Impact of a Deaf Child on Families - 2063 Words

Impact of a Deaf Child on Families A bird calls and the phone rings. Yet the girl makes no move to listen to one or to answer the other. A baby’s cry goes ignored and the tea kettle on the stove continues to whistle. Most, but not all cases of childhood deafness and hearing-impairment are diagnosed between the ages of 18 months and 3-years-old (Mapp 50). Sometimes called the invisible handicap, hearing loss explains why sign language is the third most used language in the United States (Jones 54). While recognition of sight problems or physical impairments may be triggered by spotting eye glasses or a wheelchair, deafness must be discovered through acts of direct communication. The girl walks down the hall and does not acknowledge her†¦show more content†¦34-35). Studies have also shown that the time following a child’s diagnosis can be particularly trying on husbands as they are trying to reassure their wives that everything will be fine while privately attempting to deal with their own deep an d emotional grief (Luterman et al. 7). The separate roles each parent takes on complement each other by providing unique skills for their child. One of the most emotional taxing yet gratifying parts of raising a deaf child is that the mother is typically the one member of the family most capable of communicating with the deaf child. She becomes not only a mother, but an educator, social guidance counselor, communication specialist, interpreter, and audiologist consultant (Mapp 15). The girl’s mother went to the school district when the girl entered high school hoping sign language classes were available as a precaution in case her half deaf child continued to lose her hearing. They refused to even consider letting sign language qualify for her foreign language requirement. Another recurring theme in the challenges faced by parents is the abundance of ignorance in the faculty of school systems themselves. One frustrated parent wrote said about mainstreaming her deaf child into a hearing school, â€Å"†¦the teacher sometimes forgets†¦her limits and limitations†¦and does somethingShow MoreRelatedParents An d Peers : A Child Who Is Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing ( Dhh )814 Words   |  4 PagesParents and peers play an important role in the holistic development of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Even the progress of the listening and speaking or sign language skills of a DHH child is heavily dependent on the consistent involvements of the child’s parents and peers. The more engaged a DHH child is in his/her day-to-day communications and interactions with parents, peers, and even siblings, the more adapting they become in listening and speaking or signing. Hence, it is noRead MoreDeaf Again By Mark Drolsbaugh1511 Words   |  7 PagesIn Mark Drolsbaugh’s book, Deaf Again, he is able to bring the reader through his life struggles and triumphs as a member of the Deaf community. There were three major themes that reoccurred throughout his life. These themes consist of communication barriers, a negative image on deafness, and limitations on social experiences. An exam ple of communication barriers starts in the beginning with his birth. From the beginning, he talked about how his parents struggled to communicate with the doctors whenRead MoreDevelopment and Deaf Children Essay1360 Words   |  6 Pagesexposure is for deaf children (Drasgow 1998). Unlike hearing children who are exposed to language early in the womb, deaf children get their exposure to language at birth (Drasgow 1998). Drasgow explains that studies show the earlier language is developed the higher children excel in language skills (Drasgow 1998). 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For years, deaf individuals have been told they are less than or different, and after years of stigmatization, and ill treatment many people have become part of deaf culture, which does not look at deafness as a disability, but rather a differentRead MoreMarlee Matlin - Deaf Actress, Cultural Icon1249 Words   |  5 PagesPerry Miles Professor Parker English 1010 Composition 1 24 June 2009 Paper I: Marlee Matlin - Deaf Actress, Cultural Icon Marlee Beth Matlin was born on August 24, 1965 in Morton Grove, Illinois to Libby and Donald Matlin. She is the youngest and the only female of three children. She is an Academy Award winning actress and a world renowned spokesperson for various organizations. Marlee lives in the greater Los Angeles area with her husband, law enforcement officer Kevin Grandalski, andRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading In English1306 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction It comes as no surprise that a majority of Deaf children, whose first language is not English, struggle when it comes to English literacy. In the United States, around one half of Deaf students read at or below a fourth grade reading level upon completion of high school, with only around 7% reading at or above a seventh grade reading level (Strong Prinz, 1997). This level of reading barely reaches the level needed to read a newspaper (Goldin-Meadow Mayberry, 2001). The lack of abilityRead MoreDeaf Again By Mark Drolsbaugh Essay1560 Words   |  7 PagesIn Mark Drolsbaugh’s educational and witty autobiography â€Å"Deaf Again†, he describes his journey as a child born to deaf parents, losing his own hearing in his childhood, and navigating both hearing and deaf worlds while trying to discover his identity. In the first chapter, Drolsbaugh tells the story of his own childbirth. His mother Sherry’s childbirth experience was traumatic, to say the very least. Her needs and comfort were disregarded repeatedly by doctors and nurses alike, simply because theyRead More The Deaf in Society Essay1411 Words   |  6 PagesThe Deaf Community Imagine if you could never experience the sound of your favorite song on the radio. Or you could never hear the voice of a family member wishing you happy birthday. Since these situations are typical we may take them for granted. But these every day scenarios will never be part of a deaf persons life. One out of thousand infants will be born deaf every year, (Deaf Understanding). Most people dont realize the giant impact of the deaf in our society. Deaf persons canRead MoreThe Use of Pre-natal Genetic Diagnosis786 Words   |  3 Pagescan be controlled or changed about a child through embryo screening and what. On the one hand, Christians argue that no one should screen embryos because they are trying to â€Å"play God† and others oppose PGD because it is killing more lives than it is bringing into the world. On the other hand, couples like S.M and C.D, a lesbian couple from the United States contend that PGD and embryo screening should be used to use a deaf sperm don or so they could have a deaf children. My own view is pre-natal geneticRead MoreEssay about Colombia Report1229 Words   |  5 Pages The Deaf population in the United States is composed both of individuals Deaf since early childhood and individuals who lost their hearing later in life. The quot;Deaf Communityquot;, a heterogeneous mix of people from all walks of life, represents every socio-economic and racial category. However, this group of people consider themselves quot;a communityquot; because they are bound by a common culture, history, heritage and, most importantly, a common language. This language, which forms the