What's new with me! (ASL)

Translation: Hi Bailey! Remember me? I'm still here, I'm just a terrible person. I'm sorry! It's been so long since I've talked to you-signed with you. I've been busy. I'm still working full-time and I'm also going to school to become a school counselor. The program is 18 months, so maybe next year I'll start looking for a job. I'm excited. What's new with me..well..that. I saw all of your new videos (forgot the sign for video!). So many exciting things for you! Your cuuuute baby learning ASL. Fallin is her name I think? So cute. And you're doing a lot of traveling. And Good Morning America! So exciting! Great job! Anyway..oh! I just watched a movie called "Sound and Fury." It was very interesting. Made me a little angry because it's hard for me to understand how a deaf person feels about...ok, the movie is about..it's a documentary about deaf people deciding if they want to get cochlear implants. And there are these two parents with an adorable little girl who wants to get a cochlear implant. She wants to be able to hear and to communicate with hearing people. Her parents are both deaf and they want their daughter to not lose her deaf culture. And they're afraid that if she gets it, she'll forget her deaf self/identity. It's hard to watch. Other two parents, other family, both parents are hearing and they have a deaf baby. They want their son to get a cochlear implant. The fathers of the two families are brothers (one deaf and one hearing). The two families are one family, and they disagree and argue about this. It's so interesting because where I am here, in Minnesota, people are different. They don't argue a lot. One person might say, "I want my child to get a cochlear implant" and another person might be like, "Oh...hmm ok..." First person, "What..? What's wrong?" "Oh nothing..forget about it." And that's it! No learning, no one shared their thoughts/ideas, no growth of ideas with one another. I liked the family in the movie because they shared thoughts, and argued back and forth and wanted the best for their children. So interesting, see the movie! Anyway! That's it for now. I'll try to be better about making more videos. I was such a bad person these past couple of months. I'm so sorry! See you later!

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[WisDeaf]

Good morning. I had the chance to watch your video. I am glad that you took some time to watch the film, "Sound and Fury". I am wondering if you had watched the second part, which is 6 years later? Unfortunately, I do agree that it is a very controversial issue about having a child with CI. I am a bimodal, which means hearing aid on one ear and CI on the other ear. Of course, I am not a child at this point. Something to consider about the child with CI. Again, it is good that you learn new.

[asmoen]

@WisDeaf Hi! Thanks so much for joining the conversation. I'm very interested in hearing many different points of view, especially those of the Deaf community. I have not yet seen the update 6 years later, though I had heard that there is one. I heard that everyone except the father actually ended up getting CI. Also, if you have any suggestions for my signing, please let me know! I'm basically learning by myself, and I know that I sign like a hearing person right now, but I'm trying to learn.

[WisDeaf]

I guess I stop here and let you respond when you have time. Hope you have an enjoyable weekend.

[WisDeaf]

Therefore, both sides are at each other's throats and accusing each other as well as saying their programs works the best for Deaf/deaf/CI/HOH. Honestly, it is about power and full of hogwash! They are only doing the benefit for themselves to make it look better instead of really focus on each individual case. It is really complicated because it depends on their family, peer groups, adaptation within the environment, lifestyle, psychologically, socially, and other aspects of the child's being.

[WisDeaf]

It is similar to the Deaf/deaf/CI/HOH children. Some are better at private school like John Tracy Clinic, Clarke School for the Deaf, Bolesta Center, and other oral schools. Then, you have several mainstreaming schools that is mixed with Deaf/deaf/CI/HOH kids. The ASLers kids would go to State School for the Deaf. The extremist Deaf communities are trying to point that mainstreaming kids are failing. The private schools are saying somewhat saying that oral is better than sign language.

[WisDeaf]

The question lies: How can the teachers be flexible to educate English to those Spanish children as well as with others, who are from America and knows English? It is like a bunch of mixture of kids with different backgrounds in the educational system. This is where it is challenging! Like you are majoring in school counselor, you will definitely face a lot of challenge including children, who speaks different language than English.

[WisDeaf]

In our education system, we are doing very poorly and is difficult to teach the "norm" of the students since they all come from diverse backgrounds. Each individuals have different learning capacities to excel well in whatever they do in their lives. For example, I had spoken with my Spanish Professor in college about the Spanish kids learning in our English educational system. Many of them had failed because their language and understand is different.

[WisDeaf]

Since we live in a pluralistic society, the Deaf Communities, who utilize ASL, think their language is better than others such as Columbian Sign Language (CSL), Filipino Sign Language (FSL), Mexican Sign Language (MSL), and so forth. It is the same with English. In America, we live in society where English is better and more superior than others including foreign languages. I like European attitudes toward language development since it is required for them to learn different languages.

[WisDeaf]

Therefore, it is very important to understand the broad scope of the controversial issues about people having cochlear implant, hearing aids, and non CI and/or Hearing Aids user. When it comes to children, this is where the most controversial takes place. If I recalled correctly, the girl, who wanted the cochlear implant, is doing very well and is playing international basketball for the Deaf. It is important to have experience to understand what is CI. Without it, difficult to understand.

[WisDeaf]

Also, we have gain more knowledge in neurology as well as genetics. There are over 70 genetics identification that cause deafness. Most common is Connexion 26. I have already been tested for two other genetic variant besides Connexion 26. It does not really matter as much at this point because I am clinically diagnosed deaf. Since I have been listening to the Deaf Communities, they really do not have the profound understanding neurology and genetics. Medical jargons are difficult to understand.

[WisDeaf]

Another additional to technology advancement, I worked in the medical field for the past 12 years and have seen a dramatic changes in our medical technologies. It is becoming more efficient and better with less turn around time. With the cochlear implant, itself had changed dramatically from large to very small size as well as the implant had become increasing thinner and is easier to put it under the skin onto the mastoid bone. Surgery had changed and had gotten better. Less invasive.

[WisDeaf]

I used to be involve with the Deaf Communities for many years and did enjoy working and socializing with them as well as learning many things from them. For about 10 years or so, I have not been involve much with them due a different path in life. I did socialize a little with the Deaf Communities from time to time during those ten years. A lot of things had changed within the Deaf Communities. It had broken up quite a bit due to the technology advances such as internet, CI, and other issues.