The concept of cochlear implant (CI) is even more mysterious, one reserved for "listen and speak." In this blog, I'm going to liken CI to a pencil.
Almost all Deaf children are given a pencil because they have to write. With the pencil, they have to write their name, the names of their parents and siblings, their birthday, their home address and so forth. In school, they have to learn how to write properly, and to copy accordingly.
How many of them could do it well, with a pencil or a pen? Yes, common sense tells us anyone can learn to write. Yes, common sense also tells us that they are not "born writers." This is not to say that they couldn't be taught to write. Writing is individualistic.
The same truth goes to CI. Not all Deaf children with CI are "born speakers." Talking is as individualistic as writing.
No amount of planning can make the child with CI speak, or hear the music. Speaking can convey only certain things well, and others not at all. Therefore, we must be realistic in asserting that most Deaf people would rather sign than talk ... talk than write.
Although, many Deaf children with CI have pencils, they cannot become effective writers ... and speakers. This is a new myth in the making.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Hi Carl,
Your article is excellent and common sense. No one on earth is same; therefore, no person with CI is same.
This common sense article should be used to every parent and help them make their individual decision better for their own individual child(ren). English language is collective so is ASL; therefore, all Deaf children have their collective right to use both languages. Tools/instruments can be used or replaced but languages are not!
Deafchip
Amen!
They have an individual personal choice as well!
:)
you sure blew my mind that I never thought of that myth. It made sense to me for what you talk about ci and the pen. I surely impressive!
Carl,
You got that right! Since 1984, I have been trying to tell the public that the CI is part of quackery. I have written to community newspaper and was on television condemning cochlear implants.
St. Louis is audism capital of the world. It has four oral school programs. It has hospitals standing nearby and ready to harvest innocent poor deaf children.
The system is so biased and corrupted. The medical profession and the education system are too biased and reeks of audism at all levels.
This is why there is a nutshell syndrome in St. Louis area. It is similar to plantation mentality.
For many years, the oral schools have been condemning American Sign Lanuage. They use similar scare tactics that AG Bell use to manipulate the parents.
It is like pulling wool over eyes. The early infant detection program is so biased. This is how and why they harvest the poor innocent deaf children.
It is ironic when they go into teens that they realize the lack of benefits of using cochlear implants. They often hide their devices in pocket and socialize with deaf children. When parents come by to pick them up, they quickly put back up their devices. What does it indicate?
It is simply a system gone wrong and so corrupted!
I have seen it all the last 24 years There is program at FDA (Federal Drug Administration). They have a program called MEDWATCH where they can monitor the situation and make policy changes.
This is something sorely needed to prevent future problems. It affects their mental health.
We need to issue a moratorium to allow us time to prove the case being a failure.
Keep up the good work!
=)
Excellent theory.
I'm saddened these "plugged" deaf babies are categorized to be the worst speakers.
Watching doctors playing doctor on cochlearizing deaf babies and playing consultant on parents of the deaf babies with false hope really sicken to my stomach. It's all about money.
We've fought this for a long time, and I'm running out of fireballs.
I am a cochlear implant recipient, who recieved the implant surgery in 1995, hoping to hear music like I did once before; I'm late-deafened.
Unfortunately, music didn't sound as well as I'd hoped through the implant, and noises were very mechanical and computerized. I did appreciate hearing people's voices (being HOH before) because I was able to speech-read very well and hear sounds behind me I wouldn't have otherwise known. The problem lies in distinguishing sounds with the cochlear because there are only 22 channels.
I eventually discarded the device in favor of lip-reading, sign, and the written word. If I hadn't learned ASL in my later years, I'd be screwed, plain and simple. Doctor's visits aren't much fun if you don't know what the h*** they're talking about because you are deaf.
BTW, I would never, in a million years, allow anybody to cut into my daughter's head (she's 6) to put a CI in, if it so happened she became deaf.
I was HOH, so speaking and listening were more natural to me than signing. This is what I used as the basis for getting the CI in the first place. I was sorely disappointed. I'd rather just enjoy my memories of songs and sounds and continue to voice and sign.
I don't regret getting the CI, but I wouldn't do it all over again. I don't believe the CI is quackery, just hearing people's way of offering to "fix" deaf people's "handicap."
I'm ain't handicapped. I just don't hear.
Post a Comment