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From:
Linda Erickson Date: Sun Sep 10, 2000 3:33 pm Subject: Re: CI's (OFF TOPIC) | ||||||||||||||||
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BRAVO Thank you so much for sharing a positive response. And THANK YOU for supporting parents. Warmly, Linda (Please remember professionals and parents, your own oppinion is yours. Just remember others have their own also. Neither is right nor wrong, they just are. And to each and everyone of us, they are our's.) Please do not judge nor tell parents how to raise their own child. You may give suggestions, and only when asked by a parent, and remember, they are free to take what they like and they are free to leave the rest. Respect them and praise them and support them. They too need all the love and support as the child does. Raising children, and especially when it comes to children that are deaf, or have any other special needs, the child/parent is a whole family unit. You are only a glimpse or a twinkle in their eye. So be kind. ---------- > From: Stuart Thiessen > To: SignWriting List > Subject: Re: CI's (OFF TOPIC) > Date: Sunday, September 10, 2000 6:33 AM > > Just a thought that occurred to me in passing. You may already do > this. Be careful not to express that "anger" around the child. It might > make the child wonder if there is something wrong with them. Whether the > decision was right or wrong, whether the parents should or should not have > done it, at this point, becomes irrelevant. > > I got my CI when I was 18. I was ignorant of deaf community opinions > regarding the CI since I grew up oral with no contact with the deaf > community. My parents had no clue about the deaf community either. I made > the decision myself because to me it was no different than a hearing > aid. Just another assistive device since hearing aids could no longer help > me. What floored me was the largely negative response I got from deaf > people. Though they did not say anything directly to me, I did feel > ostracized as if I had violated some unwritten rule of deaf life. Rather > than seeing past the CI to me, they only saw a big CI. Lately, I have seen > improvement, but there are still "smouldering" attitudes on the part of some. > > I do not believe the CI is for everyone. But there are some people I feel > could benefit and should not be judged for that choice. Whether we in the > deaf community like it or not, parents are responsible for the care of > their children and we need to support them no matter what their > decision. If they see the deaf community as rejecting them for their > decisions, then parents will not have a very high opinion of the deaf > community. If, however, they see support regardless, they may eventually > understand the reasons for using SL and SW. That way, we earn the right > and the respect of parents to communicate the pros and cons of CI, SL, and SW. > > Just some thoughts on the whole CI issue ... > > At 09:55 09/10/2000 -0400, you wrote: > >Ok, I've finished my bragging ha! I wish we could educate parents and > >Doctors concerning CI. It's a very sticky situation, and leaves many Deaf to > >tears. It isn't something we support. Parents of Deaf children always ask > >me how I feel about the CI, and it's hard not to have my opinion in the > >matter. I try to give the pro's and con's, but it's not easy to stay > >neutral. I'm supportive if it is a decision that an adult has made, but > >angry that a young child has it. Deaf feel that we are not "broken" and need > >to be "fixed." But I am happy that you have these two children in your class > >now, instead of them waiting until much later to use SL. > > > Stuart Thiessen > 4616 Hickman > Des Moines, IA 50310 > (515) 280-0005 Pager () | ||||||||||||||||
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