Re: IMLD, 2/21/05: Braille & sign languages

--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...>
wrote:

> suzmccarth wrote:
> >
> > --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels"
> > <grammatim@...> wrote:
> >
> > > Do you have any idea what this is about?
> > >
> > > English is no deaf person's native language.
> > >
> > > If you take away their native language, you are engaging in

child abuse,

> > > and if the Canadian authorities do not realize this, then they

are far

> > > more incompetent that the US education departments.
> >
> > There are some excellent oral language programs in US. and
> > many government funded ASL programs here. It is a personal
> > decision in both countries. Please do not speculate.
> >
> > I believe that any further discussion about language choice for
> > he deaf and hard of hearing is OT.
> >
> > I only wanted to say that without learning the oral language,
> > literacy is not likely to progress beyond grade 3. If you are
>aware
> > of statistics which counter this, they would be most welcome.
>
> If the children have no native language to start with, they are
>unlikely
> to learn "English" at all anyway.

What research are you drawing on here? I have asked you repeatedly
to quote some researdch when you make a comment like this.

> Again: Why do you suppose "dummy" is a term of abuse?

Because people like you use the term in this way.

I am thinking of forwarding your posts to a friend of mine, a lawyer
in a large Canadian law firm, whose son is profoundly deaf?

He was educated using the auditory/oral method, and has a cochlear
implant but uses lipreading almost exclusively to communicate.
English is indeed his native language. He learned ASL socially later
and did not use cued speech.

He is finishing his fourth year of university in technical writing
and is writing the LSAT exam. He is also writing his second novel.

I am sure that this lawyer would be interested in your accusations
of child abuse and would value your expert opinion that her son is
a "dummy". Do you ever think before you post?

Are you aware that this forum is listed as public so you cannot
complain if I suggest that she log in and read a little of what you
have been saying. Or would you like to retract your accusations
of "child abuse" and apologize?

Suzanne McCarthy