Should we intervene?

An experiment was done to research early intervention and language development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

 The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between age of enrollment in intervention and language outcomes at five years of age in a group of deaf and hard of hearing children.

Vocabulary skills at five years of age were examined in a group of 112 children with hearing loss who were enrolled at various ages in a comprehensive intervention program. Within this program they worked on oral pronunciation skills, reading, writing, etc. In addition to that 80 children were tested on their verbal reasoning skills. Participants were evaluated using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and a criteria measurement chart. Each test was administered individually by a professionals skilled in assessing children with a hearing loss. Also, a scale was created to measure the amount of family involvement the children had with their intervention program.

Concluding the experiment was simple; there is a direct negative correlation between intervening at a later age. Interventions that took place as early as 11 months of age demonstrated significantly better vocabulary and verbal reasoning skills in comparison to the later enrolled children. High levels of family involvement correlated with positive language outcomes. However, if a child had late enrollment and lacked family involvement in the program, their scores were extremely damaged. The results suggest that success achieved when early identification is paired with early intervention that also actively involves the child's family.

This experiment is a great example of why parent's of a deaf child are concerned about intervention. Should they intervene and have their children implanted with a cochlear implant? Should they intervene and have them in a program where they practice their speech? Should they empower their child and solely rely on American Sign Language?

How parents decide to go about these questions strongly affects their child's life later on. For some people intervention is the best option but others feel strongly against forcing children to go through a program where they are forced to speak and conform to the normalities of a hearing world. Often times, if the parents are hearing and have a deaf child they may not even know about all of their options. They didn't grow up in the Deaf community and learn American Sign Language growing up. There is a whole community where their child could fit in and they are unaware of that world.

Immediately doctors will approach deafness from a medical perspective. Deafness is something that needs to be fixed and they know how to do that. They will provide parents with all of the medical options such as cochlear implants, schools with speech therapy programs, etc. Many Deaf people are angry with doctors due to them not providing information about the Deaf community or learning American Sign Language... Is that their job? Should a doctor have to provide information that has nothing to do with what they practice?

My personal reaction to all of this is that doctors should not have to provide all of that extra information on Deaf culture. If a parent has a deaf child I think that it is their responsibility to research all of the options. There is plenty of information on the internet, books, and TV that address all of the options. I would never expect a doctor to give advice against what they have learned to be a "disability," especially when Deaf culture is not their expertise. There is a reason why doctor's call it a "hearing loss." They believe that if you can not hear then that means you have lost your hearing, it has a negative connotation to it. Deaf pride is something within a person and not everyone understands what it feels like to have pride in something that others see as a loss. As Richard Masur siad, "I know Deaf people. I have discussed the issues with them. I've also thought about them a lot so I have some insights that go a little further than people who haven't had contact with the Deaf community."

-Bianca E. Stevens

Gallaudet is a federally chartered private university for the education of the Deaf and hard of hearing in Washington D.C. Through their press website I found an article, Cochlear Implants: Evolving Perspectives, which addresses the different perspectives on cochlear implants through three different examples. One example caught my eye, a woman named Julie and how her perspective has changed over time regarding cochlear implants. 

Since the 90's, people have become more accepting towards the idea of cochlear implantation surgery however there's still controversial discussion about the potential risks for both adults and children. According to Raylene, "It is still uncommon for culturally Deaf parents to elect to have their children implanted." I agree with that statement because a lot of Deaf parents have a strong belief in what it means to be Deaf. Most times if a child is born into a hearing family (meaning both parents are able to hear) they are more likely to get a cochlear implant surgery. However, Deaf parents want their children to fight oppression and have pride in themselves. Many Deaf people have reached success; become lawyers, doctors, scientists, and teachers. From their perspective it is not about the ability to hear but how you decide to live your life.

This article gives a great example of Deaf pride through their first example, Julie. She grew up with Deaf parents, went to a Deaf school, and interacted in the Deaf community. For someone who was surrounded with American Sign Language and very successful Deaf people, the idea of a cochlear implant seems unnecessary and maybe even disrespectful. Julie said, "I do not look at myself as disabled." To people with Deaf pride labeling deafness as a disability is taboo. That leads them to the question, why would they want to "fix" their deafness with a cochlear implant if they do not see anything wrong with themselves?

Another issue that Julie brings up, is the idea of giving children cochlear implants. She says, "Being Deaf is natural to me, and putting machines in children's heads frightened me." This is the same view a lot of people have in general regarding children and cochlear implants. Similarly, people say you shouldn't pierce a baby's ears because how could you know they would want that when they are older? Why do you get to make that decision for them?

The argument is that cochlear implants may make the child's life easier. However, if they decide to have the cochlear implant removed they will be left with a scar on their head and have a much harder time adjusting to life. With all that being said, Julie admits that her views on cochlear implants changed once she started working with children who had received the surgery. One of the biggest misconceptions about cochlear implants is that the surgery would change Deaf children and that they would not maintain a sense of Deaf pride. This is completely false when you are talking about a community as a whole. Not all people are the same, at least for Julie's experience she refers to Deaf children communicating with both American Sign Language and spoken English. The goal of the school was to teach Deaf children that they have options and that they can communicate with everyone.

Julie said, "Deaf children were able to have Deaf role models and maintain a sense of deaf pride with deaf teachers." I love that she was able to alter her perspective on cochlear implants and see it from a different point of view.

A huge part of the Deaf community has shunned away parents of children who chose to get the cochlear implantation surgery. They think it's a disgrace to the culture and disrespectful to Deaf people who struggle every day with communication. In my opinion when they shun away from others who are different from them they are doing the exact same thing that they are fighting against, oppression. People need to learn to alter their perspectives and become more accepting of everyone's views. 

I still believe that children should have the choice on whether they receive the surgery or not but I can understand a hearing parent's point of view and wanting to make life a little easier.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people." 


-Bianca E. Stevens