I observed what you explained two approaches to help two babies - Baby Signs vs Baby Audio.
I am diagnostic developer for the hardware. I realized.
A box of ear function, a box of eye function, a box of nose, a box of tongue, and a box of sensor on body.
Each box must have inputs and outputs. Without inputs, the outputs would not happen.
So, each baby receives inputs from the outside in the first period and then each baby would produce in expression.
I have hard to explain in English but I can explain in ASL easily.
You can contact me directly at VP IP address: 63.86.211.4 if you wish. I can explain you what the behavior of hardware analogy to the behavior of human. Most of educators ignore other options.
I had a hearing friend to listen to it and she loves it.
And she understood why Deaf Bilingual Coalition wants to have Deaf Babies to start learning ASL. She is very upset with AGBell about their ideology of not allowing sign language for deaf babies.
Thank you for adding voice over for the hearing audience. It is really an important one. Even if some of those parents with AVT/oral deaf child who ignore this, these hearing people who may one day end up with a deaf baby will benefit from this vlog! Thanks again!
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH Amy! Glad you added voiceover…that will really expand your ‘message’ to people who hear and of course you know how quickly things move when the right info is out there!
Congrats and KEEP IT UP!!! You is FABOOOOO!!! xoxox
This is one vlog that definitely needs voice over so the message can get out to more people, especially in light of this week’s coming protest at the AGBell conference. Many thanks to Tracie for donating her time. And thank you again, Amy, for bringing up this issue in the first place!
I don’t understand why Hearing parents who doesn’t want to learn ASL with Deaf babies and Hearing parents want to learn ASL with Hearing babies!
Deaf babies belong to ASL and Hearing babies belong to verbal but Hearing babies can be learn ASL, it would be great for them. What about Deaf babies, they have to stick to learn ASL as primary and optional for AVT.
Several hearing friends already listen to it and are both stunned and very disturbed that this practice is going on. They all say it doesn’t make sense and tragic for the deaf babies. One already used the signs with her baby with Down Syndrome and said it contributed significantly to his success.
IamMine, good idea and thanks for your brilliant idea! I just sent to my family and friends, too! Smile! Thanks, Tracie for her donating her voicing time, too! Smile!
Yeah! I taught my kids to sign first to communicate before they started speaking.
About a couple of years ago, my friend and I went to a sushi restaurant. We saw the mother signing to the children. Of course, I *ASSumed* that the children were deaf and I asked ‘em about it.
Oops, the kids are perfect hearing and the mother of those kids told me that she knew that sign language is good for children to communicate at very early age! I was dumbfounded because she also said that she has *NO* connection to any deaf such as deaf family members or friends, and any deaf education. What prompted her to do it was that she and her hubby saw Koko the ape learning a few signs.
That will be great for Hearing Babies and Deaf Babies learn Sign Language and AVT. That will great idea because Deaf wont have worry ing to hire Sign Language interpreter or seprating school. So Deaf and Hearing Kids will be able go same school instead of Seprating school like hearing kids go hearing school and Deaf go deaf school and also same as church, doctors , hospitals so forth. Deaf will be able getting any job what ever they go and many jobs place are able to communicate with Deaf without hire interpreting. That is b etter idea. So Hearing kids and deaf will be able communication each other.
Great job, Amy! Yes, I like it how you clarified at the end about “I like BOTH.”
CI is here to stay. My son loves his CI. His speech and listening ksills show leaps and bounds and it is due to AVT.
ASL is here to stay. My son eloquently uses ASL with his Deaf and signing HOH peers and his Deaf family. He uses ASL interpreters for access in large groups.
Sure, ASL can be faded out if child shows benefit in using his hearing and speaking skills. If not, ASL is to stay.
Thanks agian, Amy for clarifying the two as I was alarmed to see the Deaf Community getting a wrong picture of AVT.
Amy, this is wonderful - pregnant with power and irony so clear the public can’t miss. A spontaneous English poem in honor of AVT-DB, DBC, and you people.
For Our Deaf Child
Soldier On! March On! Forge On!
For the Deaf Baby, for the Deaf Child.
Soldier On! March On! Forge On!
Toward Castle Volt and its people
Show them Our Powerful Book
Full of Research behind Sign
Love them, Embrace them
Have them Join us Celebrating
The True Power of First Language
Sign first, then Speak or Both.
Cherish the Deaf Baby, the Deaf Child
Soldier On! March on! Forge On!
In light of this very important Deaf issue, and the upcoming AGB protest, I have decided to hold off on my summer time storyblog about how I became deaf, that has been posted for the last couple of weeks on DeafRead. I want to make way for more important Deaf issues such as this one and not turn readers away because they are tired of seeing my posts. Your encore is highly worthy of being repeated and DeafRead is the appropriate venue. My storyblog belongs in my book, hopefully to be published one day soon. It was an experiment. I have just made a vlog post announcing this to make way for more important Deaf issues such as this one.
Thanks again for sharing this vlog series and for adding the voice over for those who can benefit.
AG Bell ignored the deaf babies and the sign language. They did NOT obey the Murphy’s Laws about the equal opportunity. The deaf babies MUST treat equally and fairly with the hearing babies in many, many ways.
All AG Bell truly CARES about the sounds, sounds, sounds and talk, talk, talk…that is all they want. No reading and writings UNTIL later in their age!
Amy, I posted awhile ago for LaRonda — that doesn’t mean I don’t like your Vlog. I really do agree with you that deaf babies do need visual communication. I hope that AGBAD members see the light from your Vlog. You’re the winner!
Voilà ! The final note in your message is very positive. You have brought the total communication in your vlog: signing, sound, and captioning! (You beat CNN!) I hope that both THE MEDIA and the attendants of AGB Convention will be viewing your vlog this Saturday. Merci beaucoup with three-time French hugs Amy!
One more thing I want to add is that infant screening is now being required in most states which means the earlier it will be when babies are found to be deaf. Normally cochlear implant occur between 12 to 18 months ( as early as 6 months occurs in Australia) so there is a time laspe before that where deaf babies are not able to get appropriate stimulation, signing, from their families.
It is dismaying when those so-called experts recommended listening and speech training BEFORE a baby is 6 months old to take advantage of the critical time window for learning language. WHAT? Even before they receive CI, they were encouraged to obtain this kind of training. How absurd! There is no way that it will help babies comprehend speech let alone to express it.
Now, it is time to fight back and take ownership for deaf babies to give the right direction to new parents of deaf babies. Oh by the way, guess who wrote that? Dr. K. Todd Houston who serves as an executive director and CEO of AGBAD! Go figure!
Is anyone bit irked by what Anna S saying that ASL can fade out?
Anna, you’re wrong. ASL was here before hearing aids appeared. ASL was here before speech appeared. ASL was here before CIs appeared. And ASL will always be there even through the changes in Deaf Communities. As long as there are Deaf people in this country, ASL will remain here. The modes of communication, technological stuff will always adapt, but never replace ASL.
I think what Anna meant was that if her deaf son could speak well, he would have a choice of either using ASL or not. It is about giving a child many choices of what they can use for communication purposes.
I myself am wondering how deaf children/adults can improve their communication with their hearing families. From what I’ve been reading along in the lines, people are saying that CI will help deaf child speak and hear well (which I find it hard to believe). So if they can speak well, they wouldn’t have problems communicating with their hearing members and hearing family members can also try to learn ASL as well. This is where I am a little confused about the message that we are trying to send out.
So if Bi-Bi methods are widely accepted in schools (which would be great), a deaf child can go in, knowing that there will be both ASL/English instruction and the deaf child can be fluent in both languages. Also will Bi-Bi education incorporate AVT as well and I wonder how this will work because it would require speech/listening skills.
Foremost, I am a little confused on how all of this will incorporate in one thing, will it make it a perfect balance for parents and deaf child alike because they will feel better knowing that the schools will provide speech/listening/AVT and at the same time provide ASL instruction in the classroom. So the deaf child will need to be taken out of the classroom and participate in speech/AVT therapy and then come back to the classroom for ASL instruction, is that what the proponents are trying to push for?
I would like to speak To Mr Ridor ….. Sir! that is really make me thinking twice about the word you said -”ASL was here before hearing aids appeared and ASL was here before CIs appeared”
Hummm that is intersting on Issues “LINE WORD” as I like the date of history of fact. Of course I don’t blame you of that sir!
I have the feeling the guts about agree with you of the time were ASL was came here first then later Hearing aids and CI. Wow that make me wonder about it.
Again over the years make this already history change of battle fighing about which is the best …. that way!……that way!……that way!…….this way! and so on on on !
Why can we just look back in old timer the first place is already the being signs then improvment next level is ASL. It could follow up with bi/bi English/ASL to make it better and keep on ASL together in way back of the “old timer”. Some how it screw up by Crap Hearing Teachers listen the wrong path to the hell of it.
I love ASL and proud of it.
One more thing I want to say that hearing doctor is trying to work on next step is WHAT………
NEXT THINGS IS THAT DOCTORS IS WORKING ON THE CHIP TO PUT OUR HUMAN BRAIN IN THE FUTURE LIKE ROBOT…….. WHOA THAT IS HORRIBLE. It can happen any time.
I am all for Amy Efron Cohen’s vlog about how deaf babies deserves the same opportunity as hearing babies on sign language exposure.
Anna S., I am happy to know that you say your son is functioning well among his hearing peers. What I do not understand is the negative connotation that is associated with ASL when you used the word “fade out” for those who no longer needs it. I find that to be conscendencing. What happened to bilingualism and maintaining both? It is like telling Asians, Latinos and so on that their or ancestors’ language should fade out because they are literate in English.
I personally do not feel we should be influenced by our own country’s ethnocentric attitude about being monolingual and instead, embrace bilingualism or even better, mulitilingualism! I am disheartened and saddened by this such ethnocentric and ignorant attitude on the part of anyone. For Pete’s sake, America is the most diverse country.
Thanks for educating me this such valuable information and how you have carefully correlate the two issues before us and then mention us the irony of it. Thanks so much!
Keep that up Amy.
Amy,Thanks for sharing this valuable information to all of us.There are a number of valid reasons why the parents might want to learn basic American Sign Language and use it as the language for meaningful, open communication in the home. First of all, research has shown that ASL presents to the child a visual-motor feedback system that parallels the auditory-articulatory(hearing-speaking) system utilized by hearing children in their spoken language. In fact some scholars feel that ASL should be the primary language presented to all children who are hearing or deaf becasue it can help and readily affords access to the school curriculum. Other researchers even go so far as to state that there is adequate theoretical support to promote the incorporation of ASL in a bilingual program as a tool to teach English literacy skills. By learning ASL , the parents will be provding their child the opportunity to interact meaningfully with memebers of both the deaf and hearing cultures. ASL is a visual language that is based on visual principles therefore ASL will in no way be a detraction, In fact having a strong language base(ASL) can enhance the development of a second language. I want to share what my children have experienced. My children attended public schools(elementary and middle schools). Sign Language is a part of the everyday instruction in the classrooms.(Inclusion in the classroom setting)This is accomplished by integrating sign language into the regular curriculum using the subject as the stimuulus for the vocabulary/spelling structure. Several teachers have noted that the formely poor spellers(who are hearing)have improved since using sign as a teaching tool They believe it is the communication of visual and kinesthetic stimuli. Teachers can see who knows what because students answer many questions simultaneously in sign rather than one student at a time. Teachers have found they like that method. Also the entire student body (over 1200 students) sign the school song, the pledge to the flag and so forth.It really is a sight to see! I thanked the teachers for supporting the idea of using this method. Also thanked the interpreters. This is a brief overview and there are still many issuses to address, but the idea is that kids should have the opportunity to learn ASL. Happy Signing! cheers..
AMY,
I AM AGAINST CI. I WANT TO SAVE OUR ASL MAKE BEAUTIFYL. I DONT BELEIVE CI WILL HELP THE BABIES. GOD GIVE THE PARENT TO LEARN THAT BABIES MAKE FROM GOD BLESS FOR DEAF BABIES. IT IS NORMAL BIRTH OF DEAF BABIES, NOT NEEDED CI.
I have so much things to say but I will hold on that for now because I’m at work and I’m anxious to tell you this now that I think you did a fantastic job on this video, well not only this one but all videos, also. It is good to have people like you who spent a lot of time to research and stuff to make us think.. think hard. We all owe it to you!
I was thrilled because so I can forward this to my family where they can forward to their friends/families to understand better.
I am a CODA and am very proud that ASL was my first language! My parents made sure that whatever my needs were, I could express it to them. Even though they were raised differently (i.e. oral school and deaf school), they wanted only one language for us to communicate. And later on, I always knew that when I would start my family, I would teach my kids sign language so that they could communicate with their grandparents and other deaf family friends. I am also a teacher and it is my goal to teach in a school in a classroom where deaf and hearing children attend. I didn’t realize what AVT was and how detrimental it is to deaf babies and deaf children. By not allowing babies to learn using all of their senses and by imitation, we are in fact, depriving these babies of language. My parents always told me that communication is number ONE! Now that I have a 2 year old daughter who signs and speaks, I can see how signing has helped both my husband and I to communicate with her and for her to communicate with us. She is an avid talker and does have a high vocabulary but her sign receptive skills are great too. If she does not know how to say a word and knows the sign for it, she will sign it. She is starting to sign 3-4 word phrases and ask questions using signs. I think sign language is a very powerful language and no matter what is here to stay. I think that the hearing world needs to hear it more and that more and more people will need to take a stand to include sign language as part of developing language for deaf babies and children. Just like Amy said, the new technology that keeps popping up are tools and devices to help the deaf communicate better with others… these devices and tools will not change their hearing status permanently. A person who is born deaf will always be deaf and that is AWESOME! Why does that need to be fixed? What is wrong with being deaf? My parents are the best role-models I could ever have and they showed me that their deafness was not a disability and that they should not be treated any differently.
Well, I cannot believe either, we all can’t understand why both can’t have baby signs rather than just hearing babies only can.
But one thing I wonder if that’s the big reason why they feel it is OK for hearing babies to learn baby signs is because they know once they grow, they will outgrown sign language and forget about it later.
So, with deaf babies, they smell “fear” for the fact that they will never outgrow sign language so instead, they feel they should just forbid deaf babies to develop baby signs then to become fond of using ASL. So, they can easily teach them orally and such.
I mean for the fact that very high percent of kids who grew up orally then become ASL signers at later age after they graduated so basically ASL is the winner and always will be.
They knew that but will not admit it so probably they try harder as possible to keep them away from any type of sign languages.
Sad, I know. Let’s do something we all can to make the world for the better.
[…] 2007, I was surprised that Jeanette wrote a very touching blog entry mentioning about my videoclip, “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation”, and I had to respond by leaving my comment on her blog. Then, immediately Jeanette contacted me […]
I still Can’t understand why FDA listen AVT more than Deaf Professional who know Baby Signs better, FDA seems to choose AVT more importants than Deaf Professional in that fields, and Many other countries they are greatly oppressed Deaf Community. They easily dominate the politics over Deaf community. This country We, Deaf people, know better than AVT! It does not make any sense!
Amy, I totally agree with you 100%! Keep up the good work. Both of my hearing and deaf children have been using ASL since they were infants. Now my deaf child has a CI. ASL is a huge benefit for both hearing and deaf babies!
[…] NOTE to Audiologists who visited my blog: Thank you for visiting my blog, and before you read this, I suggest you to watch my videoclip first: “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation”, […]
Finally caught up on reading this one! I am proud of you, Amy for doing this! I would recommend throwing AVT out the window! It ain’t worth it.
It has no benefits for deaf babies.
Ridor hits right on the nail. ASL was here before those technological crap. ASL Forever is what we can deal with!
[…] President of NAD and Nancy Bloch, Executive Director of NAD inviting them to view this videoclip, “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation” along with Parent’s and Audiologist’s responses. They responded back promptly with […]
Amy - Your presentation is what parents, physicians and teachers should know. Learning is not based on a single sense, i.e. hearing. In fact the interaction among the working senses is the key to learning. Should we assume that without hearing, children cannot learn anything?
Yerker
Thank you for your thoughtful post. My son (age 2) is deaf-blind. We were told that he would probably not be able to sign because of his poor vision. We got him hearing aids and tried signing with him but at 22 months when he was making no communication progress we got him a CI and enrolled him in AVT. We decided that we would continue to expose our son to ASL, although we were not sure that he would ever sign. I am pleased to say that Noah said his first word (ball) a month later and his first sign (more) two months after that. It was important to us that our son learn to communicate, and he is now able to do that through an extensive oral vocabulary and about a dozen (and growing) signs. I am curious if there is research that says that deaf children get some of the same benefits as hearing children (particularly higher IQ and increased oral vocabulary) when they learn ASL as babies? Also, the impression that I got when looking in my local area is that most total communication programs don’t focus enough on either ASL or speech to the extent that a child can be successful and they just end up hindered and confused. Do you find this to be the case? I think it would be great if deaf children could get both AVT and signing. It has worked well for us!
I’m fourteen and was born profoundly deaf. My parents decided to give me a cochlear implant so I could hear. I had auditory verbal therapy to help me learn to listen with my implant and talk. I benefited from this therapy. I excel at school and interact very well with the hearing community. I play three different sports which are basketball,tennis, and baseball. My parents gave me what was best for me which was to hear. I am better off hearing and I think will be more successful in life because of it. I am thankful for what my parents did for me. I bond with my parents very well without signing. I believe that if I was signing instead, I wouldn’t be excelling in school, playing in competitive sports, and talking at all. Also, if I learned sign first then tried to learn to hear and talk, the talking would be much harder. If I signed instead, and decided I wanted to talk at this age, I would struggle and be frustrated. I would be at a different school where signing is offered, and I would have a lower reading and writing level. It is hard to go through life without reading or writing English well. We get information through reading. If I want to sign, I can, and I might someday. Signing would help me communicate with the deaf, but would the Deaf want to communicate with me? I have heard some Deaf say they do not like cochlear implants. My hearing friends do not mind my implant. I would rather hear and speak rather than sign.
Hi Amy,
As a parent of a child with hearing loss, my husband and I chose as a family for our child to listen and speak. We do not regret this decision as I’m sure your parents do not regret the choice they made for you. Our choice was based on research as well as visiting ASL, Total, Oral, and AV programs. It was not made without thought, research, and prayer. It was one of the most important decisions of our lives. My son’s AV training has been a family endeavor. My bond with him is close and deep. A bond developed via spoken language. His spoken language has developed rapidly without sign. His vocabulary is above age level as is his intelligence. My child’s self esteem is out of this world. During our AV training my child’s therapist did not cover his mouth or instruct him to look away. All instruction was and is natural; thus his speech, intonation and fluency are natural. Whild the therapy is “intensive” due to the commitment we as a family has made it is not unreasonable nor unrealistic. AVT can begin before 6 months and continues until the child’s language is age appropriate. My child has been in our program for 3 years and is almost finished. We do not use sign or lipreading; however, it’s in order to facilitate his auditory development. It’s not that we are ashamed of his hearing loss. I’d be happy to provide research as to AVT’s effectiveness related to the concerns you mentioned. We have visited our State’s School for the Deaf. A 4th grade reading level was the average for the Senior Class. This is not a statistic we were happy with for our child.
Your parent’s chose for you to sign thus your personal opinion is shaped by that choice. The adults we have met who are AV have a positive opinion about AV-a choice made by their parents. Life is about choice- our parents shape us and choose what is believed to be the best for us. We have chosen a path for our child just as a path was chosen for you. My son can choose to sign. He will be supported fully. Just as if he were ASL and later chooses to listen and speak. We chose to follow a program, AVT, which does not implement sign during spoken language acquisition for a reason. There is research about this as well.
Please know that we support your choice. We hope that you could support ours. Do not condemn us for a choice made out of love and devotion to our child. Visit and AV program, meet with its graduates. We all want what we believe is best for our children. On that I believe we can agree.
I am the mother of a 30 year old daughter with a profound loss in one ear and a severe loss in the other. We put her in AVT as a child. She was mainstreamed into the regular classroom beginning in Kindergarten. She graduated from high school a good student both academically and physically (played softball), got a scholarship to college, finished three years and is now a firefighter. We were always encouraged to teach her ASL when she was a little older. That enabled her to communicate with both those that know ASL and those that don’t. I was an advocate of using whatever and however many approaches my daughter needed to be successful. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about AVT. As I said, we were encouraged to have her learn ASL AFTER learning the AVT aproach. I strongly disagree with one of the previous posters comparing AVT to the KKK! As an African-American woman let me be clear that there is no comparison!!! For those that don’t believe in aiding or CI, I ask this question…when you go to the eye doctor because your sight is getting bad, do you buy glasses, contacts, lasik vision or forget about it so that you don’t offend the blind culture? I think that most people buy the glasses.
My daughter has a profound loss in both ears, she was identified at 2 months. We began learning sign at 3 mo. She received CI at 15 mo. Her Dr. told me ABSOLUTLY NO SIGNING.They even went so far to tell me “I could sign, but I would have to go some where else for the surgery.” Unbelivable. I’m not proud that I was not completely honest, but I know it is my choice as a mother to decide what is best for my child.
Kennedy is 2 now and I know we made the right decesion. Her speach is beautiful as well as her sign.Her speach therapist say “she is a poster child for CI” -just not at her Dr.s’ office
[…] For many d/Deaf people.. Oral method does not work for many d/Deaf people! Signs have been used by hearing babies before they could learn to speak! Making deaf babies wear cochlear implants just to learn a language by "hearing" it is ridiculous! There is something wrong with the picture. Hearing sign, deaf speak? [blockquote]http://deafbilingual.blogspot.com/ AGBell.info » New Deaf Bilingual Coalition Formed Ella’s Flashlight » AGBell: Elephant in the Deaf Room Best one of all: DEAF WORLD AS EYE SEE IT » The Greatest Irony / Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation![/blockquote] […]
[…] I was surprised that Jeannette wrote a very touching blog entry mentioning about my videoclip, “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation”, and I had to respond by leaving my comment on her blog. Then, immediately Jeannette contacted me […]
It is so hard to tell this one because I went to the oral school myself from 5 to 9 years old as I do not understand some. When I transfered to the deaf school and learned sign language quickly. I love it because I understand everything. When I was 13 years old as I really understand that I am deaf and wanted my mom to sign language. Somehow I got her to sign. One day I got home from school and signed language to her. She was so upset. I refused to talk. My mom decided to go and learned to go “Sign Language” class to learn. I was surprised that she did and started to talk with her as same time as I sign. Both of us were very happy. Smile That one is new as today if my mom knows, I am sure she will want me to be hearing for sure. It sounds great for deaf kids have their future.
I agree that I would want both things for my deaf baby; I would want the ability to interact with them through baby sign, but I would also want to concentrate on inmproving auditory skills. I feel that AVT does have benefits, but why focus so intently on ONE thing, auditory skills, when there is so much that can be done to help the deaf child improve their communication skills. Baby signs offers so many benefits for hearing babies, deaf babies, and the parents of both.
You have good point! my opinion is I agreed full this one of two program baby signs. Because who have hearing children of deaf parents, they will acquire sign language as their tongue mother, even they are hearing and same the baby of hearing parents. There’s a bit different the parent needs communicate with the hearing baby few months or years for only temporarily before come speech they won’t use it anymore, but it’s benefit 4 type. Other program AVT practice to hear all words? Amy you said you wanted to speak if u can hear! Really, as deaf person cannot hear but she/he can speak anyway. Other perspective, in Europe deaf people can speak with or without CI, hearing aid etc.. I have seen in US they can’t speak, most they use communication on base of written with the interaction hearing. Thanks Amy, great your excellent presentation and made me thinking of it.
Wow…wow!! This is a very powerful message and it hits home! I’ve watched your video several times, you are AMAZING! This is the best you’ve made on your blog/vlog! I’m sharing this with my friends and relatives. Very true on how ironic this is! I’m so glad there’s a voiceover and transcript for everyone to read/listen/watch your vlog! I know it will make a huge impact on many people! Thank you for taking the time to make this video and adding voiceover.
Keep on vlogging! Hands waving! Have a great n safe Labor Day Weekend!
Wow. This is a powerful message! Previously, when I was younger I babysat for a young *hearing* child who used ASL as her means of communication. It makes me so sad and frusterated that the Deaf-World can’t have the same thing for their babies.
Wow….I’m definitely going to share this site with others. Keep up the vlogs!
[…] are deaf children raised in sorrow who grow up to feel the pain they are children not allowed to see the signs They are children of AVT who are blanketed by AGB and they cry throughout the universe, broken […]
AWSOME, GOOD FOR BABIES LEARN WITH SIGN LANGAUGE FROM ATV UMMM ONE THINGS TALK ABOUT BABIES WITH CI REALLY I DONT LIKE IDEA START ON 6 MONTHS OLD BECAUSE WHEN IT PUT IN CI 6 MONTHS OLD AND CHILDREN WILL GROW UP AND WHAT SIZE OF CI ???? CAUSE IT WILL BE GONE LIKE PEABRAIN CI IT SHOULD BE WAIT UNTIL 7 YRS OLD BETWEEN TEENAGER MIGHT GET CI BETTER SIZE CI DUE SAVE MONEY $$$$$ DON”T SPENT WASTE REPLACE AGAIN CI ASL WILL BE GOOD FOR BABIES BEGINING WILL GROW UP BECAME SKILLS ASL BETTER
Children of AVT are not “broken”, but rather children with hearing loss and or deafness are missing a very important link to the hearing world. The hearing world is in the mainstream and unless some major catostrophic occurance arrives will always be the mainstream. To limit a child’s ability to access that world, in my opinion, is to keep them in a world with limited possibilities. AVT can and does work for many, it does not claim to be for all. Any AVT therapist who is good at what they do will recognize when a child is unable to continue to make progress and will recommend that they be taught sign language. Just as the hearing population can become bilingual at any age, so to can many of the people with hearing loss. If somethings are not learned and or heard by certain ages they can never be learned. From what I understand signing can be learned at any age, so why limit the ability to acquire hearing and spoken language? At best, learning to listen is a difficult task for many children with or without a hearing loss, but living in a society that puts limits on who can participate in that society is not one I would wish on any child. Give every person the ability to make a choice for themselves when the time is right for them.
Never in my videoclip that I said that Deaf children who receives AVT approach are “broken”, and I am emphasizing the importance of language development at early age as possible.
We both are genuinely concerned about the child’s language development, however we have a different views.
I believe that children who are exposed to sign langugage, especially American Sign Language as early as possible along with the AVT approach can be considered the logical thing to do for a child.
I am surprised that you would say “from what I understand signing can be learned at any age”, and indeed it happened for so many years that Deaf children who were subjected to restrictive oral approach first, then two or three years later, they were unable to continue to make a progress. Then teaching sign language later is a very cruel thing to do with a child, because this child is missing the window of opportunity to acquire a language! Many of us are struggling with it right now.
Language is not a learned thing for everyone, it is supposed to be a natural phenomena for all of us to be exposed/acquired.
You are emphasizing that listening and speaking are superior than sign languages just because the expectations of the child to assimilate to the society where they expects Deaf children to act just like all of us. I’m sorry I don’t buy this anymore. It is just wrong.
More findings indicate that Deaf children who were exposed to American Sign Language first, then received cochlear implant at age of 2 or 3, and undergone the AVT sessions, are speaking much faster, clearer and made quicker progress than other Deaf children who are not exposed to ASL first.
What is WRONG of having BOTH at the earliest possible age? No one is able to refute this yet, with appropriate data findings from an actual studies. All I’ve been hearing that ‘if you expose the child any visual cues (speechreading, lipreading, sign language) during the AVT approach) will impede the development of auditory channel.
OH PLLLEEEAASSSEEEEEE!
That is the most illogical argument I’ve ever heard and I’ll definitely question the validity of the data findings that comes up with this kind of conclusion.
Lastly - what is WRONG of adding ASL to the AVT process?
[…] Bahl’s guilty verdict, Jane K. Fernandes’ quote : ” I am not Deaf enough”, and the irony of using Baby Signs for babies who can hear, but Deaf babies are taught with the auditory verbal […]
You say,in your response “More findings indicate that Deaf children who were exposed to American Sign Language first, then received cochlear implant at age of 2 or 3, and undergone the AVT sessions, are speaking much faster, clearer and made quicker progress than other Deaf children who are not exposed to ASL first.” Where is your appropriate data?
Please refer to one blog, and it is a professional observation and statement from the AVT therapist…
“It hasn’t even been two months yet since his activation, so the (AVT) therapist is naturally pleased with his progress, then she something really interesting. She said that he was catching on quickly and that she’s starting to notice that consistently kids who have signed before their CI catch on more quickly than kids who don’t, probably because they have a language base. To which my thought is duh. I love that she is noticing this empirically, though. And then she said, “it’s a difficult position [being a parent]. I always thought that if I was in that situation I would just go to listening, but now I’m not so sure.”
If this AVT therapist is noticing this empirically, and I do really want to see research published on that, and unfortunately the fact is that most research are one-sided and favors one specific ideology.
I will assure you that there will be research data coming up which will support this AVT’s observations.
Thank you for asking me where is ‘your appropriate data?’ and please keep your mind open and explore possible benefits of having visual language early as possible, just like babies who can hear benefit getting Baby Signs early as possible.
Have any other AVT therapists expressed the same conclusions? I could be mistaken, but this came from the parent after a visit with the therapist not from the therapist. When do you think we can expect to see the research data that will support or deny this observation?
July 25th, 2007 at 10:42 am
I observed what you explained two approaches to help two babies - Baby Signs vs Baby Audio.
I am diagnostic developer for the hardware. I realized.
A box of ear function, a box of eye function, a box of nose, a box of tongue, and a box of sensor on body.
Each box must have inputs and outputs. Without inputs, the outputs would not happen.
So, each baby receives inputs from the outside in the first period and then each baby would produce in expression.
I have hard to explain in English but I can explain in ASL easily.
You can contact me directly at VP IP address: 63.86.211.4 if you wish. I can explain you what the behavior of hardware analogy to the behavior of human. Most of educators ignore other options.
Thanks,
Ramesh Phadke
July 25th, 2007 at 10:46 am
I had a hearing friend to listen to it and she loves it.
And she understood why Deaf Bilingual Coalition wants to have Deaf Babies to start learning ASL. She is very upset with AGBell about their ideology of not allowing sign language for deaf babies.
John F. Egbert
July 25th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Amy… Amy… Amy…
Thank you for adding voice over for the hearing audience. It is really an important one. Even if some of those parents with AVT/oral deaf child who ignore this, these hearing people who may one day end up with a deaf baby will benefit from this vlog! Thanks again!
July 25th, 2007 at 11:13 am
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH Amy! Glad you added voiceover…that will really expand your ‘message’ to people who hear and of course you know how quickly things move when the right info is out there!
Congrats and KEEP IT UP!!! You is FABOOOOO!!! xoxox
July 25th, 2007 at 11:16 am
This is one vlog that definitely needs voice over so the message can get out to more people, especially in light of this week’s coming protest at the AGBell conference. Many thanks to Tracie for donating her time. And thank you again, Amy, for bringing up this issue in the first place!
July 25th, 2007 at 11:20 am
I don’t understand why Hearing parents who doesn’t want to learn ASL with Deaf babies and Hearing parents want to learn ASL with Hearing babies!
Deaf babies belong to ASL and Hearing babies belong to verbal but Hearing babies can be learn ASL, it would be great for them. What about Deaf babies, they have to stick to learn ASL as primary and optional for AVT.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:27 am
I sent it to family and friends!
Thanks!
July 25th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Several hearing friends already listen to it and are both stunned and very disturbed that this practice is going on. They all say it doesn’t make sense and tragic for the deaf babies. One already used the signs with her baby with Down Syndrome and said it contributed significantly to his success.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:45 am
IamMine, good idea and thanks for your brilliant idea! I just sent to my family and friends, too! Smile! Thanks, Tracie for her donating her voicing time, too! Smile!
July 25th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Bravo!!! Already sent out the message to almost everyone on my address list! Thank you, Tracie and Amy!!!
~Ginny
July 25th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Yeah! I taught my kids to sign first to communicate before they started speaking.
About a couple of years ago, my friend and I went to a sushi restaurant. We saw the mother signing to the children. Of course, I *ASSumed* that the children were deaf and I asked ‘em about it.
Oops, the kids are perfect hearing and the mother of those kids told me that she knew that sign language is good for children to communicate at very early age! I was dumbfounded because she also said that she has *NO* connection to any deaf such as deaf family members or friends, and any deaf education. What prompted her to do it was that she and her hubby saw Koko the ape learning a few signs.
Interesting?
Thanks for the vlog!
July 25th, 2007 at 11:53 am
That will be great for Hearing Babies and Deaf Babies learn Sign Language and AVT. That will great idea because Deaf wont have worry ing to hire Sign Language interpreter or seprating school. So Deaf and Hearing Kids will be able go same school instead of Seprating school like hearing kids go hearing school and Deaf go deaf school and also same as church, doctors , hospitals so forth. Deaf will be able getting any job what ever they go and many jobs place are able to communicate with Deaf without hire interpreting. That is b etter idea. So Hearing kids and deaf will be able communication each other.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Great job, Amy! Yes, I like it how you clarified at the end about “I like BOTH.”
CI is here to stay. My son loves his CI. His speech and listening ksills show leaps and bounds and it is due to AVT.
ASL is here to stay. My son eloquently uses ASL with his Deaf and signing HOH peers and his Deaf family. He uses ASL interpreters for access in large groups.
Sure, ASL can be faded out if child shows benefit in using his hearing and speaking skills. If not, ASL is to stay.
Thanks agian, Amy for clarifying the two as I was alarmed to see the Deaf Community getting a wrong picture of AVT.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Awesome! Thank you for making it more accessible! I will forward it to all. I am thrilled to see this movement.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Amy, this is wonderful - pregnant with power and irony so clear the public can’t miss. A spontaneous English poem in honor of AVT-DB, DBC, and you people.
For Our Deaf Child
Soldier On! March On! Forge On!
For the Deaf Baby, for the Deaf Child.
Soldier On! March On! Forge On!
Toward Castle Volt and its people
Show them Our Powerful Book
Full of Research behind Sign
Love them, Embrace them
Have them Join us Celebrating
The True Power of First Language
Sign first, then Speak or Both.
Cherish the Deaf Baby, the Deaf Child
Soldier On! March on! Forge On!
July 25th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Amy,
In light of this very important Deaf issue, and the upcoming AGB protest, I have decided to hold off on my summer time storyblog about how I became deaf, that has been posted for the last couple of weeks on DeafRead. I want to make way for more important Deaf issues such as this one and not turn readers away because they are tired of seeing my posts. Your encore is highly worthy of being repeated and DeafRead is the appropriate venue. My storyblog belongs in my book, hopefully to be published one day soon. It was an experiment. I have just made a vlog post announcing this to make way for more important Deaf issues such as this one.
Thanks again for sharing this vlog series and for adding the voice over for those who can benefit.
Hugs,
~ LaRonda
July 25th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Amy, I just added your link to my blog where readers who have been debating may see the light. Thank you so much!
July 25th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Well, well, well, there you go girl as always.
AG Bell ignored the deaf babies and the sign language. They did NOT obey the Murphy’s Laws about the equal opportunity. The deaf babies MUST treat equally and fairly with the hearing babies in many, many ways.
All AG Bell truly CARES about the sounds, sounds, sounds and talk, talk, talk…that is all they want. No reading and writings UNTIL later in their age!
Come on, AG Bell!
Hugs as always,
White Ghost
July 25th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
LaRonda,
I’ve enjoyed reading your post, and I’m not tired of your post yet. Please continue posting your story!
July 25th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Amy, I posted awhile ago for LaRonda — that doesn’t mean I don’t like your Vlog. I really do agree with you that deaf babies do need visual communication. I hope that AGBAD members see the light from your Vlog. You’re the winner!
July 25th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Voilà ! The final note in your message is very positive. You have brought the total communication in your vlog: signing, sound, and captioning! (You beat CNN!) I hope that both THE MEDIA and the attendants of AGB Convention will be viewing your vlog this Saturday. Merci beaucoup with three-time French hugs Amy!
July 25th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
HI again,
One more thing I want to add is that infant screening is now being required in most states which means the earlier it will be when babies are found to be deaf. Normally cochlear implant occur between 12 to 18 months ( as early as 6 months occurs in Australia) so there is a time laspe before that where deaf babies are not able to get appropriate stimulation, signing, from their families.
It is dismaying when those so-called experts recommended listening and speech training BEFORE a baby is 6 months old to take advantage of the critical time window for learning language. WHAT? Even before they receive CI, they were encouraged to obtain this kind of training. How absurd! There is no way that it will help babies comprehend speech let alone to express it.
Now, it is time to fight back and take ownership for deaf babies to give the right direction to new parents of deaf babies. Oh by the way, guess who wrote that? Dr. K. Todd Houston who serves as an executive director and CEO of AGBAD! Go figure!
http://baby.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Infant_Hearing_Loss:_Dr._K._Todd_Houston_Interview
July 25th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Is anyone bit irked by what Anna S saying that ASL can fade out?
Anna, you’re wrong. ASL was here before hearing aids appeared. ASL was here before speech appeared. ASL was here before CIs appeared. And ASL will always be there even through the changes in Deaf Communities. As long as there are Deaf people in this country, ASL will remain here. The modes of communication, technological stuff will always adapt, but never replace ASL.
R-
July 25th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Ridor, re-read what Anna S said.
She isn’t talking about ASL in GENERAL but for her CI son.
She is very well aware ASL is here to stay for the Deaf Community.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Great vlog Amy!
July 25th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
I think what Anna meant was that if her deaf son could speak well, he would have a choice of either using ASL or not. It is about giving a child many choices of what they can use for communication purposes.
I myself am wondering how deaf children/adults can improve their communication with their hearing families. From what I’ve been reading along in the lines, people are saying that CI will help deaf child speak and hear well (which I find it hard to believe). So if they can speak well, they wouldn’t have problems communicating with their hearing members and hearing family members can also try to learn ASL as well. This is where I am a little confused about the message that we are trying to send out.
So if Bi-Bi methods are widely accepted in schools (which would be great), a deaf child can go in, knowing that there will be both ASL/English instruction and the deaf child can be fluent in both languages. Also will Bi-Bi education incorporate AVT as well and I wonder how this will work because it would require speech/listening skills.
Foremost, I am a little confused on how all of this will incorporate in one thing, will it make it a perfect balance for parents and deaf child alike because they will feel better knowing that the schools will provide speech/listening/AVT and at the same time provide ASL instruction in the classroom. So the deaf child will need to be taken out of the classroom and participate in speech/AVT therapy and then come back to the classroom for ASL instruction, is that what the proponents are trying to push for?
July 25th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Excuse me Amy, Iammine and Anna S.
To Mr Ridor.
I would like to speak To Mr Ridor ….. Sir! that is really make me thinking twice about the word you said -”ASL was here before hearing aids appeared and ASL was here before CIs appeared”
Hummm that is intersting on Issues “LINE WORD” as I like the date of history of fact. Of course I don’t blame you of that sir!
I have the feeling the guts about agree with you of the time were ASL was came here first then later Hearing aids and CI. Wow that make me wonder about it.
Again over the years make this already history change of battle fighing about which is the best …. that way!……that way!……that way!…….this way! and so on on on !
Why can we just look back in old timer the first place is already the being signs then improvment next level is ASL. It could follow up with bi/bi English/ASL to make it better and keep on ASL together in way back of the “old timer”. Some how it screw up by Crap Hearing Teachers listen the wrong path to the hell of it.
I love ASL and proud of it.
One more thing I want to say that hearing doctor is trying to work on next step is WHAT………
NEXT THINGS IS THAT DOCTORS IS WORKING ON THE CHIP TO PUT OUR HUMAN BRAIN IN THE FUTURE LIKE ROBOT…….. WHOA THAT IS HORRIBLE. It can happen any time.
Thank you
Davy
July 25th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Amy,
Thank you for making this educational piece more accessible!!! I look forward to sharing it!!!
Thanks,
Vikki
July 25th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
I am all for Amy Efron Cohen’s vlog about how deaf babies deserves the same opportunity as hearing babies on sign language exposure.
Anna S., I am happy to know that you say your son is functioning well among his hearing peers. What I do not understand is the negative connotation that is associated with ASL when you used the word “fade out” for those who no longer needs it. I find that to be conscendencing. What happened to bilingualism and maintaining both? It is like telling Asians, Latinos and so on that their or ancestors’ language should fade out because they are literate in English.
I personally do not feel we should be influenced by our own country’s ethnocentric attitude about being monolingual and instead, embrace bilingualism or even better, mulitilingualism! I am disheartened and saddened by this such ethnocentric and ignorant attitude on the part of anyone. For Pete’s sake, America is the most diverse country.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Waaaaaaaaaay to go!!
Thanks for educating me this such valuable information and how you have carefully correlate the two issues before us and then mention us the irony of it. Thanks so much!
Keep that up Amy.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I am so disgusted with USA Today. We need to inform USA that they got the wrong information about Bell.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2007-07-25-whitacre_N.htm
Bell did not invent the telephone. He stole it from
Antonio Meucci!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention_of_the_telephone
July 26th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Amy,Thanks for sharing this valuable information to all of us.There are a number of valid reasons why the parents might want to learn basic American Sign Language and use it as the language for meaningful, open communication in the home. First of all, research has shown that ASL presents to the child a visual-motor feedback system that parallels the auditory-articulatory(hearing-speaking) system utilized by hearing children in their spoken language. In fact some scholars feel that ASL should be the primary language presented to all children who are hearing or deaf becasue it can help and readily affords access to the school curriculum. Other researchers even go so far as to state that there is adequate theoretical support to promote the incorporation of ASL in a bilingual program as a tool to teach English literacy skills. By learning ASL , the parents will be provding their child the opportunity to interact meaningfully with memebers of both the deaf and hearing cultures. ASL is a visual language that is based on visual principles therefore ASL will in no way be a detraction, In fact having a strong language base(ASL) can enhance the development of a second language. I want to share what my children have experienced. My children attended public schools(elementary and middle schools). Sign Language is a part of the everyday instruction in the classrooms.(Inclusion in the classroom setting)This is accomplished by integrating sign language into the regular curriculum using the subject as the stimuulus for the vocabulary/spelling structure. Several teachers have noted that the formely poor spellers(who are hearing)have improved since using sign as a teaching tool They believe it is the communication of visual and kinesthetic stimuli. Teachers can see who knows what because students answer many questions simultaneously in sign rather than one student at a time. Teachers have found they like that method. Also the entire student body (over 1200 students) sign the school song, the pledge to the flag and so forth.It really is a sight to see! I thanked the teachers for supporting the idea of using this method. Also thanked the interpreters. This is a brief overview and there are still many issuses to address, but the idea is that kids should have the opportunity to learn ASL. Happy Signing! cheers..
July 26th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
AMY,
I AM AGAINST CI. I WANT TO SAVE OUR ASL MAKE BEAUTIFYL. I DONT BELEIVE CI WILL HELP THE BABIES. GOD GIVE THE PARENT TO LEARN THAT BABIES MAKE FROM GOD BLESS FOR DEAF BABIES. IT IS NORMAL BIRTH OF DEAF BABIES, NOT NEEDED CI.
DEE
July 26th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Hooray! I loved your message! Here, here!
(I’ve been watching vlogs to help improve my ASL, and I actually UNDERSTOOD a lot of it before voiceover. Woohoo!)
July 27th, 2007 at 9:23 am
Hey Amy,
I have so much things to say but I will hold on that for now because I’m at work and I’m anxious to tell you this now that I think you did a fantastic job on this video, well not only this one but all videos, also. It is good to have people like you who spent a lot of time to research and stuff to make us think.. think hard. We all owe it to you!
I was thrilled because so I can forward this to my family where they can forward to their friends/families to understand better.
Thank you, thank you!
Let’s get the message OUT!
Beautifully well said, Amy!
-SG
July 27th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I am a CODA and am very proud that ASL was my first language! My parents made sure that whatever my needs were, I could express it to them. Even though they were raised differently (i.e. oral school and deaf school), they wanted only one language for us to communicate. And later on, I always knew that when I would start my family, I would teach my kids sign language so that they could communicate with their grandparents and other deaf family friends. I am also a teacher and it is my goal to teach in a school in a classroom where deaf and hearing children attend. I didn’t realize what AVT was and how detrimental it is to deaf babies and deaf children. By not allowing babies to learn using all of their senses and by imitation, we are in fact, depriving these babies of language. My parents always told me that communication is number ONE! Now that I have a 2 year old daughter who signs and speaks, I can see how signing has helped both my husband and I to communicate with her and for her to communicate with us. She is an avid talker and does have a high vocabulary but her sign receptive skills are great too. If she does not know how to say a word and knows the sign for it, she will sign it. She is starting to sign 3-4 word phrases and ask questions using signs. I think sign language is a very powerful language and no matter what is here to stay. I think that the hearing world needs to hear it more and that more and more people will need to take a stand to include sign language as part of developing language for deaf babies and children. Just like Amy said, the new technology that keeps popping up are tools and devices to help the deaf communicate better with others… these devices and tools will not change their hearing status permanently. A person who is born deaf will always be deaf and that is AWESOME! Why does that need to be fixed? What is wrong with being deaf? My parents are the best role-models I could ever have and they showed me that their deafness was not a disability and that they should not be treated any differently.
July 27th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Amy,
Ok here I am again with more time.
Well, I cannot believe either, we all can’t understand why both can’t have baby signs rather than just hearing babies only can.
But one thing I wonder if that’s the big reason why they feel it is OK for hearing babies to learn baby signs is because they know once they grow, they will outgrown sign language and forget about it later.
So, with deaf babies, they smell “fear” for the fact that they will never outgrow sign language so instead, they feel they should just forbid deaf babies to develop baby signs then to become fond of using ASL. So, they can easily teach them orally and such.
I mean for the fact that very high percent of kids who grew up orally then become ASL signers at later age after they graduated so basically ASL is the winner and always will be.
They knew that but will not admit it so probably they try harder as possible to keep them away from any type of sign languages.
Sad, I know. Let’s do something we all can to make the world for the better.
-SG
July 28th, 2007 at 7:12 am
Nice approach, Amy. Good job!
I am sorry to bring this up that I don’t like the motto of A.V.T.
“Eliminating deafness as the society knows”
Just as KKK’s motto “eliminating black as the society knows” and Nazi’s “eliminating Jewish as the society knows.”
I condemn A.V.T.’s motto. It must be removed or at least rephased as appropriate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 31st, 2007 at 2:28 am
[…] 2007, I was surprised that Jeanette wrote a very touching blog entry mentioning about my videoclip, “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation”, and I had to respond by leaving my comment on her blog. Then, immediately Jeanette contacted me […]
August 1st, 2007 at 12:26 am
I still Can’t understand why FDA listen AVT more than Deaf Professional who know Baby Signs better, FDA seems to choose AVT more importants than Deaf Professional in that fields, and Many other countries they are greatly oppressed Deaf Community. They easily dominate the politics over Deaf community. This country We, Deaf people, know better than AVT! It does not make any sense!
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Amy, I totally agree with you 100%! Keep up the good work. Both of my hearing and deaf children have been using ASL since they were infants. Now my deaf child has a CI. ASL is a huge benefit for both hearing and deaf babies!
DeafParent
August 5th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
[…] NOTE to Audiologists who visited my blog: Thank you for visiting my blog, and before you read this, I suggest you to watch my videoclip first: “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation”, […]
August 7th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Finally caught up on reading this one! I am proud of you, Amy for doing this! I would recommend throwing AVT out the window! It ain’t worth it.
It has no benefits for deaf babies.
Ridor hits right on the nail. ASL was here before those technological crap. ASL Forever is what we can deal with!
=)
August 8th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
[…] President of NAD and Nancy Bloch, Executive Director of NAD inviting them to view this videoclip, “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation” along with Parent’s and Audiologist’s responses. They responded back promptly with […]
August 9th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Amy - Your presentation is what parents, physicians and teachers should know. Learning is not based on a single sense, i.e. hearing. In fact the interaction among the working senses is the key to learning. Should we assume that without hearing, children cannot learn anything?
Yerker
August 10th, 2007 at 7:45 am
Thank you for your thoughtful post. My son (age 2) is deaf-blind. We were told that he would probably not be able to sign because of his poor vision. We got him hearing aids and tried signing with him but at 22 months when he was making no communication progress we got him a CI and enrolled him in AVT. We decided that we would continue to expose our son to ASL, although we were not sure that he would ever sign. I am pleased to say that Noah said his first word (ball) a month later and his first sign (more) two months after that. It was important to us that our son learn to communicate, and he is now able to do that through an extensive oral vocabulary and about a dozen (and growing) signs. I am curious if there is research that says that deaf children get some of the same benefits as hearing children (particularly higher IQ and increased oral vocabulary) when they learn ASL as babies? Also, the impression that I got when looking in my local area is that most total communication programs don’t focus enough on either ASL or speech to the extent that a child can be successful and they just end up hindered and confused. Do you find this to be the case? I think it would be great if deaf children could get both AVT and signing. It has worked well for us!
August 11th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I’m fourteen and was born profoundly deaf. My parents decided to give me a cochlear implant so I could hear. I had auditory verbal therapy to help me learn to listen with my implant and talk. I benefited from this therapy. I excel at school and interact very well with the hearing community. I play three different sports which are basketball,tennis, and baseball. My parents gave me what was best for me which was to hear. I am better off hearing and I think will be more successful in life because of it. I am thankful for what my parents did for me. I bond with my parents very well without signing. I believe that if I was signing instead, I wouldn’t be excelling in school, playing in competitive sports, and talking at all. Also, if I learned sign first then tried to learn to hear and talk, the talking would be much harder. If I signed instead, and decided I wanted to talk at this age, I would struggle and be frustrated. I would be at a different school where signing is offered, and I would have a lower reading and writing level. It is hard to go through life without reading or writing English well. We get information through reading. If I want to sign, I can, and I might someday. Signing would help me communicate with the deaf, but would the Deaf want to communicate with me? I have heard some Deaf say they do not like cochlear implants. My hearing friends do not mind my implant. I would rather hear and speak rather than sign.
August 13th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Hi Amy,
As a parent of a child with hearing loss, my husband and I chose as a family for our child to listen and speak. We do not regret this decision as I’m sure your parents do not regret the choice they made for you. Our choice was based on research as well as visiting ASL, Total, Oral, and AV programs. It was not made without thought, research, and prayer. It was one of the most important decisions of our lives. My son’s AV training has been a family endeavor. My bond with him is close and deep. A bond developed via spoken language. His spoken language has developed rapidly without sign. His vocabulary is above age level as is his intelligence. My child’s self esteem is out of this world. During our AV training my child’s therapist did not cover his mouth or instruct him to look away. All instruction was and is natural; thus his speech, intonation and fluency are natural. Whild the therapy is “intensive” due to the commitment we as a family has made it is not unreasonable nor unrealistic. AVT can begin before 6 months and continues until the child’s language is age appropriate. My child has been in our program for 3 years and is almost finished. We do not use sign or lipreading; however, it’s in order to facilitate his auditory development. It’s not that we are ashamed of his hearing loss. I’d be happy to provide research as to AVT’s effectiveness related to the concerns you mentioned. We have visited our State’s School for the Deaf. A 4th grade reading level was the average for the Senior Class. This is not a statistic we were happy with for our child.
Your parent’s chose for you to sign thus your personal opinion is shaped by that choice. The adults we have met who are AV have a positive opinion about AV-a choice made by their parents. Life is about choice- our parents shape us and choose what is believed to be the best for us. We have chosen a path for our child just as a path was chosen for you. My son can choose to sign. He will be supported fully. Just as if he were ASL and later chooses to listen and speak. We chose to follow a program, AVT, which does not implement sign during spoken language acquisition for a reason. There is research about this as well.
Please know that we support your choice. We hope that you could support ours. Do not condemn us for a choice made out of love and devotion to our child. Visit and AV program, meet with its graduates. We all want what we believe is best for our children. On that I believe we can agree.
August 13th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I am the mother of a 30 year old daughter with a profound loss in one ear and a severe loss in the other. We put her in AVT as a child. She was mainstreamed into the regular classroom beginning in Kindergarten. She graduated from high school a good student both academically and physically (played softball), got a scholarship to college, finished three years and is now a firefighter. We were always encouraged to teach her ASL when she was a little older. That enabled her to communicate with both those that know ASL and those that don’t. I was an advocate of using whatever and however many approaches my daughter needed to be successful. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about AVT. As I said, we were encouraged to have her learn ASL AFTER learning the AVT aproach. I strongly disagree with one of the previous posters comparing AVT to the KKK! As an African-American woman let me be clear that there is no comparison!!! For those that don’t believe in aiding or CI, I ask this question…when you go to the eye doctor because your sight is getting bad, do you buy glasses, contacts, lasik vision or forget about it so that you don’t offend the blind culture? I think that most people buy the glasses.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
My daughter has a profound loss in both ears, she was identified at 2 months. We began learning sign at 3 mo. She received CI at 15 mo. Her Dr. told me ABSOLUTLY NO SIGNING.They even went so far to tell me “I could sign, but I would have to go some where else for the surgery.” Unbelivable. I’m not proud that I was not completely honest, but I know it is my choice as a mother to decide what is best for my child.
Kennedy is 2 now and I know we made the right decesion. Her speach is beautiful as well as her sign.Her speach therapist say “she is a poster child for CI” -just not at her Dr.s’ office
August 19th, 2007 at 3:28 am
[…] For many d/Deaf people.. Oral method does not work for many d/Deaf people! Signs have been used by hearing babies before they could learn to speak! Making deaf babies wear cochlear implants just to learn a language by "hearing" it is ridiculous! There is something wrong with the picture. Hearing sign, deaf speak? [blockquote]http://deafbilingual.blogspot.com/ AGBell.info » New Deaf Bilingual Coalition Formed Ella’s Flashlight » AGBell: Elephant in the Deaf Room Best one of all: DEAF WORLD AS EYE SEE IT » The Greatest Irony / Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation![/blockquote] […]
August 19th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
[…] I was surprised that Jeannette wrote a very touching blog entry mentioning about my videoclip, “The Greatest Irony - Voice Interpreted - Encore Presentation”, and I had to respond by leaving my comment on her blog. Then, immediately Jeannette contacted me […]
August 27th, 2007 at 12:08 am
It is so hard to tell this one because I went to the oral school myself from 5 to 9 years old as I do not understand some. When I transfered to the deaf school and learned sign language quickly. I love it because I understand everything. When I was 13 years old as I really understand that I am deaf and wanted my mom to sign language. Somehow I got her to sign. One day I got home from school and signed language to her. She was so upset. I refused to talk. My mom decided to go and learned to go “Sign Language” class to learn. I was surprised that she did and started to talk with her as same time as I sign. Both of us were very happy. Smile That one is new as today if my mom knows, I am sure she will want me to be hearing for sure. It sounds great for deaf kids have their future.
August 28th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I agree that I would want both things for my deaf baby; I would want the ability to interact with them through baby sign, but I would also want to concentrate on inmproving auditory skills. I feel that AVT does have benefits, but why focus so intently on ONE thing, auditory skills, when there is so much that can be done to help the deaf child improve their communication skills. Baby signs offers so many benefits for hearing babies, deaf babies, and the parents of both.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
You have good point! my opinion is I agreed full this one of two program baby signs. Because who have hearing children of deaf parents, they will acquire sign language as their tongue mother, even they are hearing and same the baby of hearing parents. There’s a bit different the parent needs communicate with the hearing baby few months or years for only temporarily before come speech they won’t use it anymore, but it’s benefit 4 type. Other program AVT practice to hear all words? Amy you said you wanted to speak if u can hear! Really, as deaf person cannot hear but she/he can speak anyway. Other perspective, in Europe deaf people can speak with or without CI, hearing aid etc.. I have seen in US they can’t speak, most they use communication on base of written with the interaction hearing. Thanks Amy, great your excellent presentation and made me thinking of it.
September 1st, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Wow…wow!! This is a very powerful message and it hits home! I’ve watched your video several times, you are AMAZING! This is the best you’ve made on your blog/vlog! I’m sharing this with my friends and relatives. Very true on how ironic this is! I’m so glad there’s a voiceover and transcript for everyone to read/listen/watch your vlog! I know it will make a huge impact on many people! Thank you for taking the time to make this video and adding voiceover.
Keep on vlogging! Hands waving! Have a great n safe Labor Day Weekend!
September 12th, 2007 at 10:51 am
Wow. This is a powerful message! Previously, when I was younger I babysat for a young *hearing* child who used ASL as her means of communication. It makes me so sad and frusterated that the Deaf-World can’t have the same thing for their babies.
Wow….I’m definitely going to share this site with others. Keep up the vlogs!
September 19th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
[…] are deaf children raised in sorrow who grow up to feel the pain they are children not allowed to see the signs They are children of AVT who are blanketed by AGB and they cry throughout the universe, broken […]
September 20th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
AWSOME, GOOD FOR BABIES LEARN WITH SIGN LANGAUGE FROM ATV UMMM ONE THINGS TALK ABOUT BABIES WITH CI REALLY I DONT LIKE IDEA START ON 6 MONTHS OLD BECAUSE WHEN IT PUT IN CI 6 MONTHS OLD AND CHILDREN WILL GROW UP AND WHAT SIZE OF CI ???? CAUSE IT WILL BE GONE LIKE PEABRAIN CI IT SHOULD BE WAIT UNTIL 7 YRS OLD BETWEEN TEENAGER MIGHT GET CI BETTER SIZE CI DUE SAVE MONEY $$$$$ DON”T SPENT WASTE REPLACE AGAIN CI ASL WILL BE GOOD FOR BABIES BEGINING WILL GROW UP BECAME SKILLS ASL BETTER
September 21st, 2007 at 1:51 am
Children of AVT are not “broken”, but rather children with hearing loss and or deafness are missing a very important link to the hearing world. The hearing world is in the mainstream and unless some major catostrophic occurance arrives will always be the mainstream. To limit a child’s ability to access that world, in my opinion, is to keep them in a world with limited possibilities. AVT can and does work for many, it does not claim to be for all. Any AVT therapist who is good at what they do will recognize when a child is unable to continue to make progress and will recommend that they be taught sign language. Just as the hearing population can become bilingual at any age, so to can many of the people with hearing loss. If somethings are not learned and or heard by certain ages they can never be learned. From what I understand signing can be learned at any age, so why limit the ability to acquire hearing and spoken language? At best, learning to listen is a difficult task for many children with or without a hearing loss, but living in a society that puts limits on who can participate in that society is not one I would wish on any child. Give every person the ability to make a choice for themselves when the time is right for them.
September 21st, 2007 at 5:33 am
Elaine,
Never in my videoclip that I said that Deaf children who receives AVT approach are “broken”, and I am emphasizing the importance of language development at early age as possible.
We both are genuinely concerned about the child’s language development, however we have a different views.
I believe that children who are exposed to sign langugage, especially American Sign Language as early as possible along with the AVT approach can be considered the logical thing to do for a child.
I am surprised that you would say “from what I understand signing can be learned at any age”, and indeed it happened for so many years that Deaf children who were subjected to restrictive oral approach first, then two or three years later, they were unable to continue to make a progress. Then teaching sign language later is a very cruel thing to do with a child, because this child is missing the window of opportunity to acquire a language! Many of us are struggling with it right now.
Language is not a learned thing for everyone, it is supposed to be a natural phenomena for all of us to be exposed/acquired.
You are emphasizing that listening and speaking are superior than sign languages just because the expectations of the child to assimilate to the society where they expects Deaf children to act just like all of us. I’m sorry I don’t buy this anymore. It is just wrong.
More findings indicate that Deaf children who were exposed to American Sign Language first, then received cochlear implant at age of 2 or 3, and undergone the AVT sessions, are speaking much faster, clearer and made quicker progress than other Deaf children who are not exposed to ASL first.
What is WRONG of having BOTH at the earliest possible age? No one is able to refute this yet, with appropriate data findings from an actual studies. All I’ve been hearing that ‘if you expose the child any visual cues (speechreading, lipreading, sign language) during the AVT approach) will impede the development of auditory channel.
OH PLLLEEEAASSSEEEEEE!
That is the most illogical argument I’ve ever heard and I’ll definitely question the validity of the data findings that comes up with this kind of conclusion.
Lastly - what is WRONG of adding ASL to the AVT process?
Amy Cohen Efron
September 22nd, 2007 at 9:21 pm
[…] Bahl’s guilty verdict, Jane K. Fernandes’ quote : ” I am not Deaf enough”, and the irony of using Baby Signs for babies who can hear, but Deaf babies are taught with the auditory verbal […]
September 23rd, 2007 at 11:01 pm
You say,in your response “More findings indicate that Deaf children who were exposed to American Sign Language first, then received cochlear implant at age of 2 or 3, and undergone the AVT sessions, are speaking much faster, clearer and made quicker progress than other Deaf children who are not exposed to ASL first.” Where is your appropriate data?
September 23rd, 2007 at 11:10 pm
In response to Elaine,
Please refer to one blog, and it is a professional observation and statement from the AVT therapist…
“It hasn’t even been two months yet since his activation, so the (AVT) therapist is naturally pleased with his progress, then she something really interesting. She said that he was catching on quickly and that she’s starting to notice that consistently kids who have signed before their CI catch on more quickly than kids who don’t, probably because they have a language base. To which my thought is duh. I love that she is noticing this empirically, though. And then she said, “it’s a difficult position [being a parent]. I always thought that if I was in that situation I would just go to listening, but now I’m not so sure.”
http://covblogs.com/diber/archives/022140.html
If this AVT therapist is noticing this empirically, and I do really want to see research published on that, and unfortunately the fact is that most research are one-sided and favors one specific ideology.
I will assure you that there will be research data coming up which will support this AVT’s observations.
Thank you for asking me where is ‘your appropriate data?’ and please keep your mind open and explore possible benefits of having visual language early as possible, just like babies who can hear benefit getting Baby Signs early as possible.
September 24th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Have any other AVT therapists expressed the same conclusions? I could be mistaken, but this came from the parent after a visit with the therapist not from the therapist. When do you think we can expect to see the research data that will support or deny this observation?
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:16 pm
What is your comment on the site below?
http://www.hearingexchange.com/blogs/?p=70.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
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