Lounge for Deaf people and their allies
 

While I'm hearing, I work at a school for the Deaf and love Deaf culture and sign language. This thread is a hang out space for BFP members who are Deaf, hard of hearing, CODA, ASL interpreters, or otherwise interested in various aspects of Deaf culture. Casual/socializing and serious discussion are both welcome here. When you first post on the thread, please let us know what brings you to it and anything else you want to say!

Wouldn't mind learning how to sign.

i hear now, but was deaf/hardhearing many years back
 

I'm hearing, however had many years either deaf or hard of hearing.

I wrote a lot and then deleted it.

I think in ABA which gets me in trouble., ABA is where dominate does the A then follows the reaction of submissive doing B that will then echo A

However I do so through this language, and I forget there's communication.

I'm seeking to break this ABA notion and learn how to communicate.

Anybody here relate with this.

Anybody here had their hearing restored? and find challenge?

hearing restore through tubes; that's all., no biggy, many had this done., so perhaps I sound I exaduate then.

but really I'm not exaduating.

I was deaf/heard of hearing for many years, due to neglect as I wasn't allow to see docs.

something to do with grandparents from germany, uh?

grandparents were afraid of losing me if docs find out about me; uh?

grandparents beliefs did me harm.

anybody relate in any way?

Wow,im glad to see this subject posted.I'm hearing chalenged,some peole call it impared..well no, im not impared just cant hear,impared sounds like im broken wich I am not.Being hearing chalenged can be both a pain in the ass as well as a blessing.I barely do asl but read lips like a wild child,I have hearing aids(gathering dust in a box) I use them when I need to but the normal hearing range im suposed to use drives me nuts over time with the constant chatter of life,last night I didnt hear the water runing that I forgot to totaly turn off and flooded the bathroom floor..so glad its tile(not the first time).Onething that bugs me is normal hearing people or people who want to be rude is thy think for me to realise they are talking to me is toeither get up in my face or touch me to make shure I get it...some will down right be rude about it.I told someone once I had a hearing issue,I was a long way from dead so becareful what you say.

Hi, Electrocell,

Just wanted to share a great site:

http://www.lifeprint.com/

Learning the alphabet by heart and ideally numbers 1-25 helps a lot to start out with! So many signs are made using variations of the alphabet that practicing it until you can do it really fast is very helpful!

Thanks appreciate it. Had a cousin who taught the deaf as well a friend in St Louis.

What is ABA?

I want to add to anyone unfamiliar with Deaf culture that ASL is NOT a written language AND uses completely different grammar. E.G. "I'll get my book" is signed "Book get I." There's a terrible stereotype that because some Deaf people's written English is not fluent that they are not as intelligent. That couldn't be further from the truth.

We use ABA teaching consultants at times at our school.

Here's a link:

http://rsaffran.tripod.com/whatisaba.html

OK thanks.

So ABA is used for people with autism--- that's good to know.

You are so right on this statement,process takes a fue minits sometimes.

Being deaf I often miss things in a conversation,last night some friends at the pool hall were jokeing around about something wich totaly flew over my head with all the noise and such.Lots of times I feel like a dork when this happends cause I wonder what the non deaf people are thinking im stupid or something.
My pool team and I have worked out a way to get my attention when the team captain thinks I need a coaching or word of advise on something I didnt see or notice,but as long as I have played on this team I still dont get into long conversations with anyone mostly because in reality pool is all we have thats in common.The daily drama of theire lives is not anything I care to be a part of.Then there is the left out feeling when I dont blend in well in groups that feel like dealing with a deaf person is a bother,and they do even if they say it dosent.Then there is all the speach therapy I have had to speak as clear as I do,its a lot of work to be clear cause I get tired and fall back into less clear speach or drop words.

Check with the deaf action center to see if they offer clases or the comunity college (if you have one) sometimes the class's are free.

I am a certified interpreter in San Diego! Yay! I love meeting deaf/hoh/interpreters/allies as well! Hugs!

I also deal with hearing challenges. While I may hear sounds, I have a difficult time understanding what someone is actually saying; especially if the person has a deeper voice. I hear high tones fine, but lower, deeper tones either I don't hear at all or cannot make out words. I am notorious for asking people to repeat themselves, sometimes to where after I have asked them to repeat themselves numerous times down to one word not being understood, and then I end up repeating what I understood and then I request them to spell the word I am just not getting. People have been really good about it and if I see them get frustrated, I will then disclose my hearing impairment. It is very frustrating because even in the movie theater I lose a lot of what is being said. I think this is why I prefer action movies to dramas as action movies usually don't have a lot of talking.

I too have done the smile and nod and not understood a word someone has said. I watch lips and am very keen on watching body language to help me.

I have tried a hearing aid, but all it did was amplify background noise and holy crap.... forget when a siren goes off... I couldn't get the volume down fast enough.

I try my best to work with it everyday, and some days are okay, but then there are days where I just get tired... tired of feeling like I am missing out on some things. (which i am in a sense)

So hi to everyone.. :) And thanks nycfembbw for starting this thread.