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Impact on Parents:
- -most parents don't think deafness at first
- -many deaf cases are diagnosed as mentally retarded or autistic
- -a deaf child may have many similar symptoms of autism
- -most deaf parents don't care (as long as the child is healthy), but some deaf parents are disappointed at having a deaf child
- -if there is no history of deafness in the family, then parents won't look for it
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Stages towards acceptance: Doctor tells parent, “Your child is deaf.”
- Denial: deny what has happened
- Rationalization: start making excuses to discredit the reality
- Shock: the fact hits you; emotions like anger, grief, guilt, helplessness, bargaining, disbelief happen
- Acceptance: accept the fact of reality, look for options
- *some parents look for a second opinion to make sure (“Doctor Hunting”)
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Impact on Child - Communication within family:
very important for both sides to fully understand (especially the WHY); mother is usually the one who learns sign language and becomes the most educated of deafness
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Impact on child - father's role:
very few know how to communicate in sign language well enough; would have been very active had the child(ren) been hearing
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Impact on child - siblings:
should be treated fairly and equally with the hearing kids; usually learn to communicate, but it's mostly gestures. They usually don't accept it and they get in fights, but they will learn signs if they are close
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Impact on child - extended family:
rarely do they learn to sign, mostly communication is limited in quantity
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Options:
- -oral
- -signing
- -live at home
- -residential school
- -hearing aids
- -cochlear implants
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How some parents treat their child(ren):
- -overprotective
- -lax (flexible, spoiling the child(ren), lack of communication)
- -normal: balance of the two above
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Some issues that come up:
- -misdiagnosis
- -lack of options
- -family members acceptance
- -impact on relationship
- -understanding of what's happening
- -turning points–changes in options
- -acceptance
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John Tracy Clinic:
- -established by Spencer Tracy and his wife for their deaf son (John) because they weren't satisfied with the programs existing
- -oral day school, has parent program
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Tripod:
total communication version of John Tracy Clinic
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