Is wanting deaf children cultural/parental?

shel90 said:
That's why it is critical to expose all of them to both so they can have a choice later on life whether to use either one or continue with both. Then the risks for language delays and deficits would be smaller. I just want the view of using ASL as a last resort to be eliminated.
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And I agree with you, personally. But I do know people that are responsibly oral only. They make sure that their child is followed by appropriate professionals, always making sure that language is never falling behind. It is possible, and is happening more and more with changes in early diagnosis, Early Intervention, and technology.
 
shel90 said:
Most likely a large percentage if not 50% of the 70% will end up with language delays or socio-emotional problems from not feeling like they really fit in with the hearing world. I didnt end up with language delays but I sure did end up with socio-emotional issues in which I needed intense therapy to find out why I was trying to self-destruct. Since learning ASL and accepting my deafness, I no longer have the need to self-destruct because I finally felt respected as a human being first rather than someone as inferior simply because I cant hear as well as people assumed I could.
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I disagree with the numbers. That might have been true in the last generation, but I really doubt it will be that high for the kids today. It is a different world today.
 
faire_jour said:
I disagree with the numbers. That might have been true in the last generation, but I really doubt it will be that high for the kids today. It is a different world today.
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Like Souggy said, why gamble? I still continue to see young children being referred to our program because they fell so far behind in the oral/mainstreamed programs. It is still happening.
 
faire_jour said:
I'm not. But as I said earlier, parents make the choice for spoken language for, what they believe is, a good reason. (read above) And there re responsible ways to do it. (again, see above)
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I wish everyone was responsible about it but I have networks all over the country and I am still getting reports of history repeating itself.
 
shel90 said:
Like Souggy said, why gamble? I still continue to see young children being referred to our program because they fell so far behind in the oral/mainstreamed programs. It is still happening.
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It might be happening where you are, but it isn't here. The oral program here has 30 kids in preschool but by 2nd grade they are down to about 3. The rest of the kids have been mainstreamed because they are age appropriate. And the bi-bi school is losing more and more students to the mainstream as well. We have only had 1 student join the bi-bi school (from another program) in 4 years.
 
faire_jour said:
It might be happening where you are, but it isn't here. The oral program here has 30 kids in preschool but by 2nd grade they are down to about 3. The rest of the kids have been mainstreamed because they are age appropriate. And the bi-bi school is losing more and more students to the mainstream as well. We have only had 1 student join the bi-bi school (from another program) in 4 years.
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So you want to see the end of deaf schools and BiBi programs? Damn..

It is happening everywhere else in the country, though.
 
shel90 said:
So you want to see the end of deaf schools and BiBi programs? Damn..

It is happening everywhere else in the country, though.
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That's not even close to what I said.

I simply stated a fact.

I consider the bi-bi school our home and I do everything in my power to keep it going and successful. I do think that our bi-bi school needs to figure out a way to provide spoken language for kids who have acces if they want to continue to attract hearing parents.
 
faire_jour said:
That's not even close to what I said.

I simply stated a fact.

I consider the bi-bi school our home and I do everything in my power to keep it going and successful. I do think that our bi-bi school needs to figure out a way to provide spoken language for kids who have acces if they want to continue to attract hearing parents.
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Didnt you put your daughter in an oral-only program?
 
shel90 said:
Didnt you put your daughter in an oral-only program?
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Yes. So?

That means I can't believe that the bi-bi school is a wonderful place that provides a great education for the kids that go there? That is provides full visual access in a wonderful, loving, community enviroment?

Why can't it be a great place that just isn't right for my child?
 
faire_jour said:
Yes. So?

That means I can't believe that the bi-bi school is a wonderful place that provides a great education for the kids that go there? That is provides full visual access in a wonderful, loving, community enviroment?

Why can't it be a great place that just isn't right for my child?
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You and many other hearing parents chose the oral-only option over the BiBi method thinking that the hearing way is the best way. That's the whole point. History just repeats itself. Nothing new.
 
shel90 said:
You and many other hearing parents chose the oral-only option over the BiBi method thinking that the hearing way is the best way. That's the whole point. History just repeats itself. Nothing new.
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My child was not allowed to communicate in spoken language at the bi-bi school. It is not fesiable to expect that to be allowed. It is a language that the other kids do not have access to, so she couldn't use it. It wouldn't be fair for 2 kids to have a conversation that the others don't understand. They also could not provide fluent spoken language for her. Again, they shouldn't have to, that is not what they are there for.

That doesn't mean that "hearing is better", it means that that school could not meet her needs. It is as simple as that.

We are raising a bilingual child and for the first 5 years we focused on her first language, and now we are taking time for the second language.
 
faire_jour said:
My child was not allowed to communicate in spoken language at the bi-bi school. It is not fesiable to expect that to be allowed. It is a language that the other kids do not have access to, so she couldn't use it. It wouldn't be fair for 2 kids to have a conversation that the others don't understand. They also could not provide fluent spoken language for her. Again, they shouldn't have to, that is not what they are there for.

That doesn't mean that "hearing is better", it means that that school could not meet her needs. It is as simple as that.

We are raising a bilingual child and for the first 5 years we focused on her first language, and now we are taking time for the second language.
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Ok I guess we can agree to disagree. Good luck with everything.
 
shel90 said:
Ok I guess we can agree to disagree. Good luck with everything.
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Do you believe it is never ok to focus on spoken language? Even in a child who has a secure first language and the desire to learn and access to the language?

I, clearly, think that if the child has language, is thriving, and wants to learn a second language, that is fine.

In our case, we have not stopped signing, she has an ASL tutor (TOD) twice a week who pulls out and pre-teaches. She focuses on literacy in ASL. She needed a different enviroment that would help her learn the second language.

That is not a judgement on the school or ASL. It was a need that changed.
 
faire_jour said:
Do you believe it is never ok to focus on spoken language? Even in a child who has a secure first language and the desire to learn and access to the language?

I, clearly, think that if the child has language, is thriving, and wants to learn a second language, that is fine.

In our case, we have not stopped signing, she has an ASL tutor (TOD) twice a week who pulls out and pre-teaches. She focuses on literacy in ASL. She needed a different enviroment that would help her learn the second language.

That is not a judgement on the school or ASL. It was a need that changed.
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For you, I believe that but for the majority of hearing parents, it would take a lot for me to believe that as I am being told of different reasons and they are usually that the hearing way is better for their child.
 
shel90 said:
For you, I believe that but for the majority of hearing parents, it would take a lot for me to believe that as I am being told of different reasons and they are usually that the hearing way is better for their child.
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Then you and I don't disagree. You disagree with those parents.
 
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