Chapter 36
The question this chapter starts out with "What do you call a deaf person who doesn't speak?" makes me chuckle. Umm, don't you just call them deaf? That's what the author suggests before offering a little history lesson. I learned that deaf people who couldn't speak used to be referred to as "deaf-and dumb." Excuse me, what? That is extremely offensive and totally inappropriate. "It is estimated that a congenitally, profoundly deaf child has, at most, a 5% chance of developing intelligible speech," does that make them dumb? Absolutely not! No one can imagine the challenges children must overcome to have intelligible speech. The can't even hear themselves, so how is it possible to speak proficiently? It's not like most of them don't try, so how can you say they are dumb? Furthermore, I definitely agree with the authors opinion that it is hogwash that if children learn ASL first, they will never develop coherent speech. I'm sorry, but seriously?! Okay, these children have NEVER heard themselves speak so therefore they DON'T know it is possible...how is a 2 year old supposed to communicate?! I will just reiterate the point of view I hold that literacy is far more important than speech training. So, I am definitely with Deaf-rights advocates! It should be the choice of the deaf individual to "speak or not to speak." I am interested to hear Marlee Matlin's Oscars speech! I feel like she could be such an inspiration to those deaf people who DO speak, but should NOT used against those who choose not to. Lastly, I agree that speech is a survival skill and that having some spoken vocabulary could potentially be beneficial, but that introduces only another issue. Which words are considered "helpful?"
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Chapter 34-35
Chapter 34
The excerpt "I find it hard to to believe that this culture and language is so prevalent around us around us, but, as a hearing person, I knew absolutely nothing about it" is very applicable to my life as well. Similar to Roger Mindel, before taking ASL I was never very aware of the depth of the deaf community, however I am taking steps to increase my awareness and knowledge. I think that it is so awesome that this manager took it upon himself to enroll in a basic ASL course in order to communicate with this employee! I totally agree that just by being in a basic ASL class, your eyes can be opened and you can become very interested!
This chapter yet again touched on speech training and it's importance. I feel like this is beginning to get somewhat repetitive, but I enjoyed how this chapter took a different approach touching on how deaf individuals feel about their voice. Again, I'll refer to the day I job shadowed at the local elementary school. Before I attended the speech session the teacher of the deaf informed me that the young girl I would be watching was slightly embarrassed about her voice. She told me that her mom had noticed her practicing using her voice in the mirror more often, but wouldn't practice around her family or any public setting. I can not imagine the humiliation they must feel, but I feel that it is the duty of SLP's, Audiologists, Teachers of the deaf, and families of deaf children to provide comforting feedback when they notice individuals practicing using their voice as well as encourage them if they CHOOSE to voice.
Chapter 35
This chapter continues to touch on deaf individuals talking."If you're deaf how come you can talk?" Everyone has the capability to talk, deaf or not, but does it mean that all people SHOULD talk? Certainly not. The authors inform us that all deaf people are different in the sense that they posses a wide range of speech skills. Depending on the deaf person's skill level or their personal preference sometimes depends on if they choose to voice or not.
I like how this chapter offers categories as far as communication mode. Although labels can be dangerous, the Deaf Community creates these categories to clarify individuals based on their communication abilities.
These categories include:
1. Deaf
2. "Deaf Speech"
3. "Hard-of-hearing"
4. "ex-hearing"
5. "oral"
6. "HH voice"
7. "hearing-impaired"
Before reading this chapter, I was unfamiliar with the terms "deaf-speech," "hard-of-hearing," and "ex-hearing."
After discussing the categories the authors describe that some hearing people don't use their voices when in the company of Deaf individuals. This reminds me so much of Stacey and her stories about dating a deaf guy and going out with her deaf friends. I think it is the most respectful norm and hopefully one day I'll have a group of deaf friends and be able to do this as well! I guess right now I'll stick to using ASL at DCE's! HA. I think it would be cool if a waiter thought I was deaf. Wouldn't it be a compliment if I was in a group of deaf individuals?
"Laugh out loud" at the conclusion to this chapter about the high school student. I would feel kind of silly.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
This chapter made me think back to one of the very first weeks of ASL class. I recall Stacey having a miny class discussion concerning speech pathologists and why most SLP's aggravated her because of their inability to communicate with deaf children or patients through ASL. That was the first aggravation I developed towards SLP's. Up to that point I had never considered the severe need for SLP's to have some understanding of sign language because I never knew that deaf children went to speech therapy. The only experience I had with speech therapy was from working in my local elementary school where we had no deaf children. However, now that I am familiar with the deaf culture I feel that it is vital for speech therapists to be familiar with ASL, even if it is just basic sign. Again, reflecting on previous blog posts, I experienced a speech setting with a young deaf girl as I job shadowed. The SLP openly admitted that she knew no sign language what so ever besides some basic signs that the kids had taught her like "help," "good," "thank you," and "more." My mind was blown....how did she expect the kids to progress in SPEECH (which is clearly hard enough for them) if she can't even communicate with them? It was frustrating, so I can agree with the attitudes that deaf people may sometimes feel towards speech paths or any other professionals designed to HELP people, who in fact can't even communicate with them.
I don't believe that speech should be enforced upon the deaf, I feel as if literacy is more important. It is not like hearing people are forced to learn another language, so why should deaf people be forced to learn how to speak correctly? This chapter continues to touch on the concept of deaf individuals involved in speech training. Although, I adopt this point of view, I feel as if some of the comments made concerning SLP's and audiologists were a bit harsh. This is exactly why I am enrolled in ASL. I want to be the exception to these comments. I want to be an effective Audiologist who is able to communicate effectively with my deaf patients enabling that bridge between deaf and hearing to be crossed. It would break my heart to know I was entering a profession where I was unable to communicate with patients I could have who were deaf. I don't want to just be "the bearer of bad news." I want to respectively show that ASL is important in order to effectively connect our two cultures. The three stories presented in the chapter should be motivation for all professions, especially those in health care to make a difference. I will probably refer back to this chapter for inspiration throughout my career journey, so I am very appreciative for the author's perspective in chapter 33.
This chapter made me think back to one of the very first weeks of ASL class. I recall Stacey having a miny class discussion concerning speech pathologists and why most SLP's aggravated her because of their inability to communicate with deaf children or patients through ASL. That was the first aggravation I developed towards SLP's. Up to that point I had never considered the severe need for SLP's to have some understanding of sign language because I never knew that deaf children went to speech therapy. The only experience I had with speech therapy was from working in my local elementary school where we had no deaf children. However, now that I am familiar with the deaf culture I feel that it is vital for speech therapists to be familiar with ASL, even if it is just basic sign. Again, reflecting on previous blog posts, I experienced a speech setting with a young deaf girl as I job shadowed. The SLP openly admitted that she knew no sign language what so ever besides some basic signs that the kids had taught her like "help," "good," "thank you," and "more." My mind was blown....how did she expect the kids to progress in SPEECH (which is clearly hard enough for them) if she can't even communicate with them? It was frustrating, so I can agree with the attitudes that deaf people may sometimes feel towards speech paths or any other professionals designed to HELP people, who in fact can't even communicate with them.
I don't believe that speech should be enforced upon the deaf, I feel as if literacy is more important. It is not like hearing people are forced to learn another language, so why should deaf people be forced to learn how to speak correctly? This chapter continues to touch on the concept of deaf individuals involved in speech training. Although, I adopt this point of view, I feel as if some of the comments made concerning SLP's and audiologists were a bit harsh. This is exactly why I am enrolled in ASL. I want to be the exception to these comments. I want to be an effective Audiologist who is able to communicate effectively with my deaf patients enabling that bridge between deaf and hearing to be crossed. It would break my heart to know I was entering a profession where I was unable to communicate with patients I could have who were deaf. I don't want to just be "the bearer of bad news." I want to respectively show that ASL is important in order to effectively connect our two cultures. The three stories presented in the chapter should be motivation for all professions, especially those in health care to make a difference. I will probably refer back to this chapter for inspiration throughout my career journey, so I am very appreciative for the author's perspective in chapter 33.
Chapter 32
Chapters 32
As a hearing person, I understand how easy it is to just assume that it would be simple for deaf people to lip read. However, it's definitely not the first question I would ask a deaf person. I think that is kind of an embarrassing question to ask, practically saying "hey dude, you're deaf and if you can't read my lips, then sorry but I can not communicate with you." I'm pretty sure at that point, the deaf person wouldn't be a "nitwit"(pg 191), the hearing person would be. At a DCE back in October, I was talking to a deaf guy, Chaz (mentioned in my previous posts). As I was signing, I was obviously using my mouth. He was signing back, but I was shocked because it was like he knew exactly what I was saying and my ASL was NOT that proficient. I didn't have to ask, he quickly informed me that he could read my lips, and even more interesting that he could hear! Interesting.
Moving on, I did learn some new information in this chapter! Speechreading: I wasn't familiar with this term before, but now I prefer this word over lip reading since it isn't exclusive to just how the mouth moves. Speech, like ASL is about the entire face, the expressions, the props, and the context in which the conversation is taking place. Therefore, speechreading is an entirely appropriate term! I can definitely understand how it could be exhausting to speechread, as I experience some of the same exhaustion as I try to learn ASL. I often have to concentrate on the way Stacey moves her face, her body, and what signs are included in the conversation. An frequent example I have of this is during our weekly quizzes. Sometimes I will not know a specific sign within one of her sentences, however if I consider the way she contorted her eybrows, moved her mouth, and implemented other signs to form the sentence, I can usually pinpoint the sign that I didn't know. I assume this is how it is for most speech readers as it requires specific attention. I agree with the authors, its always handy to have a piece of paper and a pen! :)
Last year, I worked in the speech program at my local elementary school. Day after day I would see kids struggle with the "p," "b," and "m" sounds since they all sound similar. Sometimes we would try to put a mirror in front of their face for them to distinguish the way the mouth looks when producing the speech in order for them to actually make the sound. I noticed that this was very complicated as well, since like the book states, they all look the same. I just thought that was a funny connection; if a hearing person can't distinguish the sound, it must be nearly impossible for a deaf person to speech read those letters.
Furthermore, I enjoyed the "Speechreading protocol: a few words of advice!" I'll keep that advice in mind to avoid "fatal first encounters."
As a hearing person, I understand how easy it is to just assume that it would be simple for deaf people to lip read. However, it's definitely not the first question I would ask a deaf person. I think that is kind of an embarrassing question to ask, practically saying "hey dude, you're deaf and if you can't read my lips, then sorry but I can not communicate with you." I'm pretty sure at that point, the deaf person wouldn't be a "nitwit"(pg 191), the hearing person would be. At a DCE back in October, I was talking to a deaf guy, Chaz (mentioned in my previous posts). As I was signing, I was obviously using my mouth. He was signing back, but I was shocked because it was like he knew exactly what I was saying and my ASL was NOT that proficient. I didn't have to ask, he quickly informed me that he could read my lips, and even more interesting that he could hear! Interesting.
Moving on, I did learn some new information in this chapter! Speechreading: I wasn't familiar with this term before, but now I prefer this word over lip reading since it isn't exclusive to just how the mouth moves. Speech, like ASL is about the entire face, the expressions, the props, and the context in which the conversation is taking place. Therefore, speechreading is an entirely appropriate term! I can definitely understand how it could be exhausting to speechread, as I experience some of the same exhaustion as I try to learn ASL. I often have to concentrate on the way Stacey moves her face, her body, and what signs are included in the conversation. An frequent example I have of this is during our weekly quizzes. Sometimes I will not know a specific sign within one of her sentences, however if I consider the way she contorted her eybrows, moved her mouth, and implemented other signs to form the sentence, I can usually pinpoint the sign that I didn't know. I assume this is how it is for most speech readers as it requires specific attention. I agree with the authors, its always handy to have a piece of paper and a pen! :)
Last year, I worked in the speech program at my local elementary school. Day after day I would see kids struggle with the "p," "b," and "m" sounds since they all sound similar. Sometimes we would try to put a mirror in front of their face for them to distinguish the way the mouth looks when producing the speech in order for them to actually make the sound. I noticed that this was very complicated as well, since like the book states, they all look the same. I just thought that was a funny connection; if a hearing person can't distinguish the sound, it must be nearly impossible for a deaf person to speech read those letters.
Furthermore, I enjoyed the "Speechreading protocol: a few words of advice!" I'll keep that advice in mind to avoid "fatal first encounters."
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