Deaf like you

restless_heart said:
It depends on hearing parents. Some parents would do what the best for their deaf children and some parents would have known nothing and do nothing until too late. Many hearing parents are different and does differently, like I said it depends.
Like mine for one, my parents would work so hard to find the best doctor and get the right hearing aide, a speech thepary at age 2 that was an hour away, after they learned I was deaf, they found the best school they could find even that was another an hour away--what choice did they have? If they hear the school is closed, they would move from Heaven to Earth to find me a school where they have a special class for the deaf. They would rather lose their dream house and move into another area so I could go a deaf school. They would work hard as they knew how and I would have to tell them it was unnecessary as I grew older, but it showed they do care and wanted the best for me. They have listened to me and my feelings about the two different worlds. The more my parents learn about me, they found a right choice for me to meet my needs so I attended a regular high school where there was no interupter or any special classes. They made the right choice because it was who I am and the way I was raised. They always ask me what I wanted first. They never pushed me into anything I don't want to. They always accept the way I am and they were always proud to have a deaf daughter.
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You have wonderful parents, restless heart. Seems they are already listening!
 
restless_heart said:
:ty: I will tell them. My mom would ask me what was like to be so silent. If she hears there was a deaf actor, or a deaf Miss America, she would come rushing to me and let me know. She would ask me if it was true and if that was how I felt to be deaf. She always wanted to learn and still...She never hestate. She was so proud of them, as much she was proud of me. She is a wonderful woman to be with.
Not just hearing parents, that includes hearing teachers for the deaf. Don't be afraid to ask a deaf child/children what is like to be deaf, how they feel about it, and what they wanted in life. You will get the idea and share their world. Don't listen others before your deaf child/children. Your deaf child/children always comes first...if they need help, they will come forward and rely on you, don't push them too hard.
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Very well put! :ty:
 
A little off topic here for just a sec....the title, "Deaf Like Me" appears to have been inspired by, or at least, reminiscent of, "Black Like Me"......
 
Tousi said:
A little off topic here for just a sec....the title, "Deaf Like Me" appears to have been inspired by, or at least, reminiscent of, "Black Like Me"......
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Hadn't considered it, but since it is about finding your connection to those with similarities, then yeah, probably so.
 
restless_heart said:
:ty: I will tell them. My mom would ask me what was like to be so silent. If she hears there was a deaf actor, or a deaf Miss America, she would come rushing to me and let me know. She would ask me if it was true and if that was how I felt to be deaf. She always wanted to learn and still...She never hestate. She was so proud of them, as much she was proud of me. She is a wonderful woman to be with.
Not just hearing parents, that includes hearing teachers for the deaf. Don't be afraid to ask a deaf child/children what is like to be deaf, how they feel about it, and what they wanted in life. You will get the idea and share their world. Don't listen others before your deaf child/children. Your deaf child/children always comes first...if they need help, they will come forward and rely on you, don't push them too hard.
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Wow! That's so awesome! My mom is finally listening to my brother and I about our deaf needs. My dad...well..he is another story from another planet. :giggle:
 
shel90 said:
Wow! That's so awesome! My mom is finally listening to my brother and I about our deaf needs. My dad...well..he is another story from another planet. :giggle:
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I know what you mean. My dad is like that, but he listens to us girls without saying a word. My mom said there was a deaf woman came to the doctor's office (My mom is a secertary at the doctor's office), when she told the lady that she has a daughter who is deaf, the lady got excited and started signing real fast. My mom goes, "whoa, whoa wait!!!" lol, she doesn't know very much sign and knew very, very little. We have lost touch in our signs for over twenty years :( but I am learning again and of course ASL.
 
restless_heart said:
I know what you mean. My dad is like that, but he listens to us girls without saying a word. My mom said there was a deaf woman came to the doctor's office (My mom is a secertary at the doctor's office), when she told the lady that she has a daughter who is deaf, the lady got excited and started signing real fast. My mom goes, "whoa, whoa wait!!!" lol, she doesn't know very much sign and knew very, very little. We have lost touch in our signs for over twenty years :( but I am learning again and of course ASL.
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My mom is trying to learn ASL but problem is my brother and I no longer live with her. She regrets not learning it when we were children. Also regrets not exposing me to ASL cuz she was so afraid that it would interfere with my oral skills but after seeing how much ASL has improved my life due to having a nice balance of both, she keeps expressing her regrets. I tell her that the past is the past and nothing we can do about it. Important that I found my happiness now. Never too late.

Why did u all stop signing for over 20 years?
 
jillio said:
Absolutely. The way for it to be told should be through the words of those who have lived it. I just wonder if the hearing parents would listen anymore thatn they seem to currently.
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Word. Said well. :)
 
restless_heart said:
It depends on hearing parents. Some parents would do what the best for their deaf children and some parents would have known nothing and do nothing until too late. Many hearing parents are different and does differently, like I said it depends.
Like mine for one, my parents would work so hard to find the best doctor and get the right hearing aide, a speech thepary at age 2 that was an hour away, after they learned I was deaf, they found the best school they could find even that was another an hour away--what choice did they have? If they hear the school is closed, they would move from Heaven to Earth to find me a school where they have a special class for the deaf. They would rather lose their dream house and move into another area so I could go a deaf school. They would work hard as they knew how and I would have to tell them it was unnecessary as I grew older, but it showed they do care and wanted the best for me. They have listened to me and my feelings about the two different worlds. The more my parents learn about me, they found a right choice for me to meet my needs so I attended a regular high school where there was no interupter or any special classes. They made the right choice because it was who I am and the way I was raised. They always ask me what I wanted first. They never pushed me into anything I don't want to. They always accept the way I am and they were always proud to have a deaf daughter.
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Wow, your parent is sound like my mom. lol It's really toughy post you wrote! just... BIG wow :):)

ditto that post <33
 
shel90 said:
Why did u all stop signing for over 20 years?
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Because when I started going to a regular high school with no interupter or any special classes since I was the only hearing impaired there. I rarely see my deaf friends anymore, maybe once or twice a year. Ever since then I have been in hearing world for a very long time. I still see my deaf friends, and I only used finger spelling bec I lost many signs. After I met my 2nd husband again 18 years later, I started learning again, I am doing ok. (My first husband was hearing and he always use finger spelling but I never ever sign with him) My husband (now) is fully deaf and he just had CI two years ago. He is full ASL and teaching me some from time to time. My best friend does the same thing too and we used the excalt same old signs-finger spelling (We were never taught ASL when we were in a deaf class-just plain English). Sometimes my husband gets frustrated with my finger spelling bec I could finger spell very fast. Lol, but now I am working on it to avoid that and use sign more...It is not easy...I started signing ABC's when I was nine years old that very same year P.S.D (Pennsylvania School for the Deaf) was closing down (ASL was not allowed until later on) and I was so lost learning signs when I went to another school with a small deaf class. I learned signs for only four years before going to a regular school. I was not that good at it.

Some schools are not allowed ASL back then in our days...alot had changed now that I have noticed...
 
restless_heart said:
Because when I started going to a regular high school with no interupter or any special classes since I was the only hearing impaired there. I rarely see my deaf friends anymore, maybe once or twice a year. Ever since then I have been in hearing world for a very long time. I still see my deaf friends, and I only used finger spelling bec I lost many signs. After I met my 2nd husband again 18 years later, I started learning again, I am doing ok. (My first husband was hearing and he always use finger spelling but I never ever sign with him) My husband (now) is fully deaf and he just had CI two years ago. He is full ASL and teaching me some from time to time. My best friend does the same thing too and we used the excalt same old signs-finger spelling (We were never taught ASL when we were in a deaf class-just plain English). Sometimes my husband gets frustrated with my finger spelling bec I could finger spell very fast. Lol, but now I am working on it to avoid that and use sign more...It is not easy...I started signing ABC's when I was nine years old that very same year P.S.D (Pennsylvania School for the Deaf) was closing down (ASL was not allowed until later on) and I was so lost learning signs when I went to another school with a small deaf class. I learned signs for only four years before going to a regular school. I was not that good at it.

Some schools are not allowed ASL back then in our days...alot had changed now that I have noticed...
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Quoting in bold above: That was the same school where Linda Spradley went - which was mentioned in the book, it was said that ASL was not allowed for a few years and the ban was lifted before the school actually shut down.
 
jclarke said:
Quoting in bold above: That was the same school where Linda Spradley went - which was mentioned in the book, it was said that ASL was not allowed for a few years and the ban was lifted before the school actually shut down.
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The very same P.S.D???? Maybe not, or we did went the same school. There were only two that I know of. The ones I went was in Mt Airy.
 
P.S.D was shut down in 1978. Because their buget have gone out. *shrung* my parents were devasted. I loved that school too. I missed my friends there also. They loved that school.
 
jclarke said:
Quoting in bold above: That was the same school where Linda Spradley went - which was mentioned in the book, it was said that ASL was not allowed for a few years and the ban was lifted before the school actually shut down.
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Yes, along with the rest of the deaf schools in the U.S., they changed to an oral philospophy for a time as it was the trend. They eventually, however, realized that oralism was not the miracle it's promoters claimed it was, and went back to doing what was in the best interest of their student's education.
 
I jsut thought of another book that I found very interesting, if you enjoy reading biographical accounts of the deaf. It is titled Lessons in Laughter: the Autobiography of a Deaf Actor by Bernard Bragg as signed to Eugene Bergman.
 
jillio said:
I jsut thought of another book that I found very interesting, if you enjoy reading biographical accounts of the deaf. It is titled Lessons in Laughter: the Autobiography of a Deaf Actor by Bernard Bragg as signed to Eugene Bergman.
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Mind summarize the story of the book? I would be interested to hear that.
 
jclarke said:
Mind summarize the story of the book? I would be interested to hear that.
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Bernard Bragg is one of the founders of the National Theatre for the Deaf. They do signed stage productions in the U.S. It is the story of his life growing up Deaf, and of finding his identity as a Deaf actor. I found it very interesting.
 
jillio said:
Bernard Bragg is one of the founders of the National Theatre for the Deaf. They do signed stage productions in the U.S. It is the story of his life growing up Deaf, and of finding his identity as a Deaf actor. I found it very interesting.
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Interesting, I would read the book... but unfortauntely, these books does not distrubute in Australia unless I can order it online, ha!
 
You should be able to order it online from Gaulladet Press. It's called Lessons in Laughter; Autobiography of a Deaf Actor by Bernard Bragg as signed to Eugene Bergman.
 
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