Cochlear Implants

[Myweponsg00d]

This would have to be the greatest thread since "jagex abuses animals by allowing you to tease a dog in game at varrock"

 

I'm glad you take amusement in a topic that is very serious. Deaf children are being born into hearing families, and the family is fed hearing-biased information and end up causing the poor kid a childhood of frustration and usually ends up hurting their cognitive and linguistic ability.

[Furah]

This would have to be the greatest thread since "jagex abuses animals by allowing you to tease a dog in game at varrock"

 

I'm glad you take amusement in a topic that is very serious. Deaf children are being born into hearing families, and the family is fed hearing-biased information and end up causing the poor kid a childhood of frustration and usually ends up hurting their cognitive and linguistic ability.

Source?

[Iamdan]

I'm glad you take amusement in a topic that is very serious. Deaf children are being born into hearing families, and the family is fed hearing-biased information and end up causing the poor kid a childhood of frustration and usually ends up hurting their cognitive and linguistic ability.

 

I don't find deafness or cochlear implants amusing, just some of the posts here.

 

So far your only argument against having the implant and also learning ASL is that they can't enjoy music as well, which is a pretty small price to pay for what they gain. The rest of your posts have just been high horse syndrome and godwin's law inspired. If you're going to disregard everyone's opinion because they don't work with deaf people I don't understand why you made the topic.

[Myweponsg00d]

This would have to be the greatest thread since "jagex abuses animals by allowing you to tease a dog in game at varrock"

 

I'm glad you take amusement in a topic that is very serious. Deaf children are being born into hearing families, and the family is fed hearing-biased information and end up causing the poor kid a childhood of frustration and usually ends up hurting their cognitive and linguistic ability.

Source?

 

I have listed my sources throughout, but if you'd like me to suggest one again, okay. "Mask of Benevolence" by Harlan Lane would probably appeal to you, because he examines the entire Deaf community and history of Deaf oppression from a pretty scientific perspective. He is a hearing person and has put a good ammount of research into supporting his claims.

 

So far your only argument against having the implant and also learning ASL is that they can't enjoy music as well, which is a pretty small price to pay for what they gain. The rest of your posts have just been high horse syndrome and godwin's law inspired. If you're going to disregard everyone's opinion because they don't work with deaf people I don't understand why you made the topic.

First of all, I am flattered that you think I made the topic :lol:

 

Secondly, yes. This is the only argument I had against this philosophy. The problem with choosing to implant is that typically, it means that the parents are going to take every path they can to try to make this kid into a hearing, speaking kid. It usually involves banning him from sign, and regular trips to the speech pathologist and audiologist so he can be evaluated, put through tests, etc.

 

If you would like to implant your child, but still acknowledge that he may not ever be normal and therefore teach him ASL, then I can't really think of a reason why you would be doing him any wrong. I mean he still might end up being mad at you for putting a device in his skull, but this is more of an opinionated thing.

 

Implanting your child and then essentially raising him as a bilingual individual (ASL and english) would give you a "safety net" to make sure that he will not end up with poor linguistic skills. The only problem is that in reality, people don't do this. I guess my lack of support for the cochlear is not really about the device, it is more about the way the device is typically implemented. If you are going to implant your child but take every step you need to in order to make sure he learns A LANGUAGE when he is supposed to, then I see no clear cut reason why you shouldnt be allowed to.

 

To be clear though, I still wouldnt choose this road, but that is for personal reasons that I would feel uncomfortable with determining my kid's life like that. I would raise him as part of the Deaf community and if he tells me that he would rather take his shot in the hearing community, he is free to get the implant at any time in his life.

[Furah]

This would have to be the greatest thread since "jagex abuses animals by allowing you to tease a dog in game at varrock"

 

I'm glad you take amusement in a topic that is very serious. Deaf children are being born into hearing families, and the family is fed hearing-biased information and end up causing the poor kid a childhood of frustration and usually ends up hurting their cognitive and linguistic ability.

Source?

 

I have listed my sources throughout, but if you'd like me to suggest one again, okay. "Mask of Benevolence" by Harlan Lane would probably appeal to you, because he examines the entire Deaf community and history of Deaf oppression from a pretty scientific perspective. He is a hearing person and has put a good ammount of research into supporting his claims.

Does it state how children become frustrated and have their cognitive and linguistic abilities hurt by having a cochlear implant? If not then I have no interest in it.

[Myweponsg00d]

This would have to be the greatest thread since "jagex abuses animals by allowing you to tease a dog in game at varrock"

 

I'm glad you take amusement in a topic that is very serious. Deaf children are being born into hearing families, and the family is fed hearing-biased information and end up causing the poor kid a childhood of frustration and usually ends up hurting their cognitive and linguistic ability.

Source?

 

I have listed my sources throughout, but if you'd like me to suggest one again, okay. "Mask of Benevolence" by Harlan Lane would probably appeal to you, because he examines the entire Deaf community and history of Deaf oppression from a pretty scientific perspective. He is a hearing person and has put a good ammount of research into supporting his claims.

Does it state how children become frustrated and have their cognitive and linguistic abilities hurt by having a cochlear implant? If not then I have no interest in it.

 

Yes, he talks about the implants creating more linguistic failures than sucesses, especially when they are relied on to mainstream the child in a hearing school. He also talks about "adolescent rejection" where an implanted kid refuses to use his cochlear implant and wishes he his parents hadn't forced it on him.

 

He also talks about a lot of reasons that Deaf culture isn't recognized. Like how when people are confronted with a culture that they do not understand, they percieve the culture as agressive, confusing, impractical, unrefined...etc...This is what happens with Deaf and ASL. Uninformed people have no concept of how the language functions or how much identity it brings to the Deaf, so they feel threatened by this unfamiliar way of life and deem Deaf culture inferior.

[Iamdan]

Secondly, yes. This is the only argument I had against this philosophy. The problem with choosing to implant is that typically, it means that the parents are going to take every path they can to try to make this kid into a hearing, speaking kid. It usually involves banning him from sign, and regular trips to the speech pathologist and audiologist so he can be evaluated, put through tests, etc.

 

If you would like to implant your child, but still acknowledge that he may not ever be normal and therefore teach him ASL, then I can't really think of a reason why you would be doing him any wrong. I mean he still might end up being mad at you for putting a device in his skull, but this is more of an opinionated thing.

 

Implanting your child and then essentially raising him as a bilingual individual (ASL and english) would give you a "safety net" to make sure that he will not end up with poor linguistic skills. The only problem is that in reality, people don't do this. I guess my lack of support for the cochlear is not really about the device, it is more about the way the device is typically implemented. If you are going to implant your child but take every step you need to in order to make sure he learns A LANGUAGE when he is supposed to, then I see no clear cut reason why you shouldnt be allowed to.

 

To be clear though, I still wouldnt choose this road, but that is for personal reasons that I would feel uncomfortable with determining my kid's life like that. I would raise him as part of the Deaf community and if he tells me that he would rather take his shot in the hearing community, he is free to get the implant at any time in his life.

 

Why didn't you say all that in the first place? :s

 

Basically your problem is with education about the implants, not the implants themselves. I'm sure nobody here will argue against unbiased information being presented to parents before they choose to get their child the implants.

[Furah]

Yes, he talks about the implants creating more linguistic failures than sucesses, especially when they are relied on to mainstream the child in a hearing school. He also talks about "adolescent rejection" where an implanted kid refuses to use his cochlear implant and wishes he his parents hadn't forced it on him.

 

He also talks about a lot of reasons that Deaf culture isn't recognized. Like how when people are confronted with a culture that they do not understand, they percieve the culture as agressive, confusing, impractical, unrefined...etc...This is what happens with Deaf and ASL. Uninformed people have no concept of how the language functions or how much identity it brings to the Deaf, so they feel threatened by this unfamiliar way of life and deem Deaf culture inferior.

Because it's not a culture.

 

Also, adolescent rejection is more peer pressure and rebellion, same with other things such as a back brace or head gear. The kid would rather look normal and lose hearing than be different.

[Saru Inc]

Wow. This thread is ignorant. (FOr the most part)

 

Being deaf is a huge deal, there IS a deaf culture. And they vehemently despise people who go from deaf to undeaf. Why? Personally I don't know, but many people feel like if you give your kid cochlear implants then you are ashamed of being deaf yourself, or dislike deaf people.

[Nero]

Being deaf is a huge deal, there IS a deaf culture. And they vehemently despise people who go from deaf to undeaf. Why? Personally I don't know, but many people feel like if you give your kid cochlear implants then you are ashamed of being deaf yourself, or dislike deaf people.

That's the dumbest* thing I've ever heard.

 

*Maybe not the dumbest, but still.

[Saru Inc]

Being deaf is a huge deal, there IS a deaf culture. And they vehemently despise people who go from deaf to undeaf. Why? Personally I don't know, but many people feel like if you give your kid cochlear implants then you are ashamed of being deaf yourself, or dislike deaf people.

That's the dumbest* thing I've ever heard.

 

*Maybe not the dumbest, but still.

 

 

Whatever you say Broski :)

[obfuscator]

Being deaf is a huge deal, there IS a deaf culture. And they vehemently despise people who go from deaf to undeaf. Why? Personally I don't know, but many people feel like if you give your kid cochlear implants then you are ashamed of being deaf yourself, or dislike deaf people.

That's the dumbest* thing I've ever heard.

 

*Maybe not the dumbest, but still.

 

 

Whatever you say Broski :)

Or maybe you want your child to have an extra ability which won't hurt but can help.

[mister_moocky]

I don't know anything of these implants, but I'll say this. If I want to live in a world of silince I can wear earmuffs. I have worn noise canceling earmuffs before when working in construction. I know that being unable to hear what is going on around me is debilitating. Someone who has been deaf all of their life simply does not know what it's like to hear, and as such can not legitmitely say they'd rather be deaf. Saying that not-hearing would have it's occasional advantages is true, but if it's so much of a bother, then someone can hearing can simply put on earmuffs. Deaf people don't have such a luxury, they can't just put on hearingmuffs if they want to enjoy listening music. Saying being deaf is advantageous is just stupid.

[Alakazam]

At least the deaf people are not dependent on cell phones - amiright?

[Romy]

At least the deaf people are not dependent on cell phones - amiright?

 

Actually, they are. :rolleyes:

[warren211]

Found this, thought it was very relevent (and heartwarming) http://pogpog.com/v/8-month-old-deaf-babys-reaction-to-cochlear-implant-being-activated/

 

Now to contribute to discussion. I really don't see how this implant could be detrimental to a deaf person's health. If they really think noise is unbearable (after living an entire life without noise, i would think it would be hard to get used to even gentle noises like a fan or computer running), then they can deactivate it (no source, but i would hope there's the ability to deactivate it). So I guess the best compromise for "dead culture" would be the ability to deactivate the implant if they find that hearing is impossible to handle after silence for one's entire life. If it is permanent, i don't blame the deaf people from rallying against it, because someone who doesn;t want the ability to hear would now suffer for a very long time at this new rush of noises.

[Myweponsg00d]

Found this, thought it was very relevent (and heartwarming) http://pogpog.com/v/8-month-old-deaf-babys-reaction-to-cochlear-implant-being-activated/

 

Now to contribute to discussion. I really don't see how this implant could be detrimental to a deaf person's health. If they really think noise is unbearable (after living an entire life without noise, i would think it would be hard to get used to even gentle noises like a fan or computer running), then they can deactivate it (no source, but i would hope there's the ability to deactivate it). So I guess the best compromise for "dead culture" would be the ability to deactivate the implant if they find that hearing is impossible to handle after silence for one's entire life. If it is permanent, i don't blame the deaf people from rallying against it, because someone who doesn;t want the ability to hear would now suffer for a very long time at this new rush of noises.

 

What you are saying is true, but my rebuttal is that a person must lose all of his/her natural hearing in order to get the implant. Your logic might apply to a person who has absolutely no natural ear activity, but most deaf have some degree of natural ear function. An implanted child will have two choices in his life: hear nothing or hear the electronic noise. Refraining from implanting your child will allow him to make his own decision and he will be able to choose his natural hearing ability (which would not be a choice if you implanted him as a child)

[Wingless]

most deaf have some degree of natural ear function.

 

Derp.

[Myweponsg00d]

most deaf have some degree of natural ear function.

 

Derp.

 

?

 

Most people who are legally deaf have some type of function in their ears. When you see someone who is using sign language, it is highly likely that they live in a world of total silence. People often think that "hard of hearing" is the term that you use to describe someone who has more than zero hearing ability. But "hard of hearing" is someone who has a pretty close to normal ability to hear. "Deaf" is the proper term to use for more than simply those who have absolutely zero hearing.

 

The same is true for blind people. If you see someone walking down the street with a cane and sunglasses, this person would be considered blind, but it does not always (and does not usually) mean that they see nothing but black.

 

Many of the blind I work with can put their face a few inches away from a sheet of paper and read size 24 bold font. Most can see lights and vague shapes of the world. I work with a few who are totally blind (but oddly enough, one of them "sees" people as large blobs of color...)