Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Hey Everyone!
This week we talked about the different reactions and decisions parents have. This week, we'd like for you to put yourself into the shoes of the parents who just received news that their child was Deaf. What would be your first and primary concern? What measures would you take? We'd love to see your point of view! Have a great week!

20 comments:

  1. Let me start off by saying that I am not a deaf or special education major for that matter. But, my opinion and what I would honestly do is make sure my child would feel no different and just ask what the next recommended steps would be. I know their is a lot of debate about cochlear implants but if my child were deaf I would mostly likely have my child receive cochlear impacts if they were willing to and weren't completely against in. This may be selfish but it would be for the pure reason for their safety and for me to feel security when my child is older and not around family or myself as often. For example when my child is old enough to drive I want him or her to be able to hear the noises in their surroundings; sirens of emergency vehicles, horns of the traffic around them. That is for their safety.

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  2. Since I am someone who does no know sign language, I think my first concern would be not knowing how to communicate with my child. I think that I would take lessons in ASL, and raise my child to use ASL as their primary for of communication. I would turn to the deaf community for support, and make sure that my child felt at home there as well as the hearing community. Then, when my child is old enough, I would let him or her choose for them self if they wanted to get a cochlear implant or not. What would be most important to me is my child's happiness, so I would do whatever I have to do to make sure that my child is happy and give them the life that he or she desires.

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  3. I am also a deaf and hard of hearing education major, I would work with my husband on his sign and teach my child sign. Honestly my primary concern would be my husband being able to talk with my child. Along with that I would take the measures to teach my husband ASL and also work on that with my child.

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  4. When first learning that my child was deaf, I would be relieved that they were healthy first off, but then my second reaction would be full of stress. Though I am a deaf studies major and have taken multiple sign language classes, I have not raised a child of my own, much less one who is deaf. I think that I would be more effective in helping that child adapt to their way of life and living happily as compared to someone who does not know anything about deaf culture. I would definitely be doing a lot of research and turning to various people in order to receive different opinions and options so that I could make the best choice for my baby and my family.

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  5. When first learning that my child was deaf, I would be relieved that they were healthy first off, but then my second reaction would be full of stress. Though I am a deaf studies major and have taken multiple sign language classes, I have not raised a child of my own, much less one who is deaf. I think that I would be more effective in helping that child adapt to their way of life and living happily as compared to someone who does not know anything about deaf culture. I would definitely be doing a lot of research and turning to various people in order to receive different opinions and options so that I could make the best choice for my baby and my family.

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  6. I think would do a lot of research and would ask for lots of medical opinions. Being someone that has studied cochlear implants, and talking to doctors that perform them, I think that the science is getting better every year and the risks are decreasing. I would probably choose a cochlear implant for my child, mostly for safety purposes. If they decided as an adult that they didn't want their implant anymore, I would support that completely.

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  7. I appreciate the thoughtful comments individuals are expressing here. This is a another way to show the two perspectives we have talked about in class. It is important to consider how they are two different perspectives - a cultural perspective and a medical or pathological perspective. Understanding what each perspective means and entails increases our knowledge and ability to have intelligent conversations with parents that give them a complete picture. I look forward to students sharing their thoughts as as well as engaging one another in respectful discussion around their ideas.

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  8. I'm not a parent. I can't say I know what it's like to have a child, deaf or hearing. I do think however, if I were to have a deaf child, I would have the same concerns any parent who is different than their child; I would be afraid I couldn't understand what they will go through. I am hearing, but I am capable of communicating through sign. Would my kid be happier that way? I think I would raise my child to communicate through sign and be a part of the deaf community. Then, once I think they're old enough, I would let them decide what they want. And I would support them fully.

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  9. If I had just found out that my child was going to be Deaf I would start with doing lots of research and trying to learn more about Deaf culture. I would probably use ASL to communicate with my child. When its time for my child to go to school I would try to look into every option and decide what I would think is best for my child whether it's a school where every child is deaf or hard of hearing or a mainstream school with special education. when the child got older I would definitely let them decide if they would want a cochlear implant or not. I think being in this class and taking ASL classes has definitely helped me see lots of options and made me more aware. I do think that if you would've asked me this question before I had come to college and was exposed to Deaf culture I would have a completely different answer.

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  10. if I just found out that my child was going to be deaf I would do some major researching. I would look into what's the best thing for my child, what would be the best method for my child to learn, what would be the best setting. Then I would figure out what the best method for me to use towards my child, either it be ASL, or another method. I would definitely make sure that my child feels no different then any other kid.

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  11. If I just found out my child was Deaf, the firs thing I would do is sit down with my boyfriend and talk through all the options. If the child can have implants or hearing aids would we do that or would we use ASL. After that I would sit down with his mom and my mom and talk about the medical side of things. They are both nurses, with different specialties so I feel like they could give us a well rounded understanding of what are options are and also give us their opinions. I would also sit down with a doctor, who isn't biased, if its possible to find one, for further discussion. Either way we would choose, we would just want the child to be happy and to make sure that our families understand and respect our decisions.

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  12. My first and major concern would be showing the child love and acceptance. I would look into whether my child was a candidate for a cochlear implant but would not make a rash decision. If they were a candidate, I would keep that in mind. But the first thing I would do would be continue learning ASL and have the father learn as well. I think it is important to expose the child to language as soon as possible. I don't think I could make the decision to give my child an implant knowing they may grow up and wish they didn't have it. So I would wait and let the child decide. But in the mean time, I would make sure my child is involved in both the Deaf and hearing culture.I would introduce them to Deaf adults with and without CI to show them the possibilities. I would want my child to see that they have the choice and know that they are supported no matter what they choose.

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  13. Since I am apart of the hearing world and not the Deaf community I believe that I would most likely go through with the implant if it was medical safe for my child. I am not in the Deaf education major but I do have a minor in Sign Language so I would teach my child ASL as well as English. The biggest concern I would have is a preconceived notion from the movie Mr. Holland's Opus. In that movie the father of a Deaf child does not learn ASL very well unlike the mother. This causes a strain on the relationship and a distance between father and son. I would fear that the father of my Deaf child would also have a hard time learning sign and become frustrated just like Mr. Holland did in the movie. I can see that this fear is rather irrational and that if the father puts his mind to it could learn ASL. This however is my greatest concern and is why I would go into the direction of an implant yet still incorporating ASL if the child decides later on in life he/she would like to disconnect from the hearing world and become fully integrated into the Deaf community.

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  14. When we discuss these topics in class I think of my own child and wonder what I would do all the time, because if I've learned anything as a parent it's the fact that anything could happen in an instant.
    If Serenity became Deaf I don't think I would go through with the implant just because this would be something that makes her extra special! I would teach her ASL and English and keep her in public schooling (if she struggled with this we would go to a Deaf school). I would do some research and make sure she would get the best education possible that best suits her needs because to me education is everything and I want to provide as many opportunities for her as possible. We would grow, teach and support each other, and learn ASL together. My primary concern would be as her parent that she doesn't see it as a disability and miss out on day to day activities but as an opportunity to be able to grow and participate just like everyone else.

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  15. If I received news that my child was deaf I would be nervous. I don't think I would give my child an implant right away. I would have to have some serious time to think about all the changes that might do for him or her. If I were to choose to implant my child then I would still teach him or her sign language. When the child is old enough him or her can make the decision whether or not he or she wants to keep the cochlear or embrace their deaf life. This is such a hard topic because I believe this is the child's decision and parents really should not have a huge say in the matter.

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  16. If I found out my child was deaf, the first thing I would do before making any decisions would be to look into all the different options the child had. What schools could the child go to, what programs were available, what services exist, would cochlear implants be an option, would hearing aides be an options, etc. Each of these questions would need to be answered based off the child and the area they were living in. Considering all options first would be my primary concern, then making a decision would come from that. In addition, I think is important no matter what for the child to learn some sign language since they are more visual learners than anything else.

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  17. If my child was deaf, I would be nervous at first, but I also know that it would be all right in the end. I am not sure if I could do through with the implant. It would take some serious thinking and praying. I would what I believed to be best for my child and their needs. My primary concern would be that my child is cared for and loved. I will love them no matter. It doesn't matter what the issue would be, we would work through it together.

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  18. If I had just found out that my child was deaf, I think because of my major (deaf education), I would actually be excited. I think having a deaf child would give me a great way to connect with my deaf students, fellow teachers of the deaf, and the Deaf community. Because I have studied Deaf culture, Deaf history, and Deaf education, I think I would be semi-confident in parenting and making educated decisions for my deaf child. As any parent would, I would take my child for who he/she was and go from there.

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  19. My first reaction would be to immediately begin sign language with my child. Early exposure has great benefits for language development. I would want my child to grow up Deaf, be a part of the Deaf community, develop their own culture and eventually make the decision for a cochlear implant themselves. I would not put my child through a major surgery without their consent to first. Lastly, I would encourage the family to learn sign language and communicate with my child. I would want my child to be in a school where he/she feels comfortable (whether that be in a Deaf school or a general education school).

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  20. I think before my husband and I made any decisions we would want as much information as possible. I would want to understand what type of hearing loss my child had so we could make the best possible decisions. Right now, I am in ASL and Deaf studies classes so I am very much open to ASL and Deaf culture. Considering this, I feel that continuing my education in ASL and encouraging my family to learn ASL would most likely be what I would lean towards. I would hope that my deaf child could find a home within Deaf culture.

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