Should I get CI or not?

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I have talked to a CI guy before who used TC and his parents were using less signs overtime. I asked how he felt, and he doesn't care. I think there are variety of opinions. Some kids manage fine without it and some do not. There are some parents who are lazy and don't even want to try. There are also some who can't even do very well with it. Some people can't use ASL.

I am not sure that ASL intimidate parents. What do you mean by it?

In my situation, my mother did not use it because she wanted me to learn to talk. I feel okay, there's no little doubt in my mind I am angry or anything with my mom's choice. I know some parents do not use it for oralism purpose. The rest, well--have their own problems.
 
Intimidated parents

It may be hard to explain the "intimidation" but it goes something like this.

When you are young and in school, learning new thinks like ASL is fun, easy to incorporate into your life (time for learning it).

Whereas with many adults, they are set in their ways and too worried about job or bills or more to "learn" anything new.

Thus they see their child picking up a language that is alien to them. Instead of realizing that they need to try harder to learn... somehow they want to "blame" the child and do things like ban ASL.

Also children of late deafened parents should but more effort into learning ASL.

With my hearing friends who are learning sign with me I always make time for "signing only" else we don't learn or worse, we start to forget.

It's a choice. Having a CI may make it easy to be lazy about ASL but that's just an excuse if you really care about the language.

When I heard that my friend was going deaf, I didn't care for her getting more hearing aids or CI, I just took it upon myself to learn ASL and start teaching it to her so that her hearing loss never gets in the way of us communicating in the future.

I hope this final comment doesn't stir up too much controversy, but this is the first forum where I feel people don't just REACT to posting, I'll try to do the same!

I think those able to be oral should speak, and keep up the skill. I think with proper discipline between yourself and your friends, it would not interfere with ASL. Also those who have gotten CI should keep up there ASL skills.

ASL and Oralism should not be two divided and snobby groups. Especially when a parent is in one, and their child in another.

Ok enough controversy. I'm off to read the jokes now!
 
I don't have much to say here that someone else hasn't. But I have a CI, in my right ear. I was implanted in April 2002, and then re-implanted (very VERY long story, but it's around these boards somewhere!) in March 2004.

I'm STILL getting used to it! It requires a lot of patience, a lot of training, and you will NOT like it in the beginning. It'll sound incredibly foreign, and you will feel a bit lost, baffled, etc...

...but you will also be introduced to a wider variety of sounds. You'll be identifying things you didn't know existed in the first place. :)

So, you should do whatever it is that you are comfortable with. You did the right thing by researching it some more - and I think you should speak to many others who have had CI's, and see what you can expect from it. If it's something that you want to do, then you have my support. If you don't think you want it after having questions answered, talking to folks, etc...then hey, you still have my support! :) Makes no difference to me - and it shouldn't matter to anyone but yourself, anyway.

Good luck, will be around if you need to talk.
 
Heh, hi Jess. (Darkangel) :naughty:

That's cool you're considering CI. I used to consider CI before, but I guess I've kinda changed my mind since I know what a big procrastinator I am. I absolutely have no committment to doing major stuff like Speech Therapy hehe. But hey, if you truly do feel that CI is for you, and that you want it... then I say go for it. If some people give you heck... tell them to watch out for Big Gina :twisted:. Hehe. Anyway, who cares what they think as long as you're happy with your decision and what more. If you do decide to get a CI implant, I know you can do it. I'm right behind you 110%.

Smile, heh.
:ily:
 
No controversy, but I always like to share that for me, I wouldn't care to have a skill in ASL unless it was a part of my life. The thing is that, for me, there's no one who uses ASL, and I am not very interesting in keeping up the skill just because I don't find it useful anywhere in my life. It's almost as if I live like the next hearing person. If I have to learn it for like becoming a teacher, etc, then I'll use it. I feel confident that I can pick it up fast should I decide to pursue it for a purpose in the future. But if there's no purpose in using it, then there's no purpose to keep up the skills. I have always managed without any signs. The only reason I learned it is because I had my first terp in 7th grade, but honestly, I only focused on reading their lips to get through. It's why I don't feel an enourmous need for it in my personal life.

No problem with your opinions. We all learn from one another as long as we don't force each other's opinion. The only thing that I can say is that I have thought very well whether or not I should be skilled in ASL, Pidgin or SEE. I guess oralism is very natural for me.
 
HelloKittyGal said:
No controversy, but I always like to share that for me, I wouldn't care to have a skill in ASL unless it was a part of my life. The thing is that, for me, there's no one who uses ASL, and I am not very interesting in keeping up the skill just because I don't find it useful anywhere in my life. It's almost as if I live like the next hearing person. If I have to learn it for like becoming a teacher, etc, then I'll use it. I feel confident that I can pick it up fast should I decide to pursue it for a purpose in the future. But if there's no purpose in using it, then there's no purpose to keep up the skills. I have always managed without any signs. The only reason I learned it is because I had my first terp in 7th grade, but honestly, I only focused on reading their lips to get through. It's why I don't feel an enourmous need for it in my personal life.

No problem with your opinions. We all learn from one another as long as we don't force each other's opinion. The only thing that I can say is that I have thought very well whether or not I should be skilled in ASL, Pidgin or SEE. I guess oralism is very natural for me.
Click to expand...
i wonder suppose you meet a deaf person who use ASL.. would u do it?
 
Instead of realizing that they need to try harder to learn... somehow they want to "blame" the child and do things like ban ASL.
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Or instead of seeing learning about ASL and Deaf culture as an opptunity (and I know quite a few parents who have thought "Wow...this is so interesting! A whole world I never knew about! and taken that as an advantage and an opptertunty. I know of hearing parents who have become fluent in ASL and now 'terp and are involved in the Deaf community!)
HKG, I understand your POV...and it is valid. Not everyone knows Sign.
However, I do think that Sign can be incredibly helpful. Even people who function as Hoh miss things or can mispronounce things. Sign serves as a clarifer for those moments....it's a lot less frustrating then repeating a word over and over again and not "getting it" It's also a great social tool. A lot of people want to learn ASL/Sign. A dhh mainstreamed kid who knows and uses Sign would be more popular then a kid who does a science "SHHH -AG Bell" presentation on how the ear works and how hearing aids and CIs work. (and social issues are a concern for even the oral superstars!)
 
I am curious.. Is it me or them? This forum is about CI, not ASL. Look like someone went off the point.. sorry! :dunno:
 
A forum by any other name

Would this really be a web forum if we DIDN'T go off topic :)

Seriously.. I think we dove into ASL while explaining why things that are "different" scare people.

Some deaf people are scared of CI, and some hearies are (ridiculously) scared of ASL.

Of course CI is surgery.. which is a risk.. but I got us into a tangent explaining that some people are even scarred of "Learning ASL"
 
Don't get an CI!!

Hi Darkangel,
I advise to you is don't get a CI!
Its too expensive,and sign language is free!!!
I say"Let the Deaf be Deaf!!
The CI is not worth it, and you can find alot better things to spend your money on.
Margie
Dir. Of Communication Services
OCDAC
 
Margie said:
Hi Darkangel,
I advise to you is don't get a CI!
Its too expensive,and sign language is free!!!
I say"Let the Deaf be Deaf!!
The CI is not worth it, and you can find alot better things to spend your money on.
Margie
Dir. Of Communication Services
OCDAC
Click to expand...


Margie ENOUGH!!!! You are not making any decision for darkangel. Its her or his decision.. ENOUGH!! god!!!!!
 
Margie, one huge advantage of CIs is that they are generally covered by insurance. Even the batteries are sometimes covered by insurance. I gotta say if I were in darkangel's position (progressive loss, hearing aids don't allow access to enough of speech signal) I would TOTALY go for it. I'm not all that about implantation....but there are some people who would definitly benifit from implantation
Yes, Sign is free....but so what? Yes, Sign and Deaf culture is an awesome wonderful tool....but so are CIs, hearing aids and ABIs (Auditory Brainstem Implants) It is very very possible to be a part of both the hearing and the deaf worlds! Many if not most of us Hohies do it every single day!
 
deafdyke said:
Margie, one huge advantage of CIs is that they are generally covered by insurance. Even the batteries are sometimes covered by insurance. I gotta say if I were in darkangel's position (progressive loss, hearing aids don't allow access to enough of speech signal) I would TOTALY go for it. I'm not all that about implantation....but there are some people who would definitly benifit from implantation
Yes, Sign is free....but so what? Yes, Sign and Deaf culture is an awesome wonderful tool....but so are CIs, hearing aids and ABIs (Auditory Brainstem Implants) It is very very possible to be a part of both the hearing and the deaf worlds! Many if not most of us Hohies do it every single day!
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I agree -- there are different plans (for insurances) that can enable in covering costs for obtaining a CI -- as for batteries, I don't think it's covered by insurance (most). I had to purchase my own batteries, but they're rechargeables, can last for a few years which is good and cheap in a way than those regular batteries.

I got mine for no cost because thanks to the Australian government and Medicare -- it was totally covered by them, therefore I paid NOTHING. ;) The only things I had to pay for are replacement cords, microphones, etc. Those little things. But for the surgery and the CI and BTE or body processers are all paid for by government. (Reason for that is because the CI was pioneered in Australia by Dr Graeme Clark back in the mid 1970's)

Despite the CI -- I still am VERY involved in the Deaf community and utitlising sign language - both AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) and ASL. ;) I've come across a lot of deafies who knew that I had a CI, but they accepted me nonetheless. :D
 
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Margie said:
Hi Darkangel,
I advise to you is don't get a CI!
Its too expensive,and sign language is free!!!
I say"Let the Deaf be Deaf!!
The CI is not worth it, and you can find alot better things to spend your money on.
Margie
Dir. Of Communication Services
OCDAC
Click to expand...

Sigh... This is second time. *Click* on Bad post (left side of this post).

Please respect them. No matter if they have one or considering. CI won't kill ASL , anyway. That's my opinion.
 
Lasza said:
Sigh... This is second time. *Click* on Bad post (left side of this post).

Please respect them. No matter if they have one or considering. CI won't kill ASL , anyway. That's my opinion.
Click to expand...

Ditto, Lasza. I agree with what you said. Margie needs to leave it alone and not be preaching nor demanding that one doesn't get a CI. It's not up to her to decide for others. :roll:
 
Lasza said:
Sigh... This is second time. *Click* on Bad post (left side of this post).

Please respect them. No matter if they have one or considering. CI won't kill ASL , anyway. That's my opinion.
Click to expand...


Ya right sis.. CI dont kill ASL.. I have CI and I am still signing ASL. I am not giving up my ASL for what.. Its my language and I love it.



PurpleRose71 said:
I agree -- there are different plans (for insurances) that can enable in covering costs for obtaining a CI -- as for batteries, I don't think it's covered by insurance (most). I had to purchase my own batteries, but they're rechargeables, can last for a few years which is good and cheap in a way than those regular batteries.

I got mine for no cost because thanks to the Australian government and Medicare -- it was totally covered by them, therefore I paid NOTHING. The only things I had to pay for are replacement cords, microphones, etc. Those little things. But for the surgery and the CI and BTE or body processers are all paid for by government. (Reason for that is because the CI was pioneered in Australia by Dr Graeme Clark back in the mid 1970's)

Despite the CI -- I still am VERY involved in the Deaf community and utitlising sign language - both AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) and ASL. I've come across a lot of deafies who knew that I had a CI, but they accepted me nonetheless.
Click to expand...


I have to agree with Purple. Margie, Also they have to pay the hearing aid, batteries, mold, and the tube if need to replacement. Also have to take hearing test again for a new hearing aids.. People have to pay it from their own pocket also. I know Medicaid/Medicare also is paying for that. Some people dont have it and they have pay. Same idea with CI. I know surgery is different story but the CI equipment I am talking abt. So, can you tell me should we wear hearing aids also?? Tell me!! It is the best idea for you to back off with this issue.
 
CI won't kill ASL
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Agreed! Stats indicate that CI users are evenly divided between orals and TCers! If hearing aids are compatible with being Deaf and ASL, then there's absolutly NO reason whatsoever that CIers can't be a part of Deaf Culture and still use ASL. I mean back in the old days when hearing aids were first popularized , many Deaf leaders were against them. Now they are treated as an everyday part of Deaf culture. Some deafies are still against them....but for the most part they are pretty much accepted in the whole Deaf-World. I understand quite a bit of the reasoning against them, in that the sucesses make parents think that the CI works well (meaning their receptive language/listening skills are at a functionally mild level) but many of the parents who choose oral, would probaly choose oral even without the CI!!! Remember even before the CI, stats indicated that 10% of the Deaf population recieved an oral education?
 
CI user and Im still using ASL very much. I still prefer ASL and deaf culture. No change in me except that I can hear better but it doesnt mean I talk better or suddenly act like a "hearie".
 
Quick question for those of you who've gotten the CI and identify as Deaf...do you still feel pretty much accepted by your local Deaf community in spite of the CI? Have you noticed changing attitudes towards the CI?
Also wanted to add an observation to my post above.
Stats indicate that CI users are evenly divided between orals and TCers!
Click to expand...
I have noticed that a small albeit significent percentage of parents who choose oral only, aren't doing it b/c they are against Sign language, but simply b/c they think that the TC programs in their area don't concentrate adquatly on speech therapy. Some others aren't against Sign, but simply want their child's first language to be spoken English. Some want to give their d/hh kid(s) another (very useful) tool to get along in the world. Those are great reasons....I just wish certain organizations would knock off the "healthy normal" rhetoric...it seems like certain pro-oral organizations have too many members who chose oral b/c it doesn't have the stigma of being "special needs"
 
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