My CI textbook.

"In a comparative study of parental stress in mothers of preschoolers from three groups (i.e. healthy, hearing impaired, seizure disorders), mothers of children with sensationalist hearing loss reported the highest level of parenting stress on a standardized instrument and the greatest number of depressive symptoms"

"Preliminary data on the impact of cochlear implants on the family indicate a substantial reduction in parental stress and depression in this group, although there is considerable variance in stress ratings likely modified by a range of factors.... Given the data indicating that maternal stress and depression directly impact children's emotional and behavioral development, it is critical that aspects of family function be considered and addressed with objective studies of outcome achieved with cochlear implantations."

Nancy Mellon, MS from Chapter 9 "Parental Response to the Diagnosis of Hearing Loss" (p. 147 & 148) in my Cochlear Implants textbook (Niparko Ed., 2nd Ed., 2009)

She refers to: Quittner A, Glueckauf R, Jackson D. Chronic parenting stress: moderating vs. mediating effects of social support. J Personality Social Psychol 1990;59:1266-1278.

and to: Quitter A, Steck J, Rouiller R. Cochlear implants in children: a study of parental stress and adjustment. Am J Otol, 1991;12(Suppl):95-104.

I just thought this was... interesting.... But it should be noted that this textbook is RIDDEN with biases! And just mean comments about the Deaf world. But I suppose any CI textbook would be. You can borrow it if you want!

the difference between you and me

Storytime

Yesterday, I was talking to a hearing student who works on campus. He told me that a customer (ignorantly) approached him, assumed he is deaf, and spoke to him with exaggerated lipping. He responded with sign, telling the customer he didn't understand. He says he chooses to not use his hearing ability on campus.

My two cents.

I totally disrespect the customer for his approach to the situation. He obviously has no idea what is going on. Or what he is doing. If he knew NO sign, I think, on a Deaf campus, writing the request is much more accepted. It eliminates the dependency on oral communication. I can imagine how the store clerk may be offended. I get it. But I DON'T respect the clerk's response. At all. The thing is is that he CAN hear. He can understand that request from the customer. He could respond using sign or writing it down (or writing down a request that the customer writes!).

And as I said, the customer is OBVIOUSLY ignorant. So what are you doing to fight that? To help him overcome his ignorance? To prevent him from offending others? Nothing. You are ignoring the situation. As a student on campus, driven to help the clear communication between hearing and deaf across the world, how can this situation be avoided? It's true, in my opinion, that both sides of the table handled it poorly. The blind leading the blind? heh. Maybe take the time to educate others?

I don't see how you can be offended by someone who is so ignorant - who maybe has no clue that he is being offensive - and not want to give him maybe some cultural capital. Cause he's got none. And I think that spreading the knowledge would truly help the acceptance and understanding of both perspectives.

Thoughts?

the deaf and hearing on campus

So as I may or may not have mentioned, Galladuet is a Deaf community. It is the hub of loads of Deaf advocates, activists, radicals, extremists, etc. I love 'em! This is what got me interested in Deaf culture. The balance and cooperation between the Hearing and Deaf worlds. How does this (invisible) minority -and others- make their way to gain what is called "functional equivalent" communication technology, how do they use their "voice" to maintain equal rights, how do they (in general) make their lives within a larger Hearing world.

But many of these Deaf rights and functional equivalencies are not relevant in the Deaf-majority community on Galladuet's campus. All the residents get a chance to lose that greater-society-implied label of "disability." Hearing is no longer an advantage. Sound is irrelevant. Campus is all about visual communication. Lights as doorbells, fire alarms; hitting the table let's your buddy feel the vibrations and can call his attention; glass windows, doors, and walls are no barrier at all for a brief chat with your partner before class starts.

No one is bothered by loud music at night, burping is less obnoxious (?), the TV can't be too loud, and no one is blabbering on their cell phones!!

But what about the hearing kids? Wait a second. Are they ever bothered by loud music at night? Do they find your burping obnoxious? Do they want the TV down while studying? And don't they talk on cell phones? What happened to equal rights?

Here is the deal.

As I was told week 1, no one should be talking on their cell phones on campus. If you have to, find a private place! Preferably indoors. Or in your own room. People might give you looks. Might (as I heard yesterday) though shit at you in the cafeteria! In fact, there is no talking on campus at all. Get those hands up! I've been told it's because of the limited access to communication when you are talking. I'm not which is more taboo- phone or talking- but I'd be interested to learn.

May it reminds these radicals of their "oppressed" lives off campus? Growing up? They can't use the phone the way hearing kids can? and ya know what, I totally respect that! It's like you visit a buddy's house and start speaking a foreign language on the phone during dinner. Just rude. How dare you come into MY house, MY territory. Where I can FINALLY be among people of similar experiences, similar views, similar language!!! And you walk in and bring in a piece of that outside world that tried so hard to change who I was and how I live.

My two cents.

But the thing is, people who react to phone conversations by throwing shit have a lot of growing up to do. Those hearing kids should have their rights, too. They wanna make a call? What's it to you? This ISN'T your house. It's a community. We all live together. Obviously that hearing student isn't ignorant about Deaf culture, the social experiences you may have been through, the norms people may have tried to force you into. That kid chose GALLAUDET to complete his study. I'm sure he has some idea about where he is. And why he is there.

People will always be talking on phones. Some people will always be hearing. It's not their fault, just like being Deaf is not your fault. Let it be his choice to fully immerse himself in Deaf life or to simply enjoy living in (and accepted by?) the Deaf community. Is it impossible? What do you think?

Communication solves world problems?

This is similar to a post from December... but whatever.

Some say that money is the root of all evil. Some say that people are innately good.
Either way, I believe without a doubt that all problems in the world are due to
miscommunication. In some way or another, all wars, battles, arguments, and
judgments are based on some levels of man not understanding, or not trying to
understand, fellow man. Studying speech-language pathology (or "communication
therapy") has taught me a simple part of language that can have huge altercations-
Taking the listener's perspective. If we all could learn a little more about our
audiences, about the rationale of who that person/group of people is/are, the
world would be a better place. I am pursuing this field in hopes to one day, bridge
the gap between hearing and Deaf culture (which is wildly more fascinated and
alienated than I had ever realized).

and we're back

Now that I have had a week break, I think I am back in a good mood. I've been sleeping about 9 hours a night and I am enjoying a life without SOAPs or lesson plans or children :-)

AND I've found a gold mine of cool ASL articles in the Sign Language Studies that Gallaudet publishes. Right now I am reading "Language and Literacy Acquisition through Parental Mediation in American Sign Language" (2009), but there are plenty more where that came from. [Email me if you want a copy... don't tell anyone where you got it!]

I was just thinking about how it can be a challenge to keep up with a conversation in a group of Deaf people. I mean, the conversation jumps so fast [::eyes move like you're watching a tennis match::]. It can be quite difficult to catch it all, and therefore difficult to stay in the conversation. I miss signs all the time (on top of the fact that I don't know all the signs), and it doesn't take much for me to get lost. And then today I found "Signs in Which Handshape and Hand Orientation Are Either Not Visible or Are Only Partially Visible: What Is the Consequence for Lexical Recognition?" (2009). Basically they found that handshape has the most salient information for comprehension of the message. Whoa, how awesome?

And I also saw, "Are You Getting the Message?: The Effects of SimCom on the Message Received by Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing Students" (2010). It basically found that SimCom does not produce equivalent messages to hearing and deaf students (as we knew), and that students do not receive equivalent messages (good to know).

I any event, I want all these articles to be in a book that I can read on the metro. Not me printing out 8.5x11 copies of everything. yuck. I need a kindle??

And in my career-oriented-confusion, true these things excite me and educate me, but they don't encourage me (not yet) to join the forces. While I think these studies are awesome and they are answering some truly curious questions, I really don't think I would want to pilot such a study. I am content on reading them.

Now if someone would just do a study about the hearing students' experiences at Gallaudet, I'd be satisfied. Though they do have published works regarding the Deaf President Now stuff. I'll read that too and let you know if it might be similar...

Communication is Key

In all honesty, I think that communication and language are of the most fascinating topics in the world. How do we exchange any information? How can you think/feel something and be able to express it; and just the same, how can I receive that message and understand how you think/feel. Freaks me out.

Last night, Kevin told me how happy he was that we were both interested in communication and language (as an aspiring editor). And I couldn't agree more. Clear communication is among the most important things in a relationship and in the world. We are making it our personal duties to assure, encourage, and disseminate efficient communication practices revealing nothing but mutual understanding.

Following Thanksgiving dinner, my cousin introduced me to Ludwig Wittgenstein. He says in his Tractatus:

Now I'm afraid you haven't really got hold of my main contention to which the whole business of logical propositions is only corollary. The main point is the theory of what can be expressed by propositions, i.e., by language (and, which comes to the same thing, what can be thought) and what cannot be expressed by propositions, but only shown; which I believe is the cardinal problem of philosophy.

How cool is that? Ok, so maybe not the most novel of ideas, but I think I like it, whoever said it first means nothing.

But somehow we do understand each other. And I realize now that my fascination with language and communication reveals itself in how I want to know the perspective of who I am talking with. I always ask questions... and how that person feels about whatever... and why... and his experiences... of course I try to shut my mouth if it gets too personal or invasive, but honestly, all of those things really help you understand a person and his perspective. Which ultimately lead you to better understand them in their communication in general.

I was talking with some roommates and friends this weekend. Of various hearing levels, we all have our own communication styles and preferences in various contexts and environments. In any event, I've noticed just how much miscommunication goes on in my house. Oh man it can be a riot. (and also NOT a riot!) It is curious, though, how there is less misunderstanding outside of our home than within. Thoughts?