CHAPTER 36:

"What do you call a deaf person who doesnt speak?"

Id say you would call a deaf person, deaf. A hearing person, hearing. In old days it is said that people would classify deaf people as "deaf-and-dumb". That statement is wrong and rude. Deaf people are not dumb just because they are unable to hear. It is estimated that profoundly deaf people, at most, have a 5 % chance of developing intelligible speech. Considering that deaf people cannot hear themselves talk, they have no way to control the pitch of their voices. A person who is deaf, is a normal person who cannot speak. Faces that are made at some deaf people who try to speak are rude and offensive and I believe that people need to become opened-minded to this growing population because its prevelence is forever growing. To speak or not to speak, this question is still up in the air. Does it really matter either way? A deaf person should have be able to make their decision on whether or not they want to or not. No judgement is needed.

CHAPTER 35:

             "If you're deaf, how come you can talk?"

This question is very understandable for the people who dont know much about deaf people and their culture. It is hard to fully understand how you can speak but not hear because of the world wide belief all deaf people cant talk or hear. "The quick 'n' easy answer is "Well, some deaf people have good speech skills and others prefer not to use their voices at all." Deaf people are individuals just like hearing people. People should not stereotype these individuals just because they are deaf. There are many distinct groups of deaf people just as there are of hearing people. To speak or not to speak-- is it really even a choice if people are thrown off either way?

CHAPTER 34:

"A deaf woman in my office does not speak. However, we do hear actual understandable words from her once in a while. Has someone has worked with her in speech? And it is wrong to want her to verbalize?"

Having a conversation with someone who has little speech established can cause confusion or create a desire to communicate more. I'm a server at a resturant and I have come into contact with several deaf people who speak very little, their words are sometimes hard to understand. I am different because instead of wanting a customer to be more verbal I appreciate the fact that the person is trying their best to communicate with me. Hearing people that have no knowledge about deaf people and their culture sometimes are lost and dont know how to communicate with these people, its normal. BUT, a deaf person should never be treated any differently because they can not communicate the way two hearing people can. Virtually, all deaf adults have had a heavy dose of speech and auditory training. Although oral training is part of the TC curriculum, there is no consistent standard of quality. Not every person benefits from from speech training. Good articulation is notoriously difficult both to achieve an maintain, especially for those born deaf or early deafened. Bottom line is that deaf people are everywhere and some know how to pronounce words and others do not. Although it may seem rude to some, wanting these people to verbalize is not wrong rather it is normal.

CHAPTER 33:

"Most speech pathologists I know are nice. Why don't deaf people like them?"

Deaf people have problems with numerous members of the medical professionals because they feel that the presetation in many areas is poor. Doctors and audiologists are usually the ones who deliever the news to the parents that their child is deaf. Very little resources are provided for hearing parents and their deaf child. This can be a big problem if a parents first child is deaf. Same with deaf parents and their child, many resource should be provided for people who are deaf just as any other disorder diagnosed. Deaf people may get offended and feel that their community is any less important than others. Whether professionals realize it or not their words carry weight, and if people have a negative experience, chances are they will not be forgotten. These  highly trained professionals are in charge of many aspects of a deaf patient, they diagnose and send patients off to other specialized doctors that study even further.Speech pathologists take up where the doctors and audiologists leave off, their tasks is to mold the speech of a deaf child whose parents have entrusted to their care. Sometimes these professionals come off as demanding or bias to their own understanding and push their beliefs on their patients. Disregarding the main reason why the deaf child is there is the first place.  Perhaps training these individuals to be more comforting to the recieving party should be established. The deaf community is growing and if their experiences are always negative it will be hard to change the outlook of speech pathologists and other professionals.

CHAPTER 32:

"Ive been working with a deaf man for 20 years. He's an excellent lip-reader. Recently I met his friend, who uses sign language. I tried to communicate with him and couldn't. I was shocked. Can't all deaf people read lips?"

Most hearing people share one same misconception of the deaf community, they think all deaf people can read lips. From personal experience, before my deaf friend taught me signs, she was able to read my lips but I had to speak slower and with more emphasis. If she still didnt understand what I was trying to say I would get out a pad of paper and pen to write it down.   Important thing to remember is only 30% of all spoken sounds are visible on the lips. Many sounds like "b" "p" and "m" are virtually impossible to distinguish by watching the mouth. Every deaf and hearing person is different, and some may be able to read lips better than others. Everybody makes use of some degree of speechreading at times. For deaf, its s survival skill.

CHAPTER 31:

"My wife teaches children with learning problems. Would there be any information to help her better recognize children with hearing problems or anything related?"

 Information is over flowing and can be found in numerous places but what people have trouble with is deciding where the starting point should be. There are lists of books that can be found in the back of the For Hearing People Only Book and also on the internet. The libraries of NTID/RIT/CSUN, and Gallaudet are prime resources. It is important to establish these problems early and I am so thankful with the number of resources available!

CHAPTER 30:

"What's the best clearinghouse for information about deafness" 

Learning Sign Language is the coolest thing I have ever decided to do. When I want to figure out a sign for a word, I know where to look. I have checked out a few books at the library that show the sign and give a description of how it is done. ASL has so many resources that are available to anyone who is seeking information. Besides, the library the internet is a great place to add new words to your mental vocabulary.
The best overall resource center is the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center which is located at Gallaudent University. Its address is 800 Florida Avenue N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002.