[Archive]

Originally Posted By Ladybug890@hotmail.com

I agree with you 100%, Cathy. I'm Deaf and have a 2 years old hearing child. I signed with her ever since she was born. She understands me extremely well, including fingerspelling. Of course she doesn't understand each letters but she knows the fingerspelling movement.

I had a hearing babysitter who came to watch my daughter. She said that she has been babysitting a lot of kids. She stated that she couldn't believe that my daughter speaks so well and has higher vocabulary than most of the other kids. Naturally, I can't tell because of my hearing loss. I don't want you to think I'm bragging. Of course most parents want to be proud with their children. What I'm trying to say is that if anyone of you have a Deaf child, SIGN. Once this Deaf child understands and can communicate, then you can teach her/him to speak and write English.

I hope I'm making sense.

Good luck!!!

Ladybug

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Ladybug890@hotmail.com

I agree with you 100%, Cathy. I'm Deaf and have a 2 years old hearing child. I signed with her ever since she was born. She understands me extremely well, including fingerspelling. Of course she doesn't understand each letters but she knows the fingerspelling movement.

I had a hearing babysitter who came to watch my daughter. She said that she has been babysitting a lot of kids. She stated that she couldn't believe that my daughter speaks so well and has higher vocabulary than most of the other kids. Naturally, I can't tell because of my hearing loss. I don't want you to think I'm bragging. Of course most parents want to be proud with their children. What I'm trying to say is that if anyone of you have a Deaf child, SIGN. Once this Deaf child understands and can communicate, then you can teach her/him to speak and write English.

I hope I'm making sense.

Good luck!!!

Ladybug

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Jenni

Visit your local Deaf School and talk with some of the parental outreach folks. They may be able to help you. It is never a bad thing to know two languages. I have been friends with many people who have grown up with limit language resources due to the fact that they are hard of hearing. They have been frustrated and sometimes angry because of all the things they missed out on even though they love their parents dearly. It isn't easy being a parent... period. Just look at your options and choose well.

[Archive]

Originally Posted By DALE

MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH APD- AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER, CAN ANYONE GIVE ME ADVICE ON HOW TO GET HIM ANY AND ALL HELP THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN. HE WILL BE 5YRS. IN OCT. IS VERY BRIGHT WE'RE TOLD ABOVE HIS PEERS OTHER THEN SPEECH DELAY. HAS A HIGH CONFIDENCE LEVEL AND IS DETERMINED TO LEARN AND COMUNICATE, AS OF NOW HE IS USING 3 TO 4 WORD COMBONATIONS, WE'RE HAPPY THAT HE SEEMS TO BE MAKING PROGRESS DAILY, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE LAXED ABOUT HELPING HIM FURTHER IF WE COULD, COMMUNICATION IS KEY IN THIS WORLD, EVEN WE ADULTS THAT ARE SO CALLED " NORMAL " HAVE PROBLEMS COMMUNICATING! NOT TO AFFEND ANYONE. BRIGHT BLESSINGS. DALE

[clykins]

My daughter is hearing impaired and I am also hearing impaired. She has hearing aids and has been in the Intermediate School District since she was 1 year. They have been wonderful. We are not a large county by any means, but one school has a program for the deaf and hearing impaired. They have interpreter that goes with her to regular classrooms and she is in the hearing impaired/deaf classroom the rest of the time. All deaf and hearing impaired children are able to attend school there and are transported by the ISD bus. She has improved her language skills 10 fold. Not only is she learing sign, but once she has the sign, the verbal word seems to fall into place. I was very skeptical about sign language at first, because I don't use it for myself and her lose is about equal to mine, maybe a little bit worse. Sign language is wonderful for them. I see some time has passed since your post, but I hope that everything is working out for you.

Sorry to be long winded, but my daughter is proof that sign language works to help build ALL communication and I was in your place at one time.

Christal

[terptobe]

Originally Posted by Archive

Originally Posted By Jane

My daughter is hearing impaired. While she understands us well, we have a hard time understanding her. When do we give up and try sign language? Where do I find out where to take her. Her specailist is of no help.

sign language is not giving up. It is the absolute best option for Deaf and HOH people. It has been statistically proven that children who are taught with signed language do better in school, have better social skills, and are more confident than those who rely on oral/aural communication alone. Please, please, do not view it as giving up! You are not giving her "left-overs," you are opening the door to unlimited communication!!!

[FAITHfarms]

After reading your post and the replies, I couldn't help but to respond. The point I want to make to you is that it is your choice what communication method to choose. Don't let anyone tell you differently and don't let anyone push you into anything you don't feel comfortable with.

With that being said, I work in an auditory/oral preschool program for children who are deaf/hard of hearing (no sign language, only spoken language). I am also in the process of adopting my daughter who is deaf and does not sign. She was born deaf and did not receieve amplification essentially until age 4 when she got a cochlear implant. She is now 5 and has been hearing for a year and doing wonderfully!! Many people would think she has to sign because of her situation but that is not in any way true. She is learning spoken language and thriving with it. No other form of communication would have been right for her. Just because she has a hearing loss does not mean she has to sign. Oral communication was right for her, and that's what matters.

There are multiple approaches to the situation and not necessarily a right or wrong answer. Educate yourself on all forms of communicate and make an informed decision. Make a decision based on your daughter and your family system. Figure out your long term goals and the best ways to acheieve them. Whatever you decide, do what you feel is right and don't let anyone else tell you that it's wrong. Your daughter and your family are the ones who have to live it, not everyone else.