Biased against oral????
Two misguided deaf men have been saying that I am against oralism. And that I have no right to educate parents of deaf babies the potential of using ASL starting at the age of 6 months.
Thousands of hearing babies across America now are being taught Signs at the age of 6 months because their vocal chords are not developed to learn speech yet until about 18 months. Research have proven that the babies pick up speech much faster and have more vocabulary than the babies that did not learn sign language!
Deaf babies are no different from hearing babies and they both will not develop speech around before the age of 18 months. Do you think it would be logical to teach deaf babies sign language at the age of 6 months before any attempt to try to teach speech? If it makes sense, why should deaf babies be forbidden to learn sign language by AGBell and AVT? But why is it alright for hearing babies to learn sign language?
If you watch my video “Oral is an Accessory”, do you see me having any bias toward oral training as an accessory part of education if the parents so choose?
These two guys, Mike McConnell and Paotie should stop misleading the public about me supposedly being against deaf children acquiring oral skills.
Posted on October 30th, 2007 by egbertpress
Filed under: Uncategorized
Champ!!!! I love it
So, Mike McConnell is too worried about removing the mode of communication as he used to become oppressive. He is frozen in the past
Paotie, you are extremely stubborn and you have been powerful in your comments.. It seems me that you have trouble communicating with John.
Are you America Mexican?
Mike McConnell and Paotie, I want to see your ASL fluently for this reason, to prove to me your ability on video.
I often do research- the international deaf world fight to move on become bilingual in sign language and written forms from many other nations.
John
You do it moving on and fighting for the right ASL with your confidence in the future to open many doors to see new worlds that change a lot for the better. .
Oralism has been biased against ASL and us since 1880.
So skrew them!
We have every right to use ASL.
The oppressors need to go to jail for abuses, lies and corruption.
=)
I do not see mc connell and paotie attacking your mission. They seem to agree, but they do see the benefits of range of options since there are so many variability among deaf hoh children. Remember mc connell and Paotie are hard of hearing, never been deaf then became hoh from CI. They do not share the same as those born deaf who struggled thru childhood without signs.
It is not too surprising that CI individuals and oralists have a burning longing to join the bandwagon of “cultural identity” to give themselves some kind of meaning to and about their hybrid, pseudolingusitic upbringing. Oralism is a tool; it is an accessory; it is a physical mechanism and manifestation of a phonocentric model. For one to attribute, infuse, imbue or inject societal notions such as “culture” in a practice that is linguistically vacant, devoid, and abysmal–is absurd and illogical.
They have a longing to belonging; as they grow, they undergo a form of an enculturation in which such social aspects are available, but where a full language does not exist. They aim to make that connection happen; to bridge the gap that is their identity.
By absorbing imaginary cultural notions, they unwittingly sponsor the perpetuation of earlier oralist principles, as well as the ideological, attitudinal and behavioral associations with them, which had fostered them–with and by some deficit and combustive analysis about the composition of their own identity. In the act of doing so, they give meaning to themselves. They find contentment and salvation in the rationalization, as well as the rationale, of their artificially integrated identity. They are products of a phonocentric ideology and producers of it.
To punish them would only seem savage and unjust. They do need some time to crawl out of their manufactured and fractured shell.
Only then can they realize in a powerful awakening that oralism is not a language; that they never had a complete identity in matters of language; that language is everything, for through and with it is one’s identity therein manifested.
ASL has been and is the answer.
-Sephar Malevolas
Hmmmm… I never got an impression from both McConnell and Paotie being against you… more, they just tell you their perspections and they also admit to being fluent in ASL. Even McConnell said that he supported the babies learning ASL. I believe that they see that ASL is not the only answer to all the deaf people… they think that cued speech, SEE, etc., could benefit SOME deaf people, depending on their backgrounds and so forth. Like my profoundly deaf (late deafended) son is comfortable in using the oral method, being mainstreamed but also fluent in ASL due to living with the deaf family and having deaf friends. We all come from different backgrounds and we need to respect each other’s beliefs.
It is always good to hear other people’s perspectives, even we may disagree with them. It helps bring out a more bigger picture, that is all.
Paotie and McConnell are far from being misguided men. I have not read any one of their blogs or comments that directly stated to you that you have no right to educate parents of deaf babies the potential of using ASL starting at the age of 6 months, or that you are against oralism. However, people can read your blog, and perhaps form their own decision that YOU are misleading the public about them. PARENTS make the ultimate decision on how they want to educate, or communicate with their child. Do you know my children? Do you know what is best for my children? No, that is MY decision. I need to research, gather information, etc, on what methods work best for MY children. What are their struggles? What are their strengths? We ALL need to come together and educate parents of ALL the options there are for their deaf child. We need to stop bashing other peoples views and come together so that we can help our future deaf children become the best that they can be.
John ..
How old are you, man? You look like a well-adjusted individual, so why do you need to post a juvenile blog about things you don’t know about? You don’t know me and I never said you couldn’t or shouldn’t teach hearing parents to incorporate ASL into their child’s education.
You said my point perfectly at Ben’s blog: “And yes, I asked my parents those questions and they regretfully told me that it was the AGBell and its associates that told my parents not to have me learn any sign language.”
What I’ve been suggesting to you is that the blame for your experiences do not lie SOLELY with AGBell - your parents are also responsible. THEY made the choice for YOU to learn oralism. AGBell did not kidnap you and then torture you by forcing you to endure hours upon hours of watching “Uncle Ed” to learn oralism.
Ironically, you are proving the very point I made in comments at my blog: you toss words like, “hate” about easily and with wanton abandon, disregarding the consequences. It is little wonder that hearing parents who listen to AGBell tend to believe them when people like you act the way you do.
You’re still proving my point right, John.
When you drop the “hate” games and words, and start appreciating other people’s opinions without regressing into painting tales of you trying to “save” deaf people, you’ll get much further than you are now.
Okay?
:o)
Paotie
Floridagirl,
I want to see you explain quantum physics so I can know you’re able to think critically beyond your ability to sign in ASL.
Is John your sanchito?
:o)
Paotie
Margie,
Many of us do want to work with all parents of deaf babies because we have been through many experience that you are still learning right now.
Read this from a hearing mother that was in today’s post of Carl Schroeder and this is what is going on all across the country;
My name is Beth and I am the proud hearing Mom to Lily who is Deaf age 2 1/2! My current ASL 3 teacher (Laura Smith, Deaf, Deaf parents, and new you in your Maryland days) recommended I check out your sight for resources. Your sight is very informative but I would like some input on our current situation.
Lily was diagnosed with hearing loss at age 1 (May 06 mod-severe bilateral) and we immediatly entered early intervention services. She was diagnosed in Maryland (Thank God!) The first Audiologist that diagnosed her told me no matter what technology decissions you make for your, she will need ASL as her first language. The MD School of the Deaf spent countless hours with me. We moved to Southern VA in May of 06 for family support. My area now is so oral I could be sick and I am Thankful she was diagnosed in MD.
We are very involved in the Deaf Community here and all of my resources come from the Deaf Community. If I had to rely on the hearing world for guidance I would be in a big mess. I am trying to raise my daughter as a Deaf parent who would raise their Deaf child. I want her to be proud of the heritage that belongs to her. I have a brilliant child who has hearing loss. I am proud to say at 2 1/2 she has over a 1000 sign vocab and signs 5 to 6 sign phrases. Every person who works with Lily is floored by her communication skills. Her speech is moving along (when she is aided she is hearing at 35 dbs) but I have made it quite clear that this isn’t about speech it is about literacy. Lily is bright and deserves to be kept on grade level English literacy skills. She loves to read and she signs to me that English is a different language and can show me a word and then do the correct sign. If this child didn’t have ASL as bright as she is she would be a mess.
The sticky issue is her issue with education. Part C services have been good but as we transition into B it stinks. I started her transition at age 2 because I knew it would be drawn out. We currently have an unsigned IEP which is going to mediation. The classroom the school felt was appropriate was unacceptable in my eyes. If a hearing parent of a bright hearing child was told their child would be in a classroom with no one that spoke their language they would riot. Why doesn’t this apply to us?
I have observed every Deaf and HOH programs in my area and most all of them stink. The ones that are better are out of my district and being a single Mom I need the help of family to facilitate my daughters needs. I wish I had the financial ability to be move to an area that has great residential schools but I don’t.
I feel like I am the only hearing parent that gets it! My area has a monopoly on AVT and it is sad. Parents in my area are brainwashed by these people. There are several doctors we don’t see anymore because they tell me I am ruining my daughters life by not making her oral so she is “normal” We have had previous doctors appointments where parents of oral-deaf kids would make us sit in a seperate room so their child would not see sign language.
I am working with several Deaf and hearing educators to start a grass roots movement for change. I am the parent voice of our group. My battle has been so intense and Lily is only 2!
I am looking for guidance and opinions!
I am knew to the Blog world but I have enjoyed reading about other peoples situations!
Smiles……………Beth and Lily
Margie, Mike McConnell wrote a post about deaf people having poor English language on their blogs and also wrote many ego informations about himself such as rejecting phd studies at U of Maryland and glorified himself about how he can talk on the phone, etc. He is all about himself while people like me care about deaf babies and children in schools that are being deprived by self-centered ideology of AGBell and AVT. It is my calling to help many naive parents of deaf babies and children in schools.
In the past 100 years of AGBell’s ideology of oral only methods have produced many horror stories of their experiences in oral only method education. Enough is Enough. Let’s listen to those who have experienced both worlds of oral and sign language education methods.
Anna S ..
You are not qualified to make statements about people you do not know personally.
McConnell is HOH.
I am Deaf AND deaf.
:o)
Paotie
Here is a comment someone else left at my blog specifically for you, John:
I am an oral deaf and understand that your concern is for deaf babies’ development of language between 0 to 3 years of age. I’ve read your comments in other blogs, so I’m aware of the view you have regarding the use of ASL for deaf babies so that their language development proceeds and their education is not hindered.
What Paotie has tried to tell you is that ultimately it is the PARENTS who make the decision for their deaf child, not the educators, not AGB, not the Deaf culture. Yes, I know, the deaf child doesn’t get to choose– I certainly did not have CHOICE. I understand where the anger you feel is coming from. However, the parents are the ones who have the ultimate responsibility for their deaf child, not the schools, not the hearing world, and not the Deaf community. They are the ones who have to raise that child, like it or not, and some parents do not do a very good job, granted. The parents have enough dilemnas concerning their deaf child and family life that they don’t need this highly-charged, politicized atmosphere in which to make that decision. They are very likely to resent the interference in what should be a private family matter, and suddenly their deaf child becomes the pawn between two warring sides.
Paotie also speaks of how when you “demonize†one side, you are actually drawing a great deal of attention to the opposite side and that is going to work against what you are really trying to do. Yes, AGB is aggressive, but it will make them look bad if you present the statistics (just the facts, ma’am) in a positive presentation without bad-mouthing AGB and leave the emotion out of it. To make the other side look bad is to make the parents wonder what your agenda is, what AGB’s agenda is, and why all this animosity, when their primary concerns are their deaf child and how the decision, whatever it is, will impact the entire family, not just the child himself only.
BTW, Paotie is not against ASL. He hopes that a re-definition of deafness to include the entire deaf spectrum, without requiring all of them to sign, will actually help to save ASL and keep it a current language. You can’t make an HOH, for example, embrace ASL, if he doesn’t want to. Beat him over the head by requiring ASL as a qualification to join the club, and you’re going to have exactly what AGB has done– that’s one very angry deaf man. If the Deaf culture embraces all the deaf without qualifications, such deaf are likely to embrace ASL in turn BECAUSE of those open arms. And such deaf can contribute and enrich the deaf world.
Lastly, when you say someone hates you, the remark implies someone personally attacks you. Paotie doesn’t hate you, he has never actually said so, he certainly disagrees with what you say but that is what these blogs are for, a forum for discussion– not everybody is going to agree. The discussions open up new ideas and require some critical thinking, and the deaf world needs to see these ideas and different viewpoints.
—
See?
:o)
Paotie
Paotie,
I regretfully used the word hate and should have said something like that you enjoying bashing me and usually do not give a straight answer to my questions. You seem to have the talent to go off point and have fun poking around this issue.
For example, Florida girl wanted you to Vlog to show yourself signing ASL but you did not even mention anything about this and acted like a smart ass and it properly that you are a coward to reveal who you really are. Nobody seems to know who you are.
Has Mike McConnell done a Vlog? Are you both shy or cowards?
John
Paotie,
Why don’t you start a coalition if you think you have a better strategy to help the parents of deaf babies.
I think my strategy will be much more effective while I think yours will take another 100 years.
You do your way and I will do my way, it takes two to tango. Maybe you should try to tell us your strategy rather than tell me what I am doing wrong.
John
John,
How do you assume that I am still learning? How did you come to that conclusion?
Margie,
You just said:
“Do you know what is best for my children? No, that is MY decision. I need to research, gather information, etc, on what methods work best for MY children. What are their struggles? What are their strengths? We ALL need to come together and educate parents of ALL the options there are for their deaf child.”
This statement that you said, “I need to research, gather information, etc, on what methods work best for MY children.” gave me that conclusion.
John
Hey Paotie, I heard Sancho is with your woman on the outside.
John ..
I’d start a coalition. I’d ask you to join, too. You have valid concerns about AG Bell that I appreciate.
We disagree on approaches. Okay, I understand your mistake in using the word, “hate.” I don’t use that word in my house. It is a negative word that has very little positive value. You made a mistake, that’s fine. I accept your explaination.
I’d rather work with you than against you, John.
What can I do?
:o)
Paotie
Florida ..
You’re right - she was with me outside!
:o)
Paotie
Paotie,
And i apologize for using the word hate.
We can VP, email me via “contact me” on my website by clicking Egbertpress and we can go from there.
BTW, I’m 60 years old.
John
John,
I don’t have a web camera.
If you want me to email you, that’s fine - I just need a way to do it.
:o)
Paotie
Ok, contact me through my website as we don’t need to have everyone see our email addy.
John
John,
I want to clarify that your conclusion is incorrect. I have been raising my deaf boys for over 20 years. Now that we have that matter cleared up… I, too want to help all parents of deaf babies. Many of us do. I inform them to the best of my abilty of ALL options that are out there for their deaf babies. I can not however control what decision that parent makes in regards to their child..We can not continually pull at the heart strings of the parents with deaf children. It is not about my way or your way. It is about that little deaf baby staring into the eyes of their parents. We need to send clear, precise, informative message to parents, so that they can come to a conclusion of what is best for their deaf child. We can not control their decision.
Mike McConnell,
I refuse to post your comment asking me to go into the archive to find links and prove every word you have or not have said.
Mike, many people know who you are and frowns every time your name is mentioned. You have a problem that I do not want to have anything to do with you. And I have no respect for how you have communicated with other deprived deaf members of the community in the blogs.
Good Bye!
Margie,
I agree with you 100%. It is the education that parents need the most the day they find out that their baby is deaf.
Here is what concerns me, a vast majority of the parents’ first education is from an ideology from people or group that emphasize on oral only method education which I think is biased and those people usually are very successful getting the foot in the door before the parents learn other options.
i am not against oral and both of my deaf children can speak very well and both are over 30 years old. You can really teach speech more effectively with a visual cognitive language.
But AGBell and AVT forbids any sign language for deaf babies to start learning at the age of 6 months. Just what is there anything else can you teach a deaf baby at the age of six months?
It is the bias ideology that AGBell and AVT uses.
John
Paotie,
I must have got the impression that you are hard of hearing from one of your entries. Thank you for the clarification. I, too, am Deaf and deaf.
John,
Thanks for this blog which sparked a lively discussion. I look forward to more. I am more interested in seeing deaf oralists sharing their positive experience growing up and embracing ASL later on. I want more parents of dhh children with or without ci to join as well. I am a mother of a deaf son who has a ci and is doing nicely in both worlds. ASL was his first language and we slowly had him transition to English. Now he speaks for himself in class. Signs to me and his deaf relatives. John, I am a supporter of choices and agree with you that every deaf age 0 to 3 should be exposed to signs.
Hope to get more discussions on DeafRead and including a wider audience as DeafRead is more inclined to the big “D”.
Anna ..
Not that I care, but what made you think I was HOH? I’m just curious why you thought that and of what significance it would make to you, anyway. Does it really matter if I was HOH or Deaf?
DeafRead needs to stop using the big “D.” It’s too exclusive, as you said.
:o)
Paotie
John,
I don’t see any email links to send you emails on your About Me page.
I have read McConnell’s blogs in the past and the thing about his blogs is the fact he cites his references. And John, usually, when you want to demonstrate the fact that you are well-knowledgeable of the issue at hand, you want to use citations or references to back up your claims. Otherwise, people will think you’re full of shit - especially when you use words like, “hate” like you’ve been.
Here’s a quote for you to consider:
“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.” - F. Nietzsche
Let me know about the email, please?
:o)
Paotie
Bravo!!! You did great job on that well meaningful information. You catched all well intention of all straight facts on ASL!!!
to egbertpress,
I knew Mike McConnell when I was at Gallaudet. We were roommate at Benson Hall in the summer. He is deaf as I am deaf.
And egbertpress, your daughter is a principal. She will need to accept deaf/Deaf students from all way of life.
the other Mike
Paotie,
To answer your question why I thought you were hard of hearing is probably bacuse of your great command in English (please don’t beat me to death on this one as I know it can ignite an emotionally charged response), your balanced view on deaf education. Take this as a compliment.
A piece of personal advice, some of your mesages can be hurtful. Example: calling John as being juvenile. There is always room for bloggers to grow.
McConnell,
I respect you as a blogger regardless of whether or not I agree with you. You do not insult or demean. You are straightforward and always clean with your comments. I enjoy reading all of your blogs and comments as I am in an unique position as a Deaf mother with a son sporting a CI. Deaf parents for me too. There are very few of us out there and often I wonder if I am doing the right thing.
Anna S., you are not alone… I too am deaf and I have 2 deaf kids… one who is mainstreamed and another at deaf school. Both know that ASL is not everything. My son is asking more about CI, due to his progressive hearing loss (he went from the first diagnosed 40 dB loss at the age of 3 to 100 dB loss at the age of 10) … he was born normal hearing, so English is his first language.
Paotie and McConnell, both of your blogs are fun to read, lots of common sense, well-balanced views on the topics, etc. It is rare to find the kind of bloggers nowadays, with several-sided views, instead of one-sided views.
McConnell wrote some word what he said “Both Paotie and I are fluent in ASL.â€, but I don’t see them vlog.
Mike at 6:57 am
I don’t follow what you are trying to say,
What is your point?
John
Paotie,
go to my url,
http://www.deafchildrenandsigning.com/index.html
and go to the “contact me” page
John
“Other Mike” — you asked John about his daughter. What does this mean? From what I have seen when I visited the school where she works at, the students in elementary school are so educated that I hope that all the Deaf kids all over can be like that.
So can you clarify on that and have you seen her work?
Happy Halloween Morning, John Egbert!
I do NOT see anything that you, John against oral. You did fine job! Personally in my freedom of opinion I feel that McConnell, Paotie and others love to attack you because they are so JEALOUS of you. They want to attack you because they want you to HUSH UP and let the Oralisms go win win win the battle of war!!! Sick of them already because I do NOT see them respect us who did suffered for so many years!
See I am NOT AFRAID to vlog this video link: http://asl.deafvideo.tv/video/fullscreen.html?id=3815
Have a very HAPPY PEACEFUL HALLOWEEN’s Day!
Hugs, Shawn
Oralism is only a tool of abuse, oppression and a lie.
It is not useful for everyone.
It is Paotie who is slanted towards John because Paotie made the false accusation, “Is John your sanchito?â€
This is a proof that you have made an attempt to attack us. Your post allows readers to read your words publicly.
Sanchito gets its meaning from Sancho, the Spanish slang for the man a woman is cheating with.
Paotie, wow, you sleep with Jane K Fernandes on the outside, and you make the choice to go public.
Paotie 10:56PM,,
I agree with you that John used the not proper word. . Then John DID apologize to use the wrong word. That is good. But little later, you used the not proper words in your comment (10:56PM).. Huh?
To egbertpress and ASLGAL, my point is attacking another deaf person is “hearing”.
I mention John’s daughter. Since she is a principal, anything about her family can reflect on her. Aren’t principals supposed to be neutral?
At Gallaudet, everything is like office politics. So does blog. But there is a line.
Amen to what John Egbert wrote about Mike’s ego and all that stuff.
Paotie & Mike: You’re still Deaf to me. I always call everyone else whose has hearing loss “D”eaf. What’s wrong with being Deaf? I think Deaf is better than deaf. So take it upon yorurself and call yourself as Deaf.
R-
Follow-Ups to Answer from Expert Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D.
——————————————————————————–
Paotie writes on 2007-06-18 21:35:12
The reply provided by Dr. Friedman is respectfully inaccurate. This is not to say it is grossly wrong, nor does it imply that Dr. Friedman does not know what he is discussing relevant to ethics.
There is, however, a common misperception among many in the hearing world that the majority of deaf people in the US “does not wish to enhance hearing.” This is incorrect and based on generalizations of groups of people based on stereotyping.
In reality, a vast majority of the deaf community in the US do, in fact, want some measures of relief relevant to understanding the hearing world. Cochlear implants are not the only “aid” that deaf or hard of hearing people utilize to “enhance” hearing; there are hearing aids of all sizes and types that many deaf people use.
Conversely, the other aspect of Dr. Friedman’s misperception of the deaf community is the fact that in his generalization of deaf people on stereotypes, he is unable to facilitate the idea that within deaf culture itself, are polarization of ideas relevant to the hearing world, the deaf community and the symbiotic nature of the two worlds.
Some deaf people are culturally deaf. These people tend to be taught American Sign Language (ASL). These people are more than likely to be or have been educated in deaf residential schools funded by governments. Many within these “culturally” deaf people view the world in the context that they do not have a disability relative to the hearing world. Rather, they possess a “heritage” - much like African-Americans claim in discussing their forefathers through art, song, dance or other mediums. It is also the “heritage” of slavery that bonds some groups of African-Americans. This “heritage” is one many culturally deaf people adopt, and is the basis for the misperception that all deaf people do not “wish to enhance hearing.”
Moreover, some deaf people are people born deaf, but utilize what’s called, “Total Communication.” These people tend to use sign language called “Signed Exact English” (or SEE). These people generally are taught in mainstream (public and private) schools in which the emphasis is placed on English as the first language - unlike deaf residential schools, in which ASL is the dominant language taught, spoken and encouraged.
In fact, the vast majority of deaf people in the US use SEE or some combination of English-based signing systems. Most do not use ASL, and the few that do, combine ASL with SEE (English) when they can.
And, it is this confusion between ASL and English that is the basis for much of the political and ethical controversies within and outside the deaf community. Deaf militants (pro-ASL) tend to demand that hearing people need not force them to “conform” to the hearing world, although what few people realize is the prevalence of these people - who reject the notion that they have a disability - who are on Social Security Disability benefit programs. It is these people who purport Dr. Friedman’s conclusion.
What remains a dark, hidden secret with respect to deaf culture is this: in the late 1800’s, when educators of the deaf first began to systematically create educational platforms for deaf children, they realized that a need for a school existed to locate and draw deaf children from all over the US to be taught at one facility or one institution. Initially, these educators first suggested, then demanded all deaf children never use signing systems (called mechanical or manual signing) and focus exclusively on lip-reading or other means to understanding spoken language. This is called “oralism.” Later, these same institutions shifted their educational approach and then later forced the majority of deaf schools - beginning in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s - to switch extremes and focus on ASL-only educational platforms.
As it were, however, many educators of the deaf have changed their ideals relative to ASL and English and the educational applications of the many paradigms on how to best educate a child. Many culturally deaf people originally demanded all deaf people be taught ASL. Some eventually demanded that any deaf child born to hearing parents had to be removed from the parents and placed in a deaf residential school (it should be noted that deaf residential schools also have a notorious history of sexual scandals, from child molestation to child neglect and abuse in all forms).
So, not all deaf people reject any hearing assistance or aids, such as cochlear implants. Not even the vast majority of deaf people reject any enhance of hearing processes. The vast majority of deaf people realize the importance of functioning in a hearing world, and do what is necessary to do so. It should be noted that ASL’S acceptance as a language is still not universal, and that the concept of “deaf rights” and “deaf culture” did not first appear until the 1970’s and only as a political platforms for deaf residential schools and sign language interpreter schools.
I’ll stop here.
:o)
Paotie, MBA
Doctoral Student/Researcher
That is an interesting piece to read by Paotie… he covered most bases pretty well. Now I am curious what Dr. Friedman said that provoked Paotie to write this very-thought out piece. In fact, Paotie did an excellent job in being neutral, just pointing out the facts about the deaf community and the viewpoints. I am impressed.
Guess I’d have to hit the internet to find out what Dr. Friedman said.
Karen,
Paotie, in his written piece above, you said that “Paotie did an excellent job in being neutral”
Paotie said,
“Deaf militants (pro-ASL) tend to demand that hearing people need not force them to “conform†to the hearing world”
“Some eventually demanded that any deaf child born to hearing parents had to be removed from the parents and placed in a deaf residential school (it should be noted that deaf residential schools also have a notorious history of sexual scandals, from child molestation to child neglect and abuse in all forms).”
These statements the whole truth?
Karen, no one knows who Paotie is. And you seem to adore him because of his style of writing. Is he really Deaf…or hearing.
All you know about Paotie is from his website but is it all the truth?
Would you marry a man that do not want you to know his past history?
Please don’t be so gullible.
John
John, thanks so much for updating this report. That’s true that we cannot be so gullible ourselves all the times. We do NOT KNOW who is Paotie. I thought Paotie is a woman but he’s a man!
I disagreed with Paotie’s quoted “Deaf militants (pro ASL) tend to demand that hearing people need not force them to “conform” to the hearing world.” I am not interested to become a militant but I prefer to have ASL education needs to have more exposures with equal language access as I know that my Deaf son’s needs to develop his own first language as he will be able to understand the hearing world.
John, thank you so much for all of your hard work to protect ASL for our equal rights language.
Hi JE,
I am happily married for 14 years, thank you.
I don’t know Paotie and I don’t adore him, but I am impressed with his thinking process. The world would be boring if everyone agrees with everyone.
JE, the point of the blogs are to listen, share and RESPECT opinions, not attacking them.
Have a good day.,
Karen Mayes
My future vision of what I wish to see is that every deaf child have the opportunity to achieve their education through ASL Based on my experiences only, it is obvious for me that I learned more and grasp the subject much quicker through ASL than the oral methods. I wish I had this opportunity
when I was in school (K-12). I learned ASL at Gallaudet University and realized this was the best method for me to achieved my education. Speech
therapy/lip reading should be offered outside of the school setting. It should not be part of the school curriculum. I am happy that my parents send
me to speech therapy as well as learning to lip read as it made my life much easier as an adult working in the hearing world. I had the potential to learn to speak and lip read and my parents took advantage of that. Even though I wish I could be around deaf people or people that uses sign language every
minute of the day, but it’s not a realistic “wish” for everyone because there are not enough jobs out there that are deaf friendly and to make ends meet many deaf people like myself have to take jobs where we are the only deaf person. It’s not that easy to get interpreters either to facilitate communication. I am very thankful that someone came up with telecom devices like VRS and IP Relay services to help us function in the hearing world independently.
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while people are enitled to their opinions,we continue to see some arguments that defy reason…
i say that it is urgent that we continue our efforts to expose deaf children to appropriate language models.
In the academic realm, if a deaf student has a strong
foundation in American Sign language, his/her ability
to develop English literacy skills improves. We
recognize that it is possible for many deaf students
to be bilingual in both languages and that they need
to work with knowledgable and skilled professionals in
order to do so. Research has shown that mastery in
language, and specifically in American Sign language
yields many benefits. One benefit is that the child is
instilled with a sense of cultural identity,which
enables them to bond with other deaf individuals. This
then leads to greater self-esteem and a curiosity of
the world, both of which will enrich the student
academically and socially.
It is important to remember that not every child is
alike. Everyone comes with different expectations
because we all view the world in different ways. Deaf
education is more than 200 years old in some places.
We should know now what works and what don’t.
With this bilingual-bicultural approach, we would then
embrace diversity and accept deaf children as children
first.
Lastly,it has been widely acknowledged that meaningful learning occurs when a learner has a knowledge baset hat can be used with fluency to make sense of the world, solve problems, and make decisions. Attaining fluency in American Sign Language will facilitate students’ success with these tasks and is achievable.
Regrettably i do not recall the citations or doctoral dissertations to reflect the above…but they are out there somewhere .