Okay, where do I start here? Please note that this is my opinion and over 70 million people in the Deaf community are welcome to share their opinion on this subject as well.
I strongly believe that the research done by Anne E. Geers may be biased or improperly researched. In her article, it stated that she studied a different three groups where one of them would have newborn to learn sign language early on, one with cochlear implantation while learning spoken language such as English and one with cochlear implantation learning sign language. In her research, she stated that the group where the newborn who had cochlear implanted and learnt spoken language could speak more clear and better reading than the other two groups. I must ask, did Anna E. Geers herself handpicked the sign language teacher to teach the child sign language? And what exactly did she mean “sign language”? Doesn’t she realize that all other sign language modes besides American Sign Language has proved to be fail and that American Sign Language has proved to be successful for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing child? Another question, wasn’t she aware of bilingual-bicultural education? The fact that American Sign Language is a visual language, a recognized language at that and it is vital that the Deaf children to learn early on in their toddler age to help the child to understand communication itself so that the child can effectively learn written English through bilingual-bicultural education (American Sign Language and English). So, her “research” on early sign language (what sign language?) exposure and cochlear implantation benefits is much as fail as any. Not only that, cochlear implants does not help anyone to understand word by word because all it does is it gives them a sound and all they are for is to help them to aware their surrounding but not what people says. Her research can do more harm to little human beings and cannot be used anywhere except it can be perceived as Anne E. Geer’s opinion only.
As for anyone who would like to do research like Anne E. Geers, I recommend that they make sure that the parents of the Deaf newborn have right tools and resources to help the child to learn the right language – American Sign Language. Audiologists are often at fault when it comes to providing the parents of the Deaf newborn child resources and tools improperly. This causes the Deaf newborn’s future to be behind on the written language and reading levels.
I condemn Karl White of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention for agreeing with the biased or worthless research by Anne E. Geers. Karl White is known for audism and oppressing the Deaf people; we suffered greatly from it.
Here’s a link that you can read the Anne E. Geer’s research article here: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/06/08/peds.2016-3489 and the comments are worthy to read: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/06/08/peds.2016-3489.comments
I have a few of articles where I share my experience as being Deaf and the journey here at JoshiesWorld. You can easily find them by going to the search box at the top of the website then type “Deaf” and from there you should be able to find a few articles that I write related to Deaf. Or look for category on right side of the website and select Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Thank you for reading, again I would like to empathize that this is solely my opinion and it may be differed from others. However, I can say that it is safe to say there is a lot of Deaf people who would say that American Sign Language is amazing!
Joshua “Joshie” Sullivan.
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