Teaching Students with Sensory Impairments
Working with Families
Katharine Edwards, M.A.T.
Trinity University
II. Concerns of the Deaf Community
To truly understand the Deaf community’s position in working with children
who are hard of hearing or Deaf, you must understand the dynamics of the Deaf
culture. Deaf with a lowercase “d” refers to persons who are hard of hearing and
who often “use speech and residual hearing to communicate instead of sign
language” (Frasu, 2004, deaf section, bullet 2). Deaf with a capital “D” refers to
the culture with which certain individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf identify
and of which they consider themselves members.
In their essay “Educating Children Who are Hard of Hearing: Residential
Life, ASL, and Deaf Culture,” Gilliam and Easterbrooks (1997) describe the Deaf
culture as “…a group of individuals who have a common heritage (historical
events, famous figures, art, literature, and scholarly organizations), a common
language (American Sign Language [or other forms of sign language]), and a set
of customs and values (cherishing Deaf children, expecting participation in
cultural events, valuing the visual world, protecting one another)" (p. 2). Although
hearing impairments and deafness are low-incidence disabilities, a powerful
culture has grown from their shared experiences and common language. Deaf
culture organizations can be found at regional, state, and national levels and
provide a wide variety of experiences such as athletic events, community picnics,
theatrical performances, Deaf religious congregations, and even a Deaf Miss
America pageant that bring individuals in the Deaf community together (Orsi,
2001).
People within the Deaf community do not view the absence of hearing as
a disability. Instead it is considered a difference—something that sets their
culture apart from others and makes it stronger. “They are proud to be Deaf and
feel that Deafness is a vital part of their identity, cherished as much as ethnicity,
gender, and religious background” (Frasu, 2001, Deaf section, bullet 2). Children
with hearing parents do not have access to this culture unless they have contact
with Deaf individuals in the community; however, children who are deaf or
hearing impaired must use sign language to be incorporated into the Deaf
community. Baker and Baker (1997) suggest that “This membership is vital to
Deaf children because it promotes a healthy view of who they are as human
beings and increases self-esteem and confidence in their abilities to interact in a
wide array of situations” (p. 3).
Members of the Deaf community believe that to fully integrate a child into
the Deaf culture, there must be strong contacts within the Deaf community. To
attain and develop those contacts, members of the Deaf community suggest
residential life schools (Marschark, Lang, & Albertini, 2002). These schools help
pass on the beliefs and history of the Deaf culture from generation to generation.
Students receive direct experiences with sign language and are shown how it is
incorporated into every day life. Gilliam and Easterbrooks (1997) believe that
residential schools place students “…on equal footing with their peers [where]
communication is not a barrier to social life because students do not have to
depend on an interpreter, enabling them to express themselves freely to their
peers” (p. 2). Deaf adults who have studied at a residential school find their
experiences valuable and essential to their identification as a member of the
Deaf culture.
As parents, it can be difficult to choose whether or not to send your child
to a residential life school. Deaf parents with children who are deaf or hard of
hearing often opt to send their children to residential life schools because they
believe this is a valuable “opportunity for their children to participate in the life of
the Deaf community and culture.” Yet, “…separation may cause feelings of guilt
in the parents, confusion and homesickness in the child, and depression in both;
but once the child has adjusted, he usually embraces the experience
wholeheartedly” ((Gilliam & Easterbrooks, 1997, p. 3). On the other hand,
hearing parents have a more difficult time settling on a residential life school as
the best placement for their child. Most often their preference is for the child to
share the oral world with family and friends. Whether Deaf or hearing, most are
hesitant to send their child away because of the impact of separation. Although
residential schools are a powerful tool for educating and integrating children into
the Deaf culture, placement is still a difficult decision to make as a parent.
One of the main debates throughout Deaf history and one that parents
must immediately address is the issue of language or the means of
communication. “While some endorse sign language as the natural method of
communication and education for the deaf, others believe that deaf people
should learn spoken and written language so they can be mainstreamed with the
rest of society” (Public Broadcasting System, 2001, Deaf Culture/Deaf History
section). Parents must choose which form/s of communication (Sign Language,
Auditory-Verbal, Cued Speech, Oral, or a combination of several tactics) they will
teach their child. Once they find a means of communication that works, they
must practice and become fluent within the home and school. If parents choose
not to use sign language in the home, their child might not become fluent.
Without sign language, the child may be excluded from the Deaf culture (Gilliam
& Easterbrooks, 1997, p. 3). The parents’ decision then becomes more than a
language issue, but a cultural issue as well.
With technological advances in medicine, other issues arise within the
Deaf community. Used to enhance hearing, cochlear implants have become a
major subject of debate. Many people within the Deaf culture do not agree with
the use of cochlear implants and at times reject individuals who have them
(Public Broadcasting System, 2001). However, this technology has amazing
capabilities that allow many people to hear things for the first time. Although
many in the Deaf culture discourage the procedure, some parents feel that the
cochlear implant is the best solution for their child’s needs (Public Broadcasting
System, 2001).