Raising a Deaf Child - My Parents Share How They Found Out I Was Deaf & How They Raised Me
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Published 2017-12-16
Did you know that many hearing parents of deaf children do not learn sign language to communicate with their deaf child? Yeah, really!! I was really lucky that mine did. Growing up, I had so many people- like teachers, interpreters, people working in the deaf education field, etc. tell me all the time how lucky I was to have my parents learning sign language to communicate with me. They were amazed at how well my parents handled having a deaf baby and raising a deaf child with no prior knowledge about the deaf community and sign language.
I, myself, can’t imagine what it’s like to find out that your baby was born deaf. But I DO know that it’s not the end of the world. I was born deaf and was raised by hearing parents and I turned out okay. ;-) And my hope is that this video will reach new hearing parents to share and encourage that it’s not the end of the world if your baby is deaf. It will have some tough moments, but it’s all about perspective and learning how to adjust and live a little differently.
I wanted to interview my parents to share their story- what it was like finding out that their baby was deaf and what it was like to raise a deaf child - and also to share what they decided to do and why they made the decisions they made in hopes that hearing parents of deaf babies / children would find this and be encouraged and help them make more informed decisions. Back then, my parents didn’t have anyone to ask, & couldn't even Google it- as there wasn’t internet in 1989 when I was born. My hope with this video is that hearing parents can make more informed and educated decisions for their deaf baby / child.
I hope you enjoyed the interview!! :)
If you have any questions related to the interview video or just questions in general, feel free to comment below in the comment section. :)
ALSO- please note that this is an interview, NOT a sign language lesson. My parents’ signing is not perfect as my mom said in the interview video. They’ve made some mistakes in signing and I even signed some signs wrong ON PURPOSE so that they would understand me!! ;-)
For basic American Sign Language (ASL) lessons, watch the 25 Basic ASL Signs video series:
Part 1-
• 25 Basic ASL Signs For Beginners | Le...
Part 2-
• 25 Basic ASL Signs For Beginners Part...
Part 3-
• 25 Basic ASL Signs For Beginners Part...
More interview videos coming soon!! Be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a video!! :)
P.S. If you’re on Instagram too, come join us on @SignedWithHeart and learn a sign or two everyday. :)
All Comments (21)
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I love what the dad said about his daughter being his best teacher, made me tearful.
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It's a warm feeling to see the parents staying together as a team.
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From cerebral palsy to this beautiful, sweet and smart lady that teaches ASL like nobody on youtube 😊😊👍❤️ I love your story Ashley! So proud of you ❤️
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I about started crying when your mom answered the hardest part of raising a deaf child. I know its true. My eldest isn't deaf but he has other disabilities and I wish all the time I could take them away so he never suffers anything
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This is so heartwarming
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You are a gift from God as you are. My wife and I are both Deaf too. We both had the same frustrations of our parents trying to raise us as if we were hearing and not Deaf. Of course that didn’t work and caused more problems for us as kids because of the isolation of no one around us signing and the parents thought everything is okay. It worked out okay as we finally meet Deaf people and just immersed ourself completely in the Deaf world and culture. We felt normal finally.
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Your mom is soo pretty, and I noticed she also has a accent, does she speak another language ?
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I love how you and your family sign. I'm still learning ASL and you all sign at the perfect speed for me to understand. It's still conversational but clear.
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Hey Ashley, I’m so glad you finally got around to doing this. I’m a mom to a deaf 8 year old and really identify with your parents. When your mom was talking about how you wouldn’t hold your head up and how you wouldn’t crawl I wanted to cry. That was Isabella. The only difference was that I found our right at birth something was wrong with her hearing. But your parents were lucky that they weren’t in this day and age with so much information. At times having so much to choose from confuses you. There are still a lot of politics when it comes to deaf education. It took us a long time to reach where we are now. My 8 year old attends a mainstream program that provides a teacher of the deaf, interpreters, and other kids who all sign. We are truly blessed. Now we are working on getting an interpreter so she can understand when we go to church. Thank you for being so awesome! I look forward to seeing more content from you. 🤟🏻
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Thank you so much for this! We just found out our baby is deaf and your parents reaction was just the same as ours. When your mom said she wish she could trade places’, that made me cry! That’s how I feel! Thank you for this video
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Thank you so much for sharing this story , I have been inspired to become an interpreter and adopt deaf and mute children when I grow up ❤❤❤❤❤❤
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This family is a great example of what is missing in many families nowadays. Its good to see this.
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Just finished watching this. Was so amazing! I think all hearing parents of Deaf children should watch it. Now we need someone to interview you on what it’s like growing up in a hearing family. 😁👍🏼
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her laugh is absolutely adorable!!!
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Your family is beautiful. You can see how much your parents love you (and how much you love them). Truly inspiring 💙
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Your parents are very good persons 😢😢 you are lucky to have them still around 🙏 I am so into learning ASL ❤️ I won’t stop until I can have a decent conversation with a deaf person, this is now an inclusive world, we have to make everybody feel part of it😊❤️👍
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The dad being so happy when he said he cut the cord was so cute !
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Your dad is such a sweetheart I can’t. He reminds me so much of mine
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Wow. Seriously praise God for your and your family's story and journey. Amazing that He provided a way and continues to cover you all with His Grace and favor! God is Good!
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Thank you so much for sharing such an intimate story! We went through similar challenges when our son was born. The pediatrician told us our son would be partially deaf and had facial deformities, they said he would have speech problems the rest of his life. God had other plans! Our son functioned normally, was in a rock band that won many awards and he met his future wife in the process. He did suffer much in middle school and high school because of his deficiency and his looks. It is sad that kids can be so cruel! But our faith and had amazing help along the way- that supported us. We serve a mighty God and miracles come in many different ways. We are overcomers. Bless you for sharing your heartfelt story. YOU ARE ALL INSPIRATIONAL.
