Hearing-Impaired Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities (review)

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, AND ANSWERS Alan B. Crammatte Editor The Comments, Questions, and Answers department is published as a service to professional readers and parents of deaf children. It is an attempt to provide practical information on the basic aspects of deafness, particularly in relation to education. Although all questions submitted cannot be used, those considered to be of greatest interest to readers will be published. Answers are prepared by competent authorities. Material submitted must contain the writer's name and address. Address questions and comments to: Alan B. Crammatte, 897 Windsong Dr., Arnold, MD 21012. QUESTION—I am writing this letter to suggest that the American Annah of the Deaf devote a special issue, or at least several articles, to the cochlear implant operations now occurring throughout the country. 1 am quite concerned that parents, professionals and deaf people themselves are unrealistically having expectations raised. Further, it is my opinion that some operations are being performed unnecessarily. I feel that the Annals should take the lead to provide basic information concerning what implants can and cannot do and who are and are not good candidates for this operation. James R. LeBuffe Rosenberg, TX RESPONSE—This section has carried a few comments on cochlear implants in the past, but a more comprehensive article was written by Jerome Schein in the June 1984 issue of the Annals. QUESTION—I am working with a client who, in one month's time, will be commencing an 11-month nursing assistant course offered at the College of Trade and Technology here in St. John's. I am interested in obtaining any documentation regarding cases where a deaf individual has been accepted into and successfully completed a similar programme. Christine Beer St. John's, Newfoundland RESPONSE-In 1973, the Los Angeles Trade/Technical College trained two classes for Nurse Aides and most of the graduates secured employment. This was reported by E. Ronnie Fisher, R.N., in VU World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf (1976), published by the National Association of the Deaf, 814 Thayer Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Ms. Fisher also mentioned the college's establishment of a vocational nurse training program for deaf persons. Results of that venture are not known here at this time. COMMENT-Santa Claus signs for a deaf child at Gimbel's big store in the Big Apple. Mark Sawyer-Dailey, a character actor playing Santa for Gimbel's, told a mother who was about to lead her child away from his lap, "Excuse me. I'd like to talk to your daughter, not just have her sit on me." He then proceeded to talk to the little girl in sign language, something no Santa had ever done with her before. The deed A.A.O. I March 1986 3 brought tears to the eyes of all three participants. —Prevention, December 1985. COMMENT—Hands in Harmony were winners in the national award program, "Concern for Kids in the Community," cosponsored by the General Federation of Women's Clubs and Health-Tex. The group, founded by Jackie Taylor of Cheyenne , Wyoming, is a musical children's group which includes hearing-impaired children. More than 200 performances in signing, singing and prerecorded music were given free for both hearing and deaf audiences. —Good Housekeeping, October 1985. COMMENT-South Carolina School for the Deaf students enjoy closed-captioned movies during their 12-hour round trips weekly to and from school. TV monitors and VCRs provide such films as "National Geographic Specials," "NOVA," "Sesame Street," and "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids." The shows inspire a good deal of Monday morning questions in the students and teachers encourage discussion and exploration. COMMENT—Seeking a career? A new program for service providers in the area of deafness has been started. For a fee, Career Service (P.O. Box 2426, Landover Hüls, MD 20784) provides a listing, or listings, of job openings for individuals and for professional training programs. REVIEWS Hearing-Impaired Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities , Evelyn Cherow, Noel Matkin, and Raymond Trybas (Eds.), 416 pp., $29.95, Gallaudet College Press, 800 Florida Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002, 1985. Hearing-Impaired Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities is a...