Comments on: AGB In Bed with Cochlear Implant Companies?

By: Mishka Zena

Mishka Zena — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:27:51 +0000

Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) as announced at the AG Bell Association for the Deaf website:

The principle #3 of 10 prohibits sign language and speech reading.

By: Deaf Bystander

Deaf Bystander — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:41:16 +0000

Show me where AG Bell says it is OK to use sign language

By: CommonSense

CommonSense — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:51:29 +0000

Wondering…if you look at the schedule for the conference it says that there was a working lunch held at the hotel for the participants. (AG Bell was providing box lunches.) The buses were for another group having a convention, that had nothing to do with AG Bell. At the time of the AG bEll convention at the Marriott, there were at least two other conferences going on. This has bothered me from the very beginning. I don’t know what information to trust and what not to trust. It just seems as if people are talking just to talk (to stir the pot!)

I know that drug companies supply incentives to doctors, as well as to organization that are in line with its products, but this is for all drug companies (Cholesterol, Diabetes, Cardiac, etc.), it doesn’t make it illegal for AG Bell to be receiving incentives or support from these companies. The main issue is getting clogged with all the accusations. If the issue is you don’t like AG Bell, then say that. If the issue is that you are concerned that children who are deaf aren’t being allowed to use sign language, then stick with that issue. Instead of trying to take AG Bell down, why not try to educate parents, so that they make the right, informed decision for their child. All we as parents are hearing right now is: Some people who weren’t successful with CI, are mad at an organization, for the philosophy that it’s namesake had. I still haven’t seen proof that AG Bell bans sign language, none of their literature or anything says anything about it. I am willing and wanting to listen, but the badgering is getting rather old and tiring.

By: geez

geez — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:13:05 +0000

Check out the today’s jamie berke’s article on russian girl waiting to get an CI. How pity. From what I understand, there are many deaf kids in Russia. Do they have a proper care? Or they are put as a bay waiting until implant is ready for learning? CI corporations and AGB need to voice them for s severe misleading family planning. They will need to edcuate the family not to sit and wait, watching their kids blown up full of air before getting CI. Another shame?

By: wondering

wondering — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 03:48:25 +0000

There was a moment outside at the hotel where AGB was meeting…participants were lining up to get on a bus…that’s where DBC started giving out flyers outside to that line of people…where were these people going in the bus?

Hmmm, I imagined it was an expenses-paid trip to somewhere…perhaps an expensive restaurant under the pretense of new product seminar? This happens a lot with the drug companies and the doctors…hey this could be true for CI doctors…for every 100 Cochlears implanted, they might be getting a free trip to Hawaii.

Can anyone find out?

(I wasn’t there…but read some of the DBC blogs about this lining up at a bus coach)

By: Jean Boutcher

Jean Boutcher — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 18:39:59 +0000

#44 and #45:

That is what my friends (educators) have said. The process of language development fucntions differently at three and thereafter. The plasticity also goes away gradually and gradually and eventually disappears as a child grows older after being adapted by the environment that exposes to him daily. That is precisely why doctors urge babies to be implanted before three of age, preferrably between six months and 12 months.

Something that has been recently invented goes throdugh a lot of trials and tribuations. The processors i 1980s were much less sophisticated than those in 2007. ImplantÃ©es of the 21st century are “much luckier” than those of the 20th century.

As for those who have lost hearing late in life,
no problem if they want to be implanted. Entirely
different from those who were born deaf or lost
hearing before six of age.

C’est la vie.

By: Anne Marie

Anne Marie — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:54:12 +0000

I did it once through, I usually do 2 to 3 times before turning in my vlog. It is a 15 min long, I looked at it again to see if I can delete more and I think I can squeeze to around 13 min then break up with fade out transitions. Give me one day to do this. I promise!

By: Karen Mayes

Karen Mayes — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:18:03 +0000

Anne Marie, can you post the link to your vlog and let us be the judge of it? We could benefit from it…

By: Anne Marie

Anne Marie — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:31:47 +0000

Karen,
I overlooked a line you saying you will talk abt CI for your kids if their hearings get worst. CI is completely different than hearing aids, brain will have to start all over again. Audiologist explained to me yesterday that actually the window for optimal language development including speech auditory development closes by at age of around 3 years. But children do benefit some from CI when implanted after 3 years up to 13 years but not past that. It will leave to listening mostly environmental noises. Just FYI

By: Anne Marie

Anne Marie — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:18:10 +0000

Karen, I am not sure if I said that. That’s ok, we get bit confused with what others said. Or maybe I was not clear. You are right, we won’t know much until later with more research information, just be careful with research funded by CI corps ;^)

It is reassuring to hear your testimonial of your two kids with great hearing losses but do well enough with digital aids than having to resort to CI. I have doubts about many parents resorting to CI, it seems insurance issues?

I did vlog explaining about how reliable research information is from a general science’s point of view, its pros and cons etc. When it comes to our deaf population, it is another can of worms. My vlog is 15 min long as I tried to explain succiently but I do not know if it is worth posting a lengthy video with some discouraging news, that is my response to some of us trying so hard to cite resources to back up our argument. I actually cried afterward. That is why I hardly cite as much as I wish I could.

Another can of worms.. and yes be extremely wary of research works with people after $$, status, power etc.