmed that I was Deaf.
Click to expand...

I think the reason why my mother stop ASL is that, by 4 or 5, I had learned to cope and communicate with verbal cues. She probably think, "Yay, my child can hear," but she never took me back to ENT doctor to prove that I could not.
 
I was born deaf with german measle or another word rubella. When my mother was pregnant, The Dr found out that she contracted with rubella and he recomended to have abortion. She decided not to have abortion. When I was born, my mother was so happy that I look normal and my Apgar score was normal. Then into my 2 and half to 3 years of my life, my mother got suspicious when she was trying to call me from the kitchen, while I was crawling toward the rear glass sliding doors. So she decided to pick up a pot and pan and banged together. I made no reactions. Then she knew that I'm deaf. That is when I start wearing HA and that is when my mother changed and became PH.D of Deaf education.
 
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