The book “Deaf Like Me” by Thomas S. Spradley and James P. Spradley intrigued because it was about a hearing family that had a deaf daughter. I was also interested that the book was written in the perspective of the father. The statistic that vast majority of deaf children are born to hearing parents has always made me fascinated with what each hearing parent has done for their deaf child. I knew that this story would most likely have a happy ending considering the title “Deaf Like Me” I made the inference that maybe his daughter would find inclusion from being emerged in the culture of deaf individuals. “Deaf Like Me” followed the story of the parents Tom and Louise Spradley in the early 1960s. During this time an outbreak of the German
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Tom and Louise were well educated and supporting parents who believed what any hearing parent would, the doctors. They believed that since the doctors recommended the oral approach and how successful it can be for deaf children they had their belief that the oral approach was the means of a happy life for Lynn. Like many hearing parents once they realize the struggle of learning how to speak without hearing yourself, while also learning how to lip-read is ultimately setting the child up to fail. Once sign language was introduced to Lynn the possibilities became endless and as a family they were able to communicate with her. Unfortunately sign language is seen as the last resort, because many hearing parents want their child to be as normal as possible. Since being hearing and speaking is viewed normal many hearing parents goal for their deaf child is to get them to have intelligible speech and be able to lip-read. Although theoretically this may sound like a great goal, it is ultimately setting the child up to fail. The goal should be communication and for a child who is deaf sign language is the most successful means of communication. Therefore, sign language should be the first avenue for teaching communication, not the oral approach. In summary, “Deaf Like Me” explained what it is like for two hearing parents to have a Deaf child. It detailed the struggles that they
Tom and Louise were well educated and supporting parents who believed what any hearing parent would, the doctors. They believed that since the doctors recommended the oral approach and how successful it can be for deaf children they had their belief that the oral approach was the means of a happy life for Lynn. Like many hearing parents once they realize the struggle of learning how to speak without hearing yourself, while also learning how to lip-read is ultimately setting the child up to fail. Once sign language was introduced to Lynn the possibilities became endless and as a family they were able to communicate with her. Unfortunately sign language is seen as the last resort, because many hearing parents want their child to be as normal as possible. Since being hearing and speaking is viewed normal many hearing parents goal for their deaf child is to get them to have intelligible speech and be able to lip-read. Although theoretically this may sound like a great goal, it is ultimately setting the child up to fail. The goal should be communication and for a child who is deaf sign language is the most successful means of communication. Therefore, sign language should be the first avenue for teaching communication, not the oral approach. In summary, “Deaf Like Me” explained what it is like for two hearing parents to have a Deaf child. It detailed the struggles that they