Have you ever felt like there was nothing that you can do for your child? In this book, Deaf Like Me, by Thomas S. Spradley and James P. Spradley, I can see the journey that Lynn’s parents took to get her help. (Spradley & Spradley, 1978). This book was an excellent read. I really liked the way that they described the ways they tried to help Lynn to understand the world around her. The book, is a great asset for any family that might be unexpectedly put into a situation that they know nothing about such as a deaf child.
The author Thomas S. Spadley is Lynn’s father. He is the one that was with them all the time and saw all that his wife Louise tried for their daughter to understand them. The greatest qualification for him to write this book is that he is Lynn’s father. A father’s perspective is great throughout this book, as the reader I can see the intensity of what the family is going through. Since he is a math professor, and does not have a lot of knowledge in English and time, through the whole book he skips around with what they did and when. Later, on in the book that James P. Spradely, Lynn’s uncle also got involved and helped write the book.
James P. Spradely, Lynn’s uncle and co-author of this book, his perspective is also important since he does not live in the house with the family. His perspective is so different from what the family did on a daily basis. Being the reader, I could see how he was needed to help edit the book so that all the things that where important got put into the book so that the reader could see what it is like to have a child that does not speak. The learning process the family went through to see that not all children are the same. To find out that in Lynn’s case her native language is...
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... Interpreters there to help also. The people who should read this book are families that have been identified to have deafness. This is a helpful resource for them to be able to see that things have changed and help is available. Most of all I think that everyone should read this book, and be able to see what the deaf community is about. So they do not judge them because they are different. Society tells us all that we have to be the same, look the same, sound the same, and do all the same things, no one can be different or they are looked down on. This book says that it is okay to be different. I really think that this book put all these things into a different perspective for me and will for other families that might come across this situation themselves.
Works Cited
Spradley, T. S., & Spradley, J. P. (1978). Deaf Like Me. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University.
It makes you realize that regardless religion, social status, salary, race and other things we seem to care so much about, we can look past and develop meaningful relationships. I felt like this book told the story of being deaf from one person’s viewpoint, but also touched base on the general Deaf experience when talking about how the people around him would react. But, because Mark was born hearing, and was always “so close” to being hearing, all his teachers, doctors, and grandparents wanted him to be considered hearing and to be “normal”. If he had been born deaf, he would have been accepted as a deaf person instead of being treated as if he had some kind of disease. I believe that this book presents the Deaf community in a positive light because although he talks about how his deafness made him feel like an outcast and like he was broken which led to his low self-esteem, it’s a beautiful outcome showing a boy’s growth and how he learned to be proud and understand that there is nothing wrong with being different from other people. Being different does not make you less than, nor does it make you inadequate. I would definitely recommend this book because it shows that communication is everything, that human interaction is one of the most precious things, and that you should be proud of who you are and your culture, no matter
I learned a lot about Deaf people, ASL, and/or Deaf Culture after reading this book. Deaf people are normal just like anybody else and they should not be treated any differently. Some people treat Deafness as a disease that needs to be cured, but it's not. If a parent comes to learn that their child is deaf they react very crazily and act like their child is dying and that deafness is some fatal disease. Deaf people should be treated just like anyone else and no differently. They are not disabled and can do great things in this world.
Overall, reading this book from cover-to-cover has certainly assisted in opening my eyes to Deaf culture and the Deaf community I live in. Major questions have been answered, and I feel more confident and familiar with their culture than I have before. I feel I have a better perception of why Deaf people react the way they do to specific situations with hearing people and why they have different etiquettes, like how common it is to hug someone as a greeting. I have a very positive basic reaction to the information and would absolutely reference back to this book if I have any questions.
Lane, Harlan; Hoffmeister, Rob and Bahan, Ben (1996). A Journey Into the DEAF-WORLD. Dawn Sign Press, San Diego, Ca.
Deaf Again is another eye opening book about what it is like to grow up deaf in a hearing-dominant world. It showcases the struggles experienced by the Deaf, and shows the reader that the Deaf cannot be made to fit into their hearing world. The Deaf, once they find their identity as Deaf with a capital D, don’t want to fit into the hearing world. Being Deaf isn’t a bad thing. Deaf again has further shown me just how difficult life can be when you are deaf.
With around 70,000 special education students with hearing losses in the US it is no wonder that teaching these students the art of music has become an important opportunity within their education (U.S. Department of Education). According to Darrow and Heller (1985) as well as Solomon (1980) the history of education for students with hearing loss extends over a hundred and fifty years. These students have every right to music education classes and music instructors need to understand their unique learning differences and similarities to those of the average typical (mainstreamed) student to ensure these students have a successful and comprehensive learning experience. Despite this, there are still plenty of roadblocks, one of which may be some music instructor’s lack of effective practices and methods to successfully teach to the student’s more unique needs. Alice Ann-Darrow is a Music Education and Music Therapy Professor at Florida State University. Darrow’s article “Students with Hearing Losses” focuses not only on the importance of music education for these students but it is also a summarized guide of teaching suggestions containing integral information for the unique way these students learn.
At this time in history, those who were deaf were tried at best to be converted into hearing people. Doctors, speech therapists, and audiologists all recommended the use of speaking and lip reading instead of sign language. Since Mark’s grandparents were hearing, they were closer to the parental position instead of his deaf parents. His grandparents provided him with the best possible education he could get, startin...
The documentary of “Through Deaf Eyes” has open my eyes to the deaf culture. The movie has made it “click” that deaf people are just that people and individuals like me. Deaf community has its struggles just like everyone else. They struggle with growing into who they are as a person, harmful situations, and feeling a sense of belonging. They just speak a different language like Italians and Hispanics. Communicating with a different language does not make them lesser than a hearing person. When able to learn to communicate, the deaf are able to learn and gain knowledge just like a hearing person. The only difference is they have to learn more and work harder to achieve their goals and gain knowledge, which a hearing person learns just by hearing their surroundings.
What I found most interesting about Jarashow’s presentation were the two opposing views: Deaf culture versus medical professionals. Within the Deaf culture, they want to preserve their language and identity. The Deaf community wants to flourish and grow and do not view being deaf as a disability or being wrong. Jarashow stated that the medical field labels Deaf people as having a handicap or being disabled because they cannot hear. Those who are Deaf feel as though medical professionals are trying to eliminate them and relate it to eugenics. It is perceived that those in that field are trying to fix those who are Deaf and eliminate them by making them conform to a hearing world. Those within the Deaf community seem to be unhappy with devices such
Christiansen, J. B. Barnartt, S. N. (1995). Deaf President Now! : The 1988 Revolution at
Mark Drolsbaugh’s Deaf Again is a biography about his life between two dimensions of the Deaf world and the Hearing world as well as the implications he faced throughout his journeys’. Mark Drolsbaugh was born from two deaf parents and was basically forced to adapt to the hearing world even though his parents are deaf. When Drolsbaugh was born he was hearing, however, by first grade his parents and teachers discovered he was losing his hearing. As time went on Mark realized the issues he faced from trying to adapt to the hearing world. Mark Drolsbaugh quotes in his biography, “Deafness is bad. I am deaf. I need to be fixed. I must be like them, no matter what, because deaf is bad.” However, no matter what his family believed that he
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (November 2002). Retrieved October 17, 2004, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/coch.asp
From a deafness-as-defect mindset, many well-meaning hearing doctors, audiologists, and teachers work passionately to make deaf children speak; to make these children "un-deaf." They try hearing aids, lip-reading, speech coaches, and surgical implants. In the meantime, many deaf children grow out of the crucial language acquisition phase. They become disabled by people who are anxious to make them "normal." Their lack of language, not of hearing, becomes their most severe handicap. While I support any method that works to give a child a richer life, I think a system which focuses on abilities rather than deficiencies is far more valuable. Deaf people have taught me that a lack of hearing need not be disabling. In fact, it shouldn?t be considered a lack at all. As a h...
Walker, L. A. (1986). A Loss for Words: The Story of Deafness in a Family. New York: Harper
So today, I have shared with you my journey in deafness. Being deaf can be hard, but it is not the end of the world. I can do what anyone else can do such as talk, play sports and hang out with friends. Every person’s journey is different. For me the key to success is perseverance.