Testimonial Tuesdays: ASL vs. Oral Debate Part 1 (Family Life)

The topic of doom. The one thing I try to avoid with a passion. The great Oral Vs. ASL debate. Why do I avoid this topic like the plague?

1. I'm in general a non-confrontational person and this topic gets my blood boiling like a volcano. It's hard to stop once I erupt.

2. The debate is never-ending. There's no cut and dry answer. Every family/individual is different and their needs/situations are different.

3. Everyone has an opinion and opinions are like onions- they usually stink and make people cry.

So why AM I talking about this topic? Well- its not because I want to make people cry. It's because it is one we face as Deaf parents or parents with Deaf/HH kids. And when you're a new parent of a deaf child, you have to come to terms with which side you plan on being on. Because sadly to say- no matter what anyone tells you- there is no middle ground.

Now I'm not saying we all have to be crazy extremist. But each parent has to make a decision at some point for your child. And it's either based on one or the other.

So what is Oral and what is ASL?

Wiki defines oralism as:
"Oralism is the education of deaf students through oral language by using lip reading, speech, and mimicking the mouth shapes and breathing patterns of speech instead of using sign language within the classroom."

ASL or manualism is defined as:
 " Manualism is a method of education of deaf students using sign language within the classroom."

Basically put oral means you learn to "listen and speak" while manualism means using a "signed language".  Simple enough right?

 But HOW is a parent to know what is best for their child? A child that often times they though was hearing until an audio exam tells them otherwise. Yet in the mist of shock, and confusion, and fear some well-meaning hearing professional tells them one specific way is the best and only correct way. Who's a parent to believe? The "professional" right??

But what about the parent? What about what is truly best for the child? These are questions that I believe NO professional should be able to answer. Only the parent and child can find the answer to this question. 

Things to consider:
1. Am I willing to learn a new language if it will benefit my child? 
        * Learning ANY language is difficult. Signed languages such as American Sign Language   (ASL) is the same.  Do not be surprised if it takes years, daily practice and application to become fluent. But while it may require time, effort, and sacrifices it can be extremely rewarding for both the parent and the child.
 
2.  If I chose Oralism, am I willing to take responsibility if my child can't learn to speak/lip-read? 
        * With Oral English- you gambling on the chance that your child will be able to lip-read and cue enough words in English to get by. No matter what the professionals tell you, your child WILL miss out. No cochlear, no hearing aid, no amount of speech therapy is going to make your child "Hearing". Some kids do well and can lip-read pretty good and speak like a "hearing" child but at the end of the day- they can't hear everything around them. The benefits are very one-sided (to the benefit of the hearing parents or hearing people around them). However with Signed Languages the risk for "failing" is basically null. Language is clear- visual. There are no hurdles to jump, no roadblocks to stumble over. Language in signs is clearly accessible to the child and the parent. ASL can be used as a springboard to teach written English language (or other written languages) since ASL is a complete language of it's own. The building blocks are put into place.

3. If I chose Signed Language, am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and meet Deaf Signing Adults?
           * When you learn any language the best approach is immersion. Hundreds of studies show this. You must submerge yourself in the language, in the culture, and even the people that use this language. ASL is no different. Adult Signing Role Models are a must. If you are not willing to take time to find and meet Deaf people, signing will not work for your family.

And yes I do recognize there are a few (FEW) children that can do fairly well as oral deaf.  Notice the key words I use in that sentence- FEW, CHILDREN, FAIRLY WELL. In some extreme situations where a the hearing parents are not willing to learn a new language, not willing to spend time with their child socializing with Deaf role models, and the child has extremely mild loss with is greatly improved with assistive listening devices such as aids or cochlears, THEN and only then would I say oral could be a valid option. Even then, I won't say that it's the best option only a valid option. Now keep in mind I am NOT talking about hearing people who lose their hearing later in life. That's a whole other ballpark! I'm strictly talking about deaf/hard of hearing children. A person who loses hearing in their teens or older life stands to benefit much more from oralism. ASL is a still a good option for the older person but oralism become a valid tool in this sphere. 

As a Hard of Hearing (Deaf cultured) adult with a Deaf husband, Deaf mother-in-law, and 3 Deaf kids it might be clear which side I'm on. I was raised main-stream oral though. I didn't learn to sign until I was in college even though I'm fluent today. Still I believe Signed Language is a Natural Language. I hope each parent of a deaf or hard of hearing child at least considers Signed Language for their child. For their child's sake.

Next time on Testimonial Tuesdays we'll look at the effect of ORAL vs. ASL debate on mainstream public schools. There are a million and one different ways oral and ASL are applied in the school setting and we will talk about the 4 major ways: inclusion, mainstreaming, segregation, and exclusion and how each effects public school learning. 

Thanks for reading and see you next time!