You'd be wrong, but that's ok. Pay attention. We are leaping right into it.
If your child is born deaf, learn sign language. If you want your deaf child to talk, learn sign language.
If you make the decision early on to get a cochlear implant for your deaf child, learn sign language.
If you ascribe to the idea that deafness is a disease that should be cured, get an attitude adjustment.
And then learn sign language.
Here's a small way learning sign language will improve quality of life for you and your deaf child: You will be able to communicate with them from a ridiculously early age and you will be able to understand each other.
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When we found out our daughter was deaf, we started learning sign immediately. I didn't think that was anything special, it merely seemed like the logical step for us. I'll admit there was also a bit of stereotyping - she's deaf and deaf people sign. I'll also admit that behind the drive to learn sign was an all encompassing fear that something would happen to my baby and she would have no way to communicate it to us unless we spoke what I consider to be her native language.
Pretend you have been dropped into Japan, and no one speaks your native language. They only speak Japanese. It would be pretty frustrating trying to accomplish anything. Now imagine you can't hear.
A deaf child needs a language foundation on which to build all other language. If you as a parent fail to provide that, you will only cause your child to work that much harder in order to try to keep up, or in truth catch up, with their hearing peers. This is a mans world, so the song says. Yes, and for the majority it's also a hearing world. Give your deaf child the best chance to thrive in it and give them the gift of sign language. There isn't a downside to doing so. Only good things can come from it.
Hello? Only good things can come from learning sign for, and teaching it to, your child. By contrast, not teaching your child sign can have some very real consequences. They will have to work extra hard to speak a language they can't hear, and then will also have to learn lip reading to get what you are saying. And yes, that is a learned skill. It's not some magic thing that just happens. People still to this day tell me, not ask me but tell me, "Oh, but since your daughter is deaf she can read lips." Uh, no. She can't. And how is relying on that even ok? For God's sake, stop trying to do everything else except learn sign, accept the fact that your kid is deaf, embrace the uniqueness and go with it.
I'm not saying it's easy. Ok, actually, when your child is young it is pretty easy. Learn the basics. The basics will take you pretty far. I'd be happy to teach you the basics myself. I know family signs, food signs, colors, shapes, numbers, articles of clothing, animals, occupations, weather, office supplies, and a litany of other signs I would be more than happy to show you. I'm not the best, but I did learn, and am still learning, from the best.
Just do it. You'll never regret it.
Trust me. I'm a doctor.
Pretend you have been dropped into Japan, and no one speaks your native language. They only speak Japanese. It would be pretty frustrating trying to accomplish anything. Now imagine you can't hear.
A deaf child needs a language foundation on which to build all other language. If you as a parent fail to provide that, you will only cause your child to work that much harder in order to try to keep up, or in truth catch up, with their hearing peers. This is a mans world, so the song says. Yes, and for the majority it's also a hearing world. Give your deaf child the best chance to thrive in it and give them the gift of sign language. There isn't a downside to doing so. Only good things can come from it.
Hello? Only good things can come from learning sign for, and teaching it to, your child. By contrast, not teaching your child sign can have some very real consequences. They will have to work extra hard to speak a language they can't hear, and then will also have to learn lip reading to get what you are saying. And yes, that is a learned skill. It's not some magic thing that just happens. People still to this day tell me, not ask me but tell me, "Oh, but since your daughter is deaf she can read lips." Uh, no. She can't. And how is relying on that even ok? For God's sake, stop trying to do everything else except learn sign, accept the fact that your kid is deaf, embrace the uniqueness and go with it.
I'm not saying it's easy. Ok, actually, when your child is young it is pretty easy. Learn the basics. The basics will take you pretty far. I'd be happy to teach you the basics myself. I know family signs, food signs, colors, shapes, numbers, articles of clothing, animals, occupations, weather, office supplies, and a litany of other signs I would be more than happy to show you. I'm not the best, but I did learn, and am still learning, from the best.
Just do it. You'll never regret it.
Trust me. I'm a doctor.
