No one disagrees about the importance of doing a hearing screening for newborns. Today, more and more hospitals adopt such a practice to detect the hearing ability of newborns before they leave the hospital. Those babies identified as having possible hearing loss will then be directed to further testing at later times. The primary goal of follow-up hearing screening tests for babies is to ascertain their hearing loss early enough with the hope that an early intervention plan for them becomes more effective.
Unfortunately, most early intervention plans are not properly implemented because they simply use wrong methods to help Deaf babies. It happens too often that Deaf babies are off to a wrong start. Many of the early interventionists tend to focus on speech first and become obsessed by sticking to it with Deaf children for a good number of years no matter how bad the results are.
Dr. Stephen Nover, a prominent Deaf language planner, places emphasis on the proper sequence where American Sign Language (ASL) must come forth as the first move, not speech. Everlasting thanks to Tamara Davidson for she continues to amaze ASL Rose of her masterpiece in artwork. You will see the two separate pictures--one going the wrong way and the other going the right way--to represent what Dr. Nover has been trying to inform the world.
Cruel
Deaf babies are not allowed to be Deaf. Parents and interventionists alike discourage ASL and demand spoken communication all the way for them. The focus of upbringing Deaf babies to adulthood is to talk like hearing people. |
Kind
Deaf babies are allowed to be Deaf. Parents and interventionists alike encourage ASL and demand it as a first-language acquisition for them. The focus of upbringing Deaf babies to adulthood is to become competent ASL-English bilingual individuals. |
Unnatural
Speech is the unnatural way of communication for any Deaf individual from birth or early infancy. The ability to hear speech sounds is a pre-requisite for anyone to make a natural progression to becoming competent in speech. Deaf children, even with cochlear implants, cannot hear speech sounds like hearing children. The expectation on Deaf children to master speech takes away valuable time from their real language development. |
Natural
ASL signing is the natural way of communication for any Deaf individual from birth or early infancy. The ability to see signs is a pre-requisite for anyone to make a natural progression to becoming competent in signing. Deaf children can see signs just like hearing children can hear speech on the individual basis or in a group. The expectation on Deaf children to master ASL takes valuable time for their real language development. |
Painful
Speech communication for Deaf children will be generally difficult. More often than not, Deaf children's linguistic, social, and emotional development will be affected if ASL is strictly forbidden. Deaf children will experience struggles everyday that may lead to unhappy and unhealthful relationships. Emotionally, they will have more difficulty connecting with you and others. |
Painless
Signed communication for Deaf children will be generally easy. More often than not, Deaf children's linguistic, social, and emotional development will not be affected at all with ASL. Deaf children won't experience struggles everyday and will learn more that will lead to happy and healthful relationships. Emotionally, they will have less, if any at all, difficulty connecting with you and others. |
Unconscionable
As a widely stated statistic, the average Deaf adult reads at a third grade level. Both educators and parents are responsible for low reading achievement of Deaf individuals by refusing to use ASL with them. They experience communication shutdown. When ASL is not used in home or school environment, Deaf children miss out opportunities for "overseeing" conversations around them. As a consequence, they steadily miss picking up basic information and become lagged with the common body of knowledge as they grow up. |
Conscionable
The average Deaf adult can do better than a third grade reading level if he/she is properly cultivated. Both educators and parents can help increase reading achievement of Deaf individuals by using ASL with them. They experience communication freedom. When ASL is used in home or school environment, Deaf children see all opportunities for "overseeing" conversations around them. As a consequence, they steadily pick up information and increasingly obtain information to build up their common body of knowledge as they grow up. |
Harmful
Having communication barriers that are more likely to happen from speech will weaken Deaf children's academic and cognitive development. Unlike hearing children who have constant access to language and communication by being around adults and peers, Deaf children in a non-signing environment rarely gain self confidence in interaction with hearing people and themselves about everything in their lives. In most cases, they become poor communicators with anyone. |
Harmless
Having no communication barriers that are more likely to happen from ASL will strengthen Deaf children's academic and cognitive development. Like hearing children who have constant access to language and communication by being around ASL-signing adults and peers, Deaf children in an ASL-signing environment gain self confidence in interaction with people, both signing or non-signing, and themselves about everything in their lives. In most cases, they become good communicators with anyone. |
Senseless
Early emphasis and overly training in speech without the use of ASL reduces Deaf children's humanity by means of denying their best chance of acquiring a human language as early as possible. They will be starved of information. Moreover, they will have difficult times expressing ideas, thoughts, and emotions. No matter how hard anyone tries to avoid ASL for Deaf children, it is inevitable that they will sign. |
Sensible
Early and full exposure to ASL gains Deaf children's humanity by means of supporting their best chance of acquiring a human language as early as possible. They won't be starved of information. Moreover, they will have easy times expressing ideas, thoughts, and emotions. Nothing other than ASL is giving Deaf children a better chance of cultivating written English and developing speech. |
Unsuccessful
The wrong way is to make sure that Deaf children are forbidden to use ASL. The wrong way will lead to the underachievement of Deaf children's education and socialization. |
Successful
The right way is to make sure that Deaf children are exposed to ASL as early as possible. The right way will lead to the achievement of Deaf children's education and socialization. |
There is only one choice to humanize Deaf children. This can be done by following these steps in the proper order:
1) having them acquire ASL,
2) having them cultivate written English, and
3) having them develop speech.
The only way for Deaf children to become fully human is the acceptance of ASL from the very beginning of their lives. The right way will surely enrich the lives of Deaf children. With ASL, Deaf children are more likely to become well-adjusted Deaf adults. Everyone must recognize the fact that the long-term effects of not using ASL during the formative years cause more detriment to Deaf children. When Deaf children are steered the wrong way, they are more likely weakened in education and socialization.
