Round Peg in a Square Hole - Open and Closed

Should the Deaf Be Considered an Ethnic Group? Potentials, myths, problems and slippery slope

There's an article that came out this morning called "Should the Deaf Be Considered an Ethnic Group?" An issue brought up by Richard C. Pillard, a School of Medicine professor of psychiatry, saying that the (culturally) deaf should be recognized as a distinct ethnic group. That argument raised (and will raise even more in the coming days) a lot questions, issues, potentials (positive) and myths. But one of the things I noticed is Pillard's bias (just like Harlan Lane who is hearing) against cochlear implant.

For people unfamiliar with them, the implants sound like a medical marvel. But they are problematic, he says. “They work poorly, and that’s something worth emphasizing. You get 24 channels for different octaves and tonal recognition, but the price you pay for that is you’re a kid trying to play soccer and so on with this business strapped to your body.” And the implants, designed to be optimal when used in both ears, destroy residual hearing in people who were not completely deaf before the implants. “It seems to me that what we’re doing is transforming someone who could have a perfectly healthy ethnic identity and turning him into a marginalized kid who can’t speak or hear well, but could learn to sign beautifully,” Pillard says.

Pillard uses a typical red herring tactic by bringing in sports as a reason to not get a cochlear implant implying that such an implant will severely restrict a child's sports activity thereby dooming him/her to a childhood life without sports. It's also a non sequitur because soccer isn't the only sports a child can participate in. It's also incorrect to say that a child with cochlear implant cannot play soccer. This is an attempt to use unfounded fear as a reason not to get an implant. A child with cochlear implant can play soccer without worry using a protective head gear as a recommendation. Just as well, one can even play football just like Adam Strecker who uses his specially designed football helmet adapted for his cochlear implant while wearing it.

Using sports as a reason not to get a cochlear implant is an extremely poor argument to use. Don't go there.

Another argument used is "They work poorly." That is an entirely subjective argument either because Pillard is not overly familiar with the design, up to date procedures and processes involved with a cochlear implant and the implantation itself.  There are varying successes on the beneficial use from this implantation ranging from poor to highly successful.  Various factors play a role in determining success such as parents' participation, the age of implantation, educational input, enthusiasm, and support as well as the integrity of the implant itself.


Adrià and the music of his dreams by octaviroyo

The above video is an example of how a cochlear implant works extremely well as opposed to "they work poorly."  This is only one of the many videos seen on the internet that show children with cochlear implants, implanted at an early age, who have acquired successful listening skill giving them the ability to discern, understand and respond to a spoken language without even looking.  This is complemented with their excellent speaking skills that are equal to that of their hearing peers. If those are the successful cases of cochlear implants working "poorly" then I can't imagine what it'd be like if cochlear implants were to work extremely well. Here's one video of a girl who was implanted at 22 months old with her talking and listening at age 16 years old who wants to be a cochlear implant surgeon.



Over the past few years insertion techniques as well as new cochlear implant electrode design have improved to the point where it doesn't destroy residual hearing.

Success in conservation of residual hearing after cochlear implantation has benefited patients with high levels of residual low frequency hearing who were not previously considered for conventional cochlear implantation. Technological developments play a key role in minimizing trauma to the cochlea during placement of electrodes.

Wearing a hearing aid or even a cochlear implant does not preclude anybody from learning sign language whether it's SEE, PSE, or ASL. Many hearing parents of deaf children with cochlear implants do include sign language as part of the whole communication and language package.

Increasingly you have deaf parents of deaf/hh children where they are cochlear implant wearers, fluent in sign language and are a part of the deaf culture such as the Artinians (from the show Sound and Fury) with the mother who wears an implant after their daughter getting one and the Errigos where both the mother and father wear their implants while their son wears one since age 2.

If the idea is to grant culturally deaf people the status as an ethnic group then, too, culturally deaf parents and their deaf child who all wear cochlear implants and are fluent in sign language should be given that same status as well. There is nothing to say upon granting the status this new ethnic group designation for culturally deaf people that they cannot wear hearing aids or, in this case, cochlear implants. Nothing about the status implies that an "organic" case must be met. There are no disqualifying criteria on signing and talking/mouthing the words at the same time. And if these criteria are to be made absolute then enters the slippery slope problem here on who gets "admitted" into this special ethnic group designation.

More on that later.....

AVT and ASL do not and cannot mix

There seems to be an ongoing confusion and misunderstanding on the role of Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) by many people thinking it is all about "banning ASL." Simply to say that is a sign that a person does not understand what AVT is about. There is no "banning ASL" in AVT anymore than ASL means that it "bans" the use of voice.  ASL, sign language, SEE, lip-reading, cues, and such do not play a role. AVT is an exercise session set aside for the single purpose to help a child with a hearing aid or cochlear implant to learn, recognize and understand verbal speech sound without looking at the lips or other cues.

From "Auditory-Verbal Therapy:Developing Spoken Language Through ListeningWith ChildrenWho Are Deaf" it describes what AVT is about (note the bolded words below).

Children and their parent(s) are typically seen once, and sometimes twice, a week for Auditory-Verbal therapy. Sessions usually last one hour where audition, speech, language, cognition, and communication goals are integrated into natural, playful, and age-appropriate activities. The therapist models for the parents the skill to be developed, then guides the parents as they participate actively in establishing the goal. The emphasis is on the process of listening for learning speech and language without the use of visual cues, such as lipreading or sign language. For each verbal interaction, the child is first presented with auditory information, the parent and/or child then verbally responds to what was heard, and finally the auditory cue is reinforced with a toy, picture, or action. Listening is linked with speech, and vice versa, so that listening is an active rather than a passive process.

Simply put, AVT is a speech recognition training exercise for deaf and hard of hearing children who are hearing aid or cochlear implant users. ASL or any signing cannot be used in this therapy because it does not serve a purpose in AVT at all. NONE! ASL cannot serve as a tool to help train the ear during AVT anymore than voice alone can serve as a tool to help train on teaching ASL.

AVT is not about discouraging lip-reading, either. It'd be ludicrous to think it's about discouraging lip-reading because AVT is about picking up and recognizing the spoken word. People who say that AVT is about discouraging lip-reading generally do not understand the goal of AVT. It's about training the ear and the brain to recognize and understand the spoken words. It cannot get any simpler than that, folks!

So, for a person to go around and spout that AVT "bans" ASL is either practicing the art of terminological inexactitude or the person simply does not know what he or she is talking about thinking AVT is against ASL. That is hardly the case. AVT is about the emphasis on the process of listening for learning speech and language without the use of visual cues, such as lipreading or sign language. Think of AVT like a telephone exercise where speaking and listening is required. ASL would be impossible here and serves no purpose. ASL cannot be used in a telephone conversation. Right?

I hope ya'll understand what AVT is about now.

Videos: Compare and Contrast on Communication Methods and Options

Let's compare with the recent ASL video that came out on what it appears to be (CDE) California Department of Education's official support on the ASL option against all other communication methods and options in an equal unbiased approach on information for parents to watch. Also see the CDE Oversight Committee in the last video below at 12:55 to see the scrolling names. You might recognize some of the names. That alone certainly raise questions about the possibility of conflict of interest. Who is Andrew Laufer?

As far as I can tell there were no budget set aside using California's public tax dollars to produce a video on other communication and language options for parents to learn and be informed about. The budget of $34,000 dollars was used to produce the inspirational ASL video with the intent to distribute DVD videos targeting parents of newborn Deaf or hard of hearing children. It is not known if CDE will include other DVDs, pamphlets or other information about other options along with the distributed ASL DVD video for parents to have. Is that their intent? Or just the ASL video only?

I have a question for you CDE, are other options being denied to parents who need to know all other options in order to make an informed decision regarding their deaf/hh newborn child? Is this the only DVD video available for those parents that talks expressly only on ASL? Do you have other communication options to provide and show? Do you have plans to make other similar videos about Cued Speech? Signing Exact English? Audio-Verbal approaches? And so on?


Auditory-oral approach on learning how to speak and improve listening skill.


Cued speech with auditory-oral examples along with sign language using Cuers.


A deaf/hh boy with hearing aid learning how to speak and listen fluently in both the English and Cantonese language through auditory-oral approach with his mother.


A mother and deaf/hh son (with a cochlear implant) moment with her signing in SEE and him responding in SEE which is a full visual communication access of the English language while at the same time hear exactly the spoken English language.


California Department of Education's ASL video of parents and kids signing only.

What goes through your mind when you see this picture?

What are your thoughts and feelings when you see this picture below? It's an old bumper sticker I have that's around over 35 years old. I scanned it last year for my laptop. I have two of these stickers in my storage box along with one button with the same phrase on it. You can see a picture of that button on the left side of my blog.

Now, is that phrase true today? Can deaf children, which could mean children with mild to profound hearing loss, learn how to talk? Was that phrase true 40 years ago as well? Or should deaf children be best not to be taught on learning how to speak early in their life such as 40 years ago? 30 years ago? 10 years ago? Today???

Look at Deaf Jeff's (aka The Terlinguan blogger) recent video of him talking (although there is no captioning which I'm sure has raised a lot of eyebrows but I give him mega kudos on talking though) about ABC's recent show on discrimination against deaf people, ironically so. He also used his voice in an earlier video back in November 2010 for his hearing family and that's fine as well.  Jeff is an example of that oral success. Just like mine, Tim Riker's, and many others.

Looking back what would have been the consequences of not getting that early opportunity on learning how to speak? Now, remember, it says that deaf children can learn to talk and it says nothing about the inclusion of signing nor does the phrase presume to say (especially today) that signing shouldn't be included, either. Regardless, what are you thinking when you read that bumper sticker?

$10,000 grant from Staples to help deaf/hh kids on early communication skills

The Staples Foundation for Learning (known for their Staples stores) was generous in giving a $10,000 grant to Lake Drive Foundation, a non-profit organization, to help with the early intervention for deaf/hh kids from birth to age three.

The Lake Drive Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports programs for children who are deaf and hard of hearing, has received a $10,000 grant from Staples Foundation for Learning (SFFL), a private foundation created by Staples, Inc. Funding from SFFL be used to support The Sound Start Program to give infants and toddlers with hearing loss the critical help they need from birth to age three to develop their communication skills during the optimal time for auditory learning.

Sound Start operates under the auspices of The Lake Drive Programs in Mountain Lakes, which offers New Jersey's most comprehensive continuum of educational opportunities for children with hearing loss from birth through high school graduation. The Lake Drive Programs provide services for more than 300 students who are deaf or hard of hearing. For more information about The Lake Drive Foundation visit www.lakedrivefoundation.org.

And here's an article about the latest study using a 50 month long longitudinal data that support the effectiveness of auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The study matched children who were deaf or hard of hearing and using listening and spoken language with a control group of children who had typical hearing. Dornan and her team proceeded to conduct bench mark assessments for receptive, expressive, and total language, receptive vocabulary, and speech, and re-assessed at the 9-, 21-, 38- and 50-month mark. Over the last 12 months of the study, the team also assessed for reading and mathematics skills as well as self-esteem.

Results indicate that at the 50-month mark there were no significant differences between the children who are deaf or hard of hearing and the children with typical hearing. Speech perception improved significantly with moderate to high levels at the 50-month mark. Although the group was identified at a mean age of 22.29 months, much later than the current recommended age of 6 months, their language and speech attainments have been the same as the matched control (hearing) group. Reading, mathematics and self-esteem outcomes were also comparable for both groups over the last 12 months of the study period.


Dornan stated, “This study has provided a research model, utilizing a control group matched for language age, which could also be replicated across different languages, cultures, and countries and with different education approaches.” The researchers concluded that auditory-verbal therapy was effective for this group of children with hearing loss.

In short, AVT works.

What is John Tracy Clinic expertise in?

There seems to be a bit of a round robin by certain Deaf people in taking pot shots at the John Tracy Clinic program. What some Deaf people don't seem to understand is that the JTC program is very specific in what it can offer and the support they can give to parents of kids from age 0 to 5 years old that were diagnosed with hearing loss. Obviously, if an organization has a specific expertise in what it can offer then that is what they can offer and nothing else. The expertise at John Tracy Clinic is in spoken language which can be used with any other communication approaches. 

John Tracy Clinic offers information and distance courses for families of children with hearing loss ages birth to five. The focus is language development with ideas for learning through child play and family routines. The expertise at John Tracy Clinic is in spoken language which is emphasized in onsite programs such as the Parent/Infant Program and Preschool, as well as via Distance Education for Parents, but many of the techniques can be used in any communication approach. The key is to provide children with early and complete access to communication to help them fully develop their language skills. Development of complex communication skills helps children be ready for school. There are no limits to what children with hearing loss can achieve.

Many techniques used in the JTC spoken language program can be used with other communication choices or options such as Auditory-Verbal, Auditory-oral, Cued Speech, Total Communication, and Formal Sign Language (American Sign Language (ASL) or Sign Language of other countries).  It is obvious that JTC recognizes ASL but that is not their area of expertise. Their area of expertise is spoken language. It has always been like that. They do recognize that there is no one shoe size fits all and that the parents are the ones who make their own informed decision regarding their child with a hearing loss when it comes to communication and language options.

What does JTC offer?

1) Early detection of hearing loss and information on individualized intervention

2) A spoken language learning opportunity for infants and preschoolers who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and their parents

3) Guidance, support and instruction for parents in the special skills necessary tohelp their children learn spoken language

4) Distance education serving parents and families throughout the world

5) Over 60 years of experience in teacher and professional education

Again, John Tracy Clinic main area of expertise is and has always been in the spoken language area. Without their help I would not be who I am today as seen in my video dedication to JTC. May they continue for many more decades.

AB 2072 - passed

Great news. AB 2072 bill passed by the Health Senate Committee with a 5 to 1 vote, along with 2 abstaining. It now goes to the Senate which I'm sure they'll recognize this bill as a bill that empowers parents to make an informed decision.

This is about letting parents make the decision and not the government. No government or any other entity or agency will be doing the decision for parents. This is about empowering parents in making their own decision where an agency or government says, "Here you go, you decide." This exactly how it should be done rather than a government making the decision for parents of newborns diagnosed with hearing loss. The best way to lose your independence is when a government ends up making decisions for you. This would be an example of interfering into people lives rather than helping them make their own decisions for a change provided that they are given adequate and proper information so they can make an informed decision. Once a government starts to make decisions for parents of newborns diagnosed with hearing loss would be the day when the government practices communism.

However, this bill would force audiologists to provide information given to them on ALL communication options, including ASL. If there are biased audiologists out there who do not favor ASL they would soon be forced to provide parents the various communication methods and shall include ASL. The audiologists do not decide for the parents. The government does not decide for the parents. State, regional or local agencies do not decide for the parents. Advocacy groups do not get to decide for the parents of newborns diagnosed with hearing loss such as CAD, CENIAS, NAD, DBC, NORCAL, DCARA, Deafhood Yoga, and any other organizations. The sole decision makers are the parents. This is what the Senate will recognize and understand.

Atlanta Braves Baseball Donates Money to AVT

This is a great contribtuion by the Atlanta Braves baseball who donated $2500.00 for future scholarships toward Auditory-Verbal therapy (AVT) in teaching kids to hear and speak without the use of sign language.

ATLANTA—October 10, 2008— At a recent Atlanta Braves game, the Auditory-Verbal Center Inc. was awarded $2,500 to be used for scholarships toward Auditory-Verbal therapy. Each year the Atlanta Braves Foundation grants funds to youth-serving organizations that focus on health, education, and recreation; and the Auditory-Verbal Center (AVC) was proud to be a first-time recipient.

“AVC offers an opportunity for mildly to profoundly deaf children to learn how to hear and speak without the use of sign-language or lip reading; it is a great honor for this unique work to be recognized by an organization such as the Atlanta Braves Foundation.” says Debbie Brilling, executive director of the Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc.

I remember back then living near Atlanta, Georgia during the mid 1970s and early 1980s my family would attend the Braves baseball game soaking in all that experience up in the bleachers. And watch Dale Murphy go at bat and hit a home run.

Informed Decision....would you accept and support a parents' decision?

There are concerns among many Deaf people that hearing parents of deaf/hh babies and children that they may not have access to all of the necessary information to make an *informed decision* about mode of communicaton to be used. If you watch Barb Digi recent video on YouTube she points out that very same but legitimate concern. However, the biggest test is after the fact when parents do make an *informed decision*. Supposing hearing parents do get all the necessary and relevant materials regarding ASL, SEE, AVT, cued speech, oral/aural trainings, educational aspects and so on. Let's say hearing parents spend considerable time with materials given to them by various hearing loss organizations (AGBell, pro-ASL organizations, pro-bilingual organizatoins, cued speech organizations, etc), met with numerous deaf/hh people, met with various profesional educators and so on over a short but intense period of time. With all the due diligence already undertaken the hearing parents finally make an *informed decision*. They decide to go for the cochlear implant and cochlear implant route for their deaf/hh baby or child. Will you, as a Deaf person unequivocally accept and support the hearing parents' decision for their deaf/hh baby or child? Remember, hearing parents took every effort and did their due diligence effort, including an in-depth comprehensive look at ASL, to make an *informed decision* about their deaf/hh baby or child.

Barb Digi, would you unequivocally accept and support hearing parents' *informed decision* after they have accessed all relevant information decide to go for the AVT and cochlear implant route? I make this challenge to you Barb (and to any Deaf people out there) to answer this question of mine. It is indeed a relevant question to ask.

Watch Barb Digi's video which comes with a built-in scrolling transcript for those who do not know ASL

Deafhoodism Voodoo

* click me and check inside for free! *

Just to be fair in the name of this so-called "transparency" game I am just now realizing that DBC, a grassroots organization with several core leaders running it, never disclosed any financial or commerical or venture gains with, if any, "Deafhood" workshops," amount of money donated to DBC via CAD (which is questionable on tactics used to receive money), products sold (e.g. t-shirts) , "Deafhood" trainings, re-imbursements, gifts, any relationship to Deafhood Foundation and so on.

Under DeafRead's policy regarding using blog or vlog sites on commercialization:

6) Commerical Sites

We do not link to commerical sites for the purpose of generating profit, other than our own (we have expenses to cover!)

Though DBC's website was linked numerous times in DeafRead and now it is reasonable to ask the question regarding any commercialization aspect, according to Jared, concerning the danger of becoming a "mouthpiece" for an organization:

DeafRead highly values the true ethos of blogging- that is a blogger sharing independent thought, meaningful analysis and personal opinions without undue influence.
When a blogger is part of an organization backed by a for-profit corporation and both of them can stand to benefit financially from the blogging effort, there is an inherent conflict of interest. These bloggers can optionally receive other means of compensation. The integrity of the blog posts then is called into question. The blogger can run the risk of becoming a mouthpiece for the corporation.

DeafRead prefers to distance ourselves from these types of blogs. This is why we continue to allow personal blogs of CI bloggers who display the true ethos of blogging. Any blog that start to push for a product to the point of almost becoming commercialized will be revisited by the DeafRead team for a possible change in its subscription status.

Indeed. So, what makes a product a product? Is it something tangible that you can touch that has value? Or can pushing a product be about pushing certain ideology or a concept in the hope of receiving some kind of monetary or beneficial (self-serving) gains through the incorporation of an idealogy and use that to sell their products?

Seems like this whole thing is this inexorable march towards this whole"Deafhoodism" folly. A few years ago I, as the original author (see here, here and here), came up with word "Deafhoodism" and provided a definition on what it means:

Deafhoodism - a Deaf status quo regarding Deafhood; a system of Deaf beliefs accepted as authoritative where acceptance and, sometimes, blameless actions toward other deaf and hard of hearing individuals outside of Deaf culture would be required. It is also a self-discovery oriented process involving sustained meaningful interaction with and commitment to, Deaf social, cultural and/or political life where a deaf or hard of hearing person would become a Deaf person someday.

In short, hoping these "deaf and hard of hearing people" will "see the light" and reach for "Deaf nirvana" someday.

But it seems like DBC cannot keep "Deafhood" separate from their now quagmire of a mission that's already beginning to show mixed messages and letting Deaf politics become their mission du jour that's seemingly filled with hidden agendas. It's becoming more and more painfully obvious in what some of these people are doing.

But with the latest revelation by Barry Sewell with a copy of an IM between core leaders of DBC did it show that there are clear disdain towards hearing parents who get cochlear implants for their deaf children or the use of AVT. And the general atmosphere of disdain towards the idea of oralism as well. Not to mention personal agendas of somehow tying DBC with that of Deafhood Foundation. Of course, they have a right to their own personal opinions and beliefs but certainly and obviously so we are seeing that conflict of interest is occurring.

All in all, it seems like all of a sudden a bunch of Deaf people are simply wearing masks with the intention to further their own personal agendas regarding ASL, "Deafhood," "Deafhood" workshops, NAD, DBC, grab for power and any and everything in between. Remember what I said about carrying unnecessary baggage with you? Which is exactly why the below cartoon precisely describes what's going on.