Just wanted to say that the idea of: SOME but NOT ALL is right on target! THAT is the key in working with deaf children of varying abilities, degrees of hearing loss, aided or unaided, speaking or not speaking, signing or not signing, etc. Anyone who doesn't "get" that simply does not "get" deaf education--each deaf/hh child is very unique and needs very specific things tailored just for them individually. Blanket statements--blanket beliefs about ALL deaf children--those do NOT apply to all deaf children. I LIKE your reference to SOME but NOT ALL--that is the truth!!
BTW: I am a hearing mother of a deaf daughter who was raised orally, reads both phonetically and contextually, and now is learning sign language and is picking up on it quite well. A lot of "theories" would NOT have worked for her--we tailored things just for her and individualized her education specifically to her unique abilities and needs. There is another mother who posts here often who is doing the same thing with her daughter--tailoring to her daughter's specific and unique needs. What worked for us may or may not work for them, and vice-versa. I just want that mother to know that parents of deaf children TRULY understand this. Apparently someone who thinks in terms of ALL instead of unique individuality has offended that mother--I just want her to know: ignore the all-or-nothings--they do NOT know YOUR child and her abilities and needs. Do what is best for YOUR child and tune out the rest of the naysayers. THEY ARE WRONG--YOU ARE RIGHT--NO ONE KNOWS YOUR CHILD LIKE YOU DO!
BTW: jillio--once again YOU are RIGHT about the SOME and NOT ALL--that is the key! Deaf children are all beautiful souls with unique and individual needs. YOU get it!