Legislative Agenda #2 (Harder)
I previously suggested that we work to get Deaf people (and as someone pointed out, this should be culturally Deaf people) on the team to help parents of newly identified Deaf children to learn ALL the options available to them and show them that Deaf people can be healthy, normal, educated citizens of society. But, it may still happen that these parents would still choose to implant their child and focus on having the child to learn speech without using sign language. What then? Here, I suggest what our next step in this legislative process should be.
Patrik said,
June 17, 2008 @ 2:16 am
Hi Don!
Your idea is very good! It is always good if we can measure anything objectively. I will reach if we can use your idea in Sweden. Excellent, DonG!
/The Swedish Dream
MM said,
June 17, 2008 @ 3:52 am
We’re all deaf people mostly, so we’re all ‘cultural’ if we so choose. The rules changed, someone didn’t tell them….
Donna Rae Cross said,
June 17, 2008 @ 8:16 am
I agree with your flog 100% and boy, can I relate to it. My (adopted) son is 23 years old now, but I first came in contact with him when he was in 1st grade and I was hired as his interpreter. I met him the first day of school and kneeled down to be on his level. I signed “Hi. My name is Donna. What’s yours?” He just stood. No expression. No recognition. Nothing. I signed the same greeting to him and was met with the same response. I thought to myself, “Oh no. He’s retarded too.” To make a long story short, he had no language. None. Couldn’t sign. Couldn’t lipread. Couldn’t read or write. Nothing. Well, started from scratch with him and it was like working with a newborn deaf child. He has a horrible home life and when the police picked him up, strolling down the sidewalk at 2 a.m., he was put in my care and I eventually was legally able to adopt him when he was 9 years old. I had to fight schools, courts, legal, medical “experts” about the adament decision to use ASL with him and it is wonderful to see him beginning to become absorbed into the deaf society. I thank God for bringing us two together. And I was sure to show him your vlog and make him understand how different his life “could” have become. Thank you.
Floridagirl said,
June 17, 2008 @ 8:16 am
LASIK patients must be at least 18 years old.
Norplant implants patients must be at least 18 years old. (Like a birth control)
Breast implants patients must be at least 18 years old.
Oral surgery and dental implant patients must at the age of 18.
Parental decision-making in considering cochlear implant technology for a deaf … Methods.
DrDonG said,
June 17, 2008 @ 8:54 am
Donna –
Thank you for your story. Yes, too many of us Deaf people have similar stories. My wife is a teacher of the Deaf, and she sees way too many children who enter school at age 5 (or 6, or 8, or 10, or later) who have no or very minimal language, delayed academic skills and world knowledge. That famous statistic about the average reading skill of Deaf people being at 4th grade level is in part due to so many Deaf people being delayed in language and world knowledge. This MUST stop! We must work together to stop it!