The Right of the Deaf Child to Grow Up Bilingual

[TheBigbear2029]

I am profoundly deaf but I'm also Bilingual. My mother was strict on me learning both Oral English as well as ASL. Now I have children of my own and 3 of them are also hard of hearing. I fully encourage and support bilingual learning for my children. I have tried to get my oldest daughter into a school that would encourage both but they told me that she will become "Dumb" if I enforce both. Really? Seriously? I'm profoundly Deaf and I am bilingual. I am, for sure, not DUMB.

[TearsBehindSmiles]

My grandmother is hard of hearing, with a lot of Deaf friends, so I grew up partially in the community until I was about five. I learned a lot of sign when I was little (forgot most of it when I wasn't around my grandmother as much) but I'm taking ASL in school now. I love it. I'm going to teach my children sign language when they're little. It's so helpful, even for hearing children, since the muscles in the hands develop faster than the muscles in the mouth. Easier to communicate younger. :)

[hopenchrist777]

Excellent video post! Thank you for posting the Transcript for those who do not know Sign Language. If most people knew and appreciated what happens in the life of a Deaf child as they grew up; living with the ignorance around them, then they would not be so quick to insist on trying to "fix" what is not broken. I am hearing but know the impact it has had on friends and family that are Deaf. I can only pray and live by example to support the Deaf Culture for all our sakes. Peace my friends.

[Lydiaabbey]

Deafornot dot c om is an online community for deaf, ASL and hearing-impaired friends and singles!

Have fun with photos, message boards, chat, blog and more.

[beyrus]

How long does it typically take for parents to realize their baby is deaf? Maybe all babies that can see should learn signing right from the start.

[avbria]

Thanks to today's law, infant hearing screening are now mandatory right after the baby is born allowing to detect hearing loss. From that point, parents can pursue to learn American Sign Language to have their Deaf baby to acquire the language naturally with the support of Deaf community and professionals.

[beyrus]

I think cochlear implant and spoken language is the best option to pursue and ASL as a secondary option if the child is receptive to it.

[Banerika]

beyrus, then you are cheating the child of a Deaf identity, relying on a technology that is not a "cure" and also cheating the child and the whole family of ASL from birth, which is the BEST way to develop language(s), regardless of the ability to hear. ASL is great for language and cognitive development for all babies, not just hearing babies/toddlers. Why not give the WHOLE family the benefit, too, of ASL and a link to the Deaf community? That is priceless for the child's self esteem/identity.

[Hartmut1940]

@beyrus

you think too much in either or this, in black or white. The best option is always BOTH!

[deafxtian26]

Is it a federal law? and if so, it sounds dangerously close to what the nazis did back in the 30's to 40's by mandating it because sooner or later the government might also mandate that if there is something wrong that can be "corrected" it has to be fixed or cast out...

[oregonfan03]

@avbria

Ah yes, unless you have a situation like ours in which our little boy passed his hearing screening, was learning to talk, then lost his hearing very unexpectedly at about age two. He now attends an ASL preschool class, but is behind because we had no way of being properly prepared for this situation. It's not always so cut and dried. BTW: no one has ever told me that using signs will impede language development. You paint in very broad generalizing strokes when you speak.

[truevoiceofsanity]

@oregonfan03 I hope this worked out and your kid caught up!!! Kids are smarter than we expect.

[Hartmut1940]

@avbria

a small correction: newly born babies who are deaf don't have any hearing loss. Did they lose it in mother's womb? Are they seeking hearing?

[houdanouhaili]

Please sub title so we all undrestand and can help your cause.

[ElMajeNica]

you can read it on the side ->

[eclecticism7]

Transcript to your right. Or learn ASL.

[antaria18]

Marissa, you actually met this lady!

[signedsongsoftim]

Thank you for posting the importance of every child's right to decide. I am for one who was lucky to have been what you said is best for every Deaf or Hard of Hearing child. Good Job.

[vat2ref2]

deaf people, though retarded, can be SMOKIN HOT

[bikerwidow69]

The only retarded thing here is your comment. Grow up you idiot. How is your comment relevant? I am sure if your children were Deaf, you wouldn't think them retarded. Go stalk a self help site for misguided losers, you might learn more about yourself and get the help you need.:)

[Censoredhoneybuns]

I am profoundly deaf myself so is my youngest daughter, we were born with Waardenburg Syndrome type 2.

I use B.S.L and spoken signed English both at same time, I exposed my daughter to BSL at very early age stage when she was a baby, from there she uses BSL fluently as english. so its my choice as its my children, my eldest is hearing, she learnt BSL after my youngest was born. All fantastic! so my youngest is bilingual little girl

[mylittle1z]

Thats true...Information is not being distributed evenly from the early intervention programs. The people from my childrens early intervention said that it was useless for my kids to wear hearing aids because they would "never be able to speak" and that my ONLY option was ASL. Boy were they WRONG!!! Again I am not opposed to ASL but I have yet to see a "GOOD" TC program that will suit my childrens needs. Therefore my children go to an oral school and at home we use both speaking and singing.

[avbria]

I have tried to send you a reply to your email that you sent me through you tube but your account is closed.

[snowmobile60]

i support ASL and support english language as reading and writing as child grow along.

[mylittle1z]

But people both deaf and hearing need to stop fighting over the issue and let parents raise their children as they see fit! Children dont come with hand books and parents dont need people breathing down their neck telling them that the choices they choose for their children are wrong!!!

[avbria]

You are right that it is no one's business to tell the parents what to do but it becomes my business to share the information which is part of my job especially that the information is not being distributed evenly from early intervention about bilingual approach.

[Hartmut1940]

@mylittle1z

too many children have suffered growing up in houses where no signing is used or forbidden. Deaf people need to speak out to protect deaf children. These are also our children, sociologically speaking, for they will seek the Deaf Community, once they become teenagers or adults. Many elderly parents entered my ASL classes to learn ASL, regretting having not learned it earlier. Their grandchildren regard them as bad parents, cuz they have victimized their parents.

[mylittle1z]

I have 2 hearing impared children whom we focus mainly on spoken language due them both being infants. It is proven fact that a child must learn spoken language during infancy to be completly fluent. Although we choose to be in a Oral school we still use ASL but just focusing on language for now.

[avbria]

Actually, it is proven for babies, both hearing and Deaf, who use signs have more benefits than those who don't use signs. Children who are bilinguals have better cognitive skills than those who are monolinguals. I wanted to share you more about the resources which is much longer than this message but your email account is closed. Please contact me once again and I will be more than happy to reply.

[Hartmut1940]

@mylittle1z

Not a fact for deaf children who learn a spoken language in their early infancy will become fluent speakers. I know too many cases which prove this wrong. Also I do know many other cases, who learned a spoken language later have an excellent command of the spoken language.

Only one fact remains true is, learning a spoken language after learning a sign language yield a better command of the spoken language for most deaf children.

[Hartmut1940]

@mylittle1z

Continued of the previous reply:

One evidence is found in Sweden with compulsory Swedish Sign Language and Swedish bilingualism, Swedish deaf elementary school absolvents have on the average an 8th grade reading level and about 50% of them pursue college education.

[Hartmut1940]

@mylittle1z

your "proven fact" applioes only to hearing babies, not deaf babies. It is proven that when a deaf child learns to sign first, then his language skills in both English and ASL are on the average better than English monolingually trained ones. Remember, ASL is also a language, you should not forget to focus on, too. I pity your two deaf children. I have encountered too many orally educated ODDIES who are socially inept in both deaf and hearing environments.

[DeafMarilyn45]

isnt it irony that hearing children are encouraged to take ASL at their schools, while most hearing parents refuse the same privileges for their Deaf child/ren and most hope they learn how to speak with their mouths...really a very restrictive environment for Deaf kids... i totally agree with your comments - sigh...DBC --- do you have a model of the DBC by laws, or goals, etc. that our new society can borrow...thanks Marilyn

[avbria]

Yes, it is so ironic! Parents have been given the impression that using signs will impede spoken/written English skills but there is no empirical research proving that this is true. DBC is implementing bylaws, strategies, guidelines, etc. for interested local chapters. If you are interested to learn more about it please contact deafbilingual at gmail.

[Itxx]

Okay why would God hate deaf people? Being deaf is almost a blessing. I have severe hearing loss and I like it that way. But maybe that's just me. Things are too loud.

[metalmaniac15]

GOD HATES DEAF PEOPLE

[avbria]

God hates deaf people? You obviously don't know God and don't read the bible. Shame on you.

[OregonBLB]

My children are HoH. They speak and do not want to learn sign. One of their friends has a CI. Although he once used ASL exclusively, he no longer wants to use sign since he has learned to speak.

At what age should the deaf individual be allowed to elect to not use ASL at all, if they don't want to? Should a child who does not want to sign be forced to do it?

[avbria]

That's interesting for them to choose speaking over signs. I just strongly believe that all Deaf babies should have the opportunity to be immersed in ASL until they get to develop listening and spoken skills (if applicable), they will make their choice of communication that feels natural to them.

[avbria]

As long as your children comprehend spoken language and able to express it fluently and that they are happy about it, it should be okay. But what would happen when it comes communicating with other Deaf people? I would not want to force the child to sign but to encourage it. I would show a variety of ASL stories that are fun to watch that will raise their interests.

[avbria]

I am not sure how much understanding your children have about ASL but it is common for kids like yours to rediscover ASL later on in life especially when they are colleges for the Deaf like Gallaudet University.

[OregonBLB]

My thinking was that it would have been like if my parents had taught me German (which my grandparents spoke), and I decided not to speak it or learned as little as I could get away with learning.

My feeling is that it is just as well to be very encouraging but not to force the issue to where the child might make negative associations with ASL. I just wanted to know what others would think.

[BlueFlamesHD]

definitly!!! i have been my experiance in the past about what's happened very behind late learning. i was around 9 years old to start learn ASL from old oral school for the deaf!!

[collegegradued]

BlueFlamesHD (11 months ago) Show Hide 0 Marked as spam Reply | Spam definitly!!! i have been my experiance in the past about what's happened very behind

"definitly"??? LOL!!! it is "definitely"! "experiance"?? it is "experience" you college graduate wannabe!!! Go back to ORAL school maybe they will help you to talk better hahahaha!!!

[aws20a50]

Been thinking about this. People have the idea that ASL interferes with language development! Crazy! Many children are fluently bi-lingual. Why? Both languages are spoken in their homes. Is it different for deaf babies? No! If they are fluent in ASL it is easier to be fluent in English. Sadly many hearing parents believe the myth. Some sign with their hearing infants but then stop when the child starts speaking, afraid that ASL would delay their speech. Crazy! Thanks for your thoughts on this!

[stevelongo]

It's a crying shame that history has to repeat itself by depriving the child from education based on failed theory that a deaf child can learn language without ASL and be successful academically. Go figure!

[orysia19]

I agree you! My life is Oral speech but I recieved CI, it is helped me alot so Iam ASL, because It is beautiful and help to understand ASL so I wish that hear parents choose ASL and Oral for their child for both langauge that good benefit in the future. Hopeful, ASL and Oral are both langauges for the children in school.Iam very impressed that you are very hard to work to show them. My dream that the hearing parent will be accept to repect the deaf world for ASL,Oral and CI.

[tmueth1]

AMEN! This brought tears to my eyes as I am an oral Deaf teenager who got access to ASL only recently. Bilingualism is OUR right!

[dangerics]

Excellent vlog.

[Salticid68]

I agree. Btw, I learned a sign for guarantee from you. No wonder, I never had ASL class for deafies. Metalinguistic would help us in classes. It's like students can understand and learn from a Japanese teacher who are both fluency in English and Japanese. If she/he knows only Japanese, then students can't understand. They think that using ASL is bad for our English skills, that's only because they don't realize that many teachers are lousy in ASL.

[darkkrang2007]

i total ages with you on this i did try level massge here but was to big so sent it your comnts page on your id but i ages a child should have the right to be billingual x

dorm keep the great vblogs going