HI 4: Perspectives Flashcards
Deafhood
Term coined by Paddy Ladd (DEAF-WAY).
Its aim is to erase all negativity associated with ‘deaf’ (‘hearing impaired’, ‘deafness’).
Rejects the negativity of deafness. Refers to all the positive things that come with it (‘deaf gain’ => community, culture, language)
Has 7 principles. Some ex:
- Deaf people are global citizens
- Have to acquire sign language
- Every deaf person has the right to access the deaf experience - accessing other deaf people etc regardless if they have a cochlear implant.
What are the 3 approaches used to raise deaf children?
Oralism, Total communication, Bilingualism
RAISING DEAF CHILDREN
- Oralism
> Used most widely. Deaf children brought up using spoken language. 87% are educated using only the oral method - 90% of deaf children have hearing parents.
> In poorer countries, oral approach less appropriate as amplification devices expensive.
> Used in all school settings.
> Relies on good acoustic environment, appropriate amplification, and visibility for speech reading.
> Used across the range of deafness, but was originally used with children with mild-moderate-severe deafness.
RAISING DEAF CHILDREN
- Total Communication
> Total communication came about in the 70s; oral approach wasn’t really working.
> Use of all available channels, the goal is spoken language.
> Involves a mixture of speech and sign.
> Its aim is to encourage spoken language - signs facilitate understanding of speech.
> Sign language has its own grammatical rules and this may not mess well with spoken English.
> SSE - sign supported English: Need to know both English and sign language fluently to use well.
> SSE is not English grammar anyways - takes 1.5x longer to speak in SSE.
> Total communication has been criticised as a ‘shotgun approach’, it is difficult to evaluate. Results are disappointing (Spencer & Tomblin, 2005).
PROBLEMS
> Teachers’ level of signing skills - less than half of those using total communication have BSL 2 (CRIDE, 2014).
> Production/perception of simultaneous speeech and signing “at best cognitively very demanding, at worst impossible” (Lynas, 1999).
RAISING DEAF CHILDREN
Bilingualism
> Newest approach. Started in the UK in the early 90s.
> Mother tongue in sign language for all deaf children from which to learn written and/or spoken language as a second language, based in findings from children in deaf families.
> For it to be successful, need right intervention EARLY.
> Implementation required early access to fluent signers and clear policies on use of BSL and English (Swanwick and Gregory), especially important for children in hearing families, and evidence to date suggests this can be difficult to achieve for children in hearing families.
> Deaf children in hearing families aren’t accessing signing classes - especially if they are from a working class background.
> Signs from classes may not be suitable for parents; don’t allow for engagement with children.
> Not as popular these days; especially with cochlear implants becoming more popular.
> 9% of children use BSL or some sort of sign support (CRIDE, 2014).
Why use sign lang?
> These are the natural languages of deaf communities. It is used in every country (e.g. BSL, LSF, ASL).
> It was acknowledged as ‘true’ languages in the 1970s, and can be used to express complex ideas, humour, poetry etc.
> In the U, BSL was officially recognised in 2003.
Natural development of language; it is acquired naturally by children from deaf signing families, and later by deaf children from hearing families, often through contact with deaf peers.
EDUCATING DEAF CHILDREN
3 types of settings
> Mainstream is most widely used - 64% of deaf children attend. Most children in mainstream will be on their own or maybe 1 or 2 others.
> Partially hearing units/HUIs/UHICs - these are resource units attached to mainstream schools. 7% of children attend. Hearing units in schools with have deaf teacher attached.
> Special schools - wither specifically for deaf children (3% attend specialist deaf schools) and other types of special schools (10% go to schools who specialise with deafness and other additional things).
EDUCATING DEAF CHILDREN
Mainstream school
ADVANTAGES
- Children attend local schools.
- Children get extensive contact with hearing children.
- There are higher expectations for deaf children.
- Additional teaching support is provided.
DISADVANTAGES
- Mainstream teachers lack specialist training and Deaf awareness.
- Acoustic environments in the classroom tend to very poor.
- Deaf children are often socially isolated (this has consequences for mental health - 40% of deaf children are referred to mental health).
- Additional support is limited.
EDUCATING DEAF CHILDREN
Hearing Impaired Units
ADVANTAGES
- Special classes within/attached to mainstream schools.
- Schools employ specially trained staff.
- Opportunity for small group teaching.
- More likely to have acoustically treated rooms.
- Children have contact with deaf and hearing children.
- Access to mainstream curriculum and facilities.
- Hearing children learn about deafness.
DISADVANTAGES
- Few employ deaf staff; deaf children rarely get Deaf adult role models.
- Children may have to be bussed in, this hinders the development of out of school friendships.
- Most units are very small, so children may not have same age deaf peers.
- Success/amount of inclusion varies from school to school.
EDUCATING DEAF CHILDREN
Special Schools
ADVANTAGES
- Classes are small.
- Staff are specially trained.
- Often many deaf staff; this allows for children to develop a Deaf identity.
- Less stressful environment for children as deafness is understood.
DISADVANTAGES
- Children have to be bussed in or be residential.
- Staff expectations may be low.
- Schools may be isolated, so there are fewer opportunities for inclusions.
- Non-deaf special schools have limited understanding of deafness.
- It is seen as the last resort.
Academics + lang deprivation
> Only 36.3% of deaf children leave secondary school with at least 5 A*-C GCSEs, unlike 65.3% of hearing peers (NDCS, 2015).
> Deaf children are at real risk of language deprivation.
> There is delayed and restricted access to a first language.
Many arrive at school aged 4 with little communication; by 3 years, children should know 500 words.
What is the impact of lang deprivation?
> Poor mental wellbeing in many deaf people.
> The main reason deaf people are likely to be ‘underemployed’ (they don’t get opportunities for promotions).
> The main reason deaf people remain on benefits.
> The main reason most deaf people don’t achieve good literacy skills.
How can we prevent language delay?
> Many studies looking into sign language and literacy show a positive correlation between sign language skills and literacy attainment.
> Sentence Repetition Tasks in various languages – ASL, DGS , SSL etc.
> ‘Using a bimodal-bilingualism approach for children with CI is the safest method to ensure that those children, regardless of socioeconomic status or any other factors, are provided with the best opportunity for maximal language development, and, hence, the optimal chance for good cognitive development, academic success, and psychosocial well-being.’ (Humphries et al, 2014).
> ‘Simultaneous development of two languages, one signed and one spoken, allows transfer between the two. In other words, proficiency in one language promotes proficiency in the other’ (Cummins, 1981).
