AGBell In Bed With Cochlear Implant Companies
Originally posted on August 7th, 2007
AGB In Bed with Cochlear Implant Companies
AGB is a non-profit organization to which parents turn for ‘unbiased’ information and advice. How can it be unbiased if it’s sponsored by commercial corporations invested in making millions of dollars and so far hasn’t shown reliable data for its products? I find it disquieting that AGB is so closely affiliated with commercial businesses with vested interests.
Whenever we read research papers, we try to find the source of the funding and whether the researchers have ties to commercial businesses. If there are conflicts of interests, then the data is tainted. More and more medical doctors and scientists are required to release information that may be construed as evidence of conflict of interest.
There is a growing trend towards avoiding research published by scientists with clear conflict of interests.
Are the parents, audiologists, and oral educators aware of the partnerships that AGB has with cochlear implant corporations? Where is the transparency?
FROM AGBELL’S SITE:
Corporate Partnership Program
——————————————————————————–
AG Bell corporate partners are contributing significant funding to the Hear from the Start Talk for a Lifetime campaign. Their generosity enables AG Bell to raise awareness that children with hearing loss can learn to listen and talk and ensure that every child with a hearing loss has access to highly qualified professionals trained to support and facilitate audition and spoken language communication.
Founding Partners
Advanced Bionics Corporation
More . . .
Cochlear Americas
More . . .
Premiere Partner
Oticon Foundation
More…Oticon Focus on People Awards Nominees
For more information about the AG Bell corporate partnership program, contact Marie Johnson, Development Officer at development@agbell.org.
http://www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?p=Circle_Alliance_Partners
.
Advanced Bionics Corporation Renews Circle Alliance Partnership with AG Bell with a contribution of $100,000. Initiatives to Promote Spoken Language Communication for Children and Adults with Hearing Loss http://www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?p=Advanced_Bionics_Renews_Partnership
Cochlear Americas Renews AG Bell Circle Alliance Partnership Initiatives to Promote Spoken Language Communication for Children and Adults with Hearing Loss http://www.cochlearamericas.com/News/1749.asp
.
An article about the ethical concerns about commercial financing influencing the organization’s advice: In a speech on Thursday in the Senate (transcript is available some ways down this page), Mr. Grassley worried that the payments could bias the researchers™ findings and advice, as multiple, independent studies have confirmed often happens. From Chronicle of Higher Education (August 6, 20o7) http://chronicle.com/news/index.php?id=2806
DISCLAIMER: I want to stress that I have nothing against either oracy or cochlear implants, as long as parents are fully informed of all the pros and cons of each communication method. However, I disapprove AGBell’s long-standing practice of demonizing ASL and culturally Deaf People unfairly. As of now, the majority of parents are still not fully informed of all the options presented in a non-prejudical manner. The parents deserve better. MZ
Originally posted on August 7th, 2007
AGB In Bed with Cochlear Implant Companies
AGB is a non-profit organization to which parents turn for ‘unbiased’ information and advice. How can it be unbiased if it’s sponsored by commercial corporations invested in making millions of dollars and so far hasn’t shown reliable data for its products? I find it disquieting that AGB is so closely affiliated with commercial businesses with vested interests.
Whenever we read research papers, we try to find the source of the funding and whether the researchers have ties to commercial businesses. If there are conflicts of interests, then the data is tainted. More and more medical doctors and scientists are required to release information that may be construed as evidence of conflict of interest.
There is a growing trend towards avoiding research published by scientists with clear conflict of interests.
Are the parents, audiologists, and oral educators aware of the partnerships that AGB has with cochlear implant corporations? Where is the transparency?
FROM AGBELL’S SITE:
Corporate Partnership Program
——————————————————————————–
AG Bell corporate partners are contributing significant funding to the Hear from the Start Talk for a Lifetime campaign. Their generosity enables AG Bell to raise awareness that children with hearing loss can learn to listen and talk and ensure that every child with a hearing loss has access to highly qualified professionals trained to support and facilitate audition and spoken language communication.
Founding Partners
| |
Advanced Bionics Corporation More . . . |
| |
Cochlear Americas More . . . |
| Premiere Partner |
Oticon Foundation More…Oticon Focus on People Awards Nominees |
For more information about the AG Bell corporate partnership program, contact Marie Johnson, Development Officer at development@agbell.org.
http://www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?p=Circle_Alliance_Partners
.
Advanced Bionics Corporation Renews Circle Alliance Partnership with AG Bell with a contribution of $100,000. Initiatives to Promote Spoken Language Communication for Children and Adults with Hearing Loss http://www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?p=Advanced_Bionics_Renews_Partnership
Cochlear Americas Renews AG Bell Circle Alliance Partnership Initiatives to Promote Spoken Language Communication for Children and Adults with Hearing Loss http://www.cochlearamericas.com/News/1749.asp
.
An article about the ethical concerns about commercial financing influencing the organization’s advice: In a speech on Thursday in the Senate (transcript is available some ways down this page), Mr. Grassley worried that the payments could bias the researchers™ findings and advice, as multiple, independent studies have confirmed often happens. From Chronicle of Higher Education (August 6, 20o7) http://chronicle.com/news/index.php?id=2806
DISCLAIMER: I want to stress that I have nothing against either oracy or cochlear implants, as long as parents are fully informed of all the pros and cons of each communication method. However, I disapprove AGBell’s long-standing practice of demonizing ASL and culturally Deaf People unfairly. As of now, the majority of parents are still not fully informed of all the options presented in a non-prejudical manner. The parents deserve better. MZ
June 26th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Oh.. don’t forget the Marriott Foundation, they give money to AGBell, and in turn they have a place to hold all their conferences!
June 26th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Is that what DBC is all about? I mean, I thought they only wanted to raise awareness of ASL as the language for deaf babies. Once someone starts getting into C.I. and relate it to AGB, one has to wonder, what is the true mission of DBC?
June 26th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I’m sorry, Candy. I don’t see DBC mentioned in this article… can you point it out to me, Candy?
June 26th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Huh? Where did I say about DBC in this post?
Please don’t bring DBC into this picture because you have a beef with DBC. In case you may have overlooked, this is a repost of a post I did last August.
My concern is the lack of transparency in educating the parents. Please do take the time to read my disclaimer.
June 26th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Candy,
I’m puzzled. I must have missed the mention of DBC in this article. I even did a “find” to see if it was in the article. The first place DBC came up was in your comment. What am I missing here?
June 26th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
You don’t have to bring up DBC to see where this is going.
June 26th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Oh, I didn’t realize you are a fortune teller now
Psst
Don’t make a living as a fortune teller or you are gonna starve to death
June 26th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
MZ, LOL. Eyes roll.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Candy,
I’m puzzled. I did a “find” to see if it was in the article. The first place DBC came up was in your comment. Nobody else is discussing DBC here but you. I fail to see the connection between DBC and this article. Since you’re so sure there’s a connection, please do spell it out for those of us who may be less clairvoyant. Thanks.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Doesnt NAD has its sponsors for the conference? sure it does… mostly relay service firms. check it out: http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=91587. Those sponsors are not about fixing our deafness at all but enhancing our deaf life via communication technologies. Different comparison.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
the link do not work properly but if you click the NAD home page, you will see the sponsors there. sorry.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
One does not have to be a fortune teller to see it either.
So, what are you getting at? is it a crime to have sponsors for a non-profit group?
June 26th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Associations with special interest groups’ always questionable.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Candy,
I am against AGB for lying to my parents. I saw many friends/classmates who were hurt by AGB. I am very lucky that I survived!
June 26th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Thanks, Mike.
Candy seems to have a problem with her reading comprehension.
June 26th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I don’t get it. I’m re-reading MZ’s article, and it’s pretty obvious to me.
The first two sentences in this article states her thesis clearly: AGB is a non-profit organization to which parents turn for ‘unbiased’ information and advice. How can it be unbiased if it’s sponsored by commercial corporations invested in making millions of dollars and so far hasn’t shown reliable data for its products?
Maybe someone should do a vlog of this, so Candy and others are able to understand this better.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Mishka,
Your funny! You ask “Where is the transparency?” and then you go on and quote from their website and all the different founding partners. Its listed all of it right there on their website.
Thats pretty transparent to me or do you not understand transparency?
Still smiling, I am so easily amused these days!
Thanks!
June 26th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
hmm who sponsored our current president? oil companies.
Proof is at every gas station:
2000: gas was 1.20/gal
2008: its now 5 bucks.
so… my suggestion is to lay off the candy and try dem apples. you like apples? i love green apples.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Elementary, Lolypop. This is called research.
When parents go on the Internet, they’ll be investigating the communication options. They won’t be checking on the organization itself. When they see the non-profit status, they have no reason to suspect its financial partnership with the commercial cochlear implant corporations.
In addition, the partnership isn’t apparent in literature, including research publications and educational brochures. Its association with the cochlear implant organizations won’t be transparent to the parents, school personnel and government officials during meetings and workshops.
June 26th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Your re-post of an old post follows on the heels of DBC’s blog article, “AGBell ‘Warns’ Its Members”.
Peculiar timing.
Just when DBC and AGBell are holding their national conferences across the street from each other in Milwaukee at this time.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Oh?
June 26th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Here is the major flaw in your logic. Nobody ever said AGBell was unbiased least of all AGBell. Why should they be? They are a private organization. They are not a government organization whose job it is to provide info on all the options. They have every right to espouse their beliefs, and their beliefs ONLY. They are very clear about their philosophy. They aren’t hiding anything. No organization is unbiased. Is DBC? No — they don’t post any research that shows that deaf children with CIs who are in oral only programs do better than those that are in bilingual programs. Does that research exist? It certainly does. Is NAD unbiased? No. These are all private organizations, and they have no reason to be “unbiased”.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Since I’m majoring in public and non-profit administration, I feel quite comfortable in answering this, despite this being directed to MZ …
Being a non-profit organization does not mean this is a private organization. There is a difference – go ask the IRS. They’ll tell you.
Furthermore, while non-profit organizations can be biased toward something, they still have a responsibility to make sure their information is accurate. Many in the Deaf Community, including myself personally, question whether AGB is being fully accurate with their information.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Oh please. Ever since I was a child in the 50′s I have read literature put out by AGBell since my parents were ardent subscribers and we received circulars all the time. Glossy, colorful, speaking of the miracles of hearing, of hearing aids of all the newest types, and some with names of therapists in the neighborhood in the back of these circulars. Always would be the logo of AGBell and a hearing aid company on the back panel of brochures or flyers.
I had wondered if this was because AGBell courts the sponsorship of the hearing device industries, or it was the other way around. There is an undeniable symbiosis here–they both benefit each other and have been for many, many years.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:04 am
I have been a member of AGBell for 16 years. It’s never been a secret that they advocate auditory/oral methods. Alexendaer G. Bell’s telephone was a byproduct of his attempts to devise a machine that would allow the deaf to hear. It would seem that Cochlear Implants fit into his philosophy perfectly.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:43 am
It has been said that the telephone was invented while he was trying to invent a hearing aid for his deaf wife.
Whether or not this is true, it is important to remember that Bell regarded hearing and speaking as top priority and turned a cold shoulder when George Veditz, then president of the NAD, suggested that he also develop a television to allow deaf people to see images.
To Bell, he probably felt that television would detract from deaf peoples’ learning to hear and might encourage them to communicate with one another visually if it reached the phone stage.
Were Bell alive today, he would be overjoyed at the CI development and at the same time be bitterly opposed to the videophone.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Dianrez,
Touche’!
Your recent quote, “Were Bell alive today, he would be overjoyed at the CI development and at the saem time be bitterly opposted to the videophone.”
This is the BEST quote I’ve ever heard for a long, long time!
This reminds me that I created a very short vlog about the history of videophone.
The title is “Videophones – Past, Present and Future!”
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2X9QB7xwQ0
Thank you, Dianrez for a wonderful quote!
Amy Cohen Efron
June 27th, 2008 at 1:54 am
And… I forgot to add… Dianrez,
It is indeed ironic that Alexander Graham Bell tried to invent a device as a hearing aid for his deaf wife, but ended up creating a telephone.
Now, Bell would be overjoyed with a newest hearing device called cochlear implants, but opposed to the videoPHONE.
What a topsy-turvy world, ain’t it?
Oh, how sweet it is, and how prophetic of Veditz!
Smiles,
Amy Cohen Efron
June 27th, 2008 at 11:49 am
CI/Mom, please do read the article by Chronicle of Higher Education about the influence of financial support from commercial companies. How can a not for profit organization be able to provide accurate information while it’s backed by the financing of for profit cochlear implant companies with vested interest?
One needs to consider AGBell/s dubious history of not being fully forthcoming with the parents of deaf kids about the low success rate of oralism among children profoundly deafened prior to their the development of spoken language. To this day, they are still not being fully honest with the parents about the success of aural comprehension with cochlear implants and AVT.
These valid concerns need to be explored
Incidentally, you are not telling me anything new. I grew up in the AGBell system and know too well how it works.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Dianrez, yes, that’s correct about the hearing aids. AGBell was inseparable with the hearing aids companies for decades. During that period, AGBell was also promoting rosy claims that with hearing aids, all profoundly Deaf kids will be able to hear and talk… just like normal kids. These claims turned out to be false with the majority of the profoundly deaf kids, leaving their parents disillusioned and deeply betrayed. AGBell used deceptive practices back then to convince the parents like using post-lingually deaf kids or hard of hearing kids as models. These models were on a different stratosphere than the kids profoundly deaf prior to the age of 2.
Now they are backed by cochlear implant companies and still making making rosy claims for ALL deaf kids with cochlear implants as they did from 1990′s. We are seeing a lot of deaf kids with c.i. ending in deaf schools and day programs, using sign language as they cannot understand speech. Would history be repeating itself? Is AGBell parroting for the cochlear implant companies like they did with the hearing aid companies until 1990′s?
As a not for profit organization, by law, AGBell is required to provide fully accurate information, including statistics on the success rate of aural comprehension. We see that it’s still not forthcoming about the kids who don’t do well with cochlear implants and there are a lot of these kids. The parents deserve to know the full truth. Again it is all about conflict of interests, ethics and transparency.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
There is a horse & cart aspect to this. Does AG Bell mislead parents into getting their children implanted, or does it support parents once they have made the decision? Probably both, but there is a place for oral/AVT support for those parents who want it. AG Bell serves an important purpose for those parents.
Before you jump all over me, I am not a member of AG Bell, nor do I subscribe to the oral only method. But I am not happy with DBC and their negative attack campaign against AG Bell either. We would all be better off if this in-fighting would stop. Is AG Bell biased? Of course. Everyone sees this. NAD is biased. DBC is biased. But each provides a service.
It is also true that many people did not do well with the oral only method, and a lot of damage was done. Hopefully everyone is better educated now, and will not try to force a profoundly deaf child into this method without the appropriate technology that would allow the child to be successful. But to say that oral only should not be allowed is wrong.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
K.L. I am not against oralism nor am I against cochlear implants. It all boils down to people, including parents, making an informed decision based on full knowledge on what they feel is the best for their children. I just hope whatever they decide for their kids will be successful, though that’s not always the case. I have oral friends as well as those with cochlear implants. I’ve seen successful cases. Rachel and Jessica are as well as Jordan, Gage, Brooke, Mia, and other kids are, too. Yet, I have also seen not so successful cases which are still being buried under the carpet, which disturbs me deeply as these cases aren’t infrequent.
My concern is the lack of full information to the parents about the rate of success with the oral deaf kids with cochlear implants. It’s not as high as the parents are led to believe.
The question is why? Why is AGBell still misleading the parents? Is it due to the financial influence of the commerical companies sponsoring AGBell?
The parents need full information before they can make an informed choice. But they aren’t aware that important data are being withheld from them.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Thanks so much. I know a few people with the cochlear implants from Advanced Bionics and it is really a miracle. People should make choices to hear and it is just wonderful. Thanks for telling the public all about the great miracles of science and Advanced Bionics.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
David, I am glad some people are happy with their cochlear implants. However, it is not a miracle for everybody. A significant degree of failure with the aural comprehension is still not being disclosed to the people making the decisions
June 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Mishka,
Don’t sell parents short. It is not hard to see that AG Bell is a support of oral only. Parents have lots of resources, and my personal experience is that the doctors were not misleading at all. I don’t dispute that AG Bell does not tel the whole story. But I also believe that most parents understand this. There are many places to get all the other sides of the story.
What I would like to see is a true independent resource location that does not have an agenda other than to provide parents with all the options. They would give information on all technologies, methodologies, and support organizations, including NAD, DBC, AG BEll and online support groups like Hearing Exchange and the CI Circle. Unfortunately, in this climate, they would probably get torn apart before they could get off the ground, because they wouldn’t give enough support for one side or another, and would then get ripped to shreds because of it. Can you really see a full information platform that lives peacefully beside a group that supports ASL only, or oral only? I can’t.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Dianrez,
Ironic as it may sound, I read a book, “Silicion Valley” (1994?) that AGBell was the true father of cochlear implant. His experiment on it was not successful, so he abandoned it. He tried another experiment, and this one turned out (voilà) to be telephone.
One of the commenters (vide supra) mentioned about AGBell’s fear about television. Again, it is ironic in that my lipreading has improved from watching television — something that the lipreading lessons that my nun teachers at St. Francis Xavier’s utilised had failed! Why? Because actors on TV or in films mouth very naturally without any exaggeration if contexts
are easily predicted.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
When *influence* dictates policies in every infrastructure of modern life involving deaf children and ourselves, to hell with private organizations and industries. They are the one who are biased. I’m interested in eradicating the stigma of being Deaf.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
There is one organization that’s pretty neutral – Hands and Voices. They haven’t been torn apart, and they’ve been around for a while.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Well, K.L, then we will need to agree to disagree about the majority of the parents being aware of this. The parents are very vulnerable, desperate to hear good news and not all are savvy enough to recognize that AGBell isn’t fully forthcoming. Most parents still rely on the advice of the ‘experts’, including AGBell as this is totally out of their expertise. If the not so successful cases are being consistently swept under the carpet, how could they find out the full truth? They don’t. They really believed that all cochlear implants will be successful, regardless of what the doctors may suggest, based on what the AGBell and other c.i. proponents’ misleading statements. In fact, it’s my personal observation that the c.i. advocates try to disintegrate those who shared about their not so successful stories, much to my astonishment. One even told me it will not do good for the parents to hear these kind of stories (paraphrasing). Since when is full truth not good for the parents to hear? They need to hear both the positives and not so positive aspects to make fully informed decisions.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I agree that all sides need to be heard. I also think that everything should be in perspective. The percentages of early implant recipients that did poorly is much higher than today. This needs to be part of the consideration. Not to diminish their experience, but it is inportant to allow for increased understanding of how the implant works and the better function of the newer implants. Yes, parents need to see the full picture, but they don’t need to be unreasonably scared either.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Unreasonably scared? That’s an interesting choice of word… unreasonably. Scared of the truth?
Do give the parents some credit. They can decide for themselves after they get the full information.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
If a person got an implant in 1995 and was 35 years old at the time of implant, I would say that their experience would not be anywhere near typical of what parents of a 12 month old baby would be experiencing. Those parents need to be given accurate information for the range of experiences for a 12 month old.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
K.L supports BOTH the cochlear implant with comprehension and listening skills. She believed that implant seems to be better education.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
K.L. please do give me some credit. I am perfectly aware of the differences between 1995 and thirty five years old and a baby at the age of 12 months nowadays.
My statements still stand.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I strongly support the parents right to decide. I personally chose Total Communication for my daughter, with a cochlear implant. I strongly believe that my child will benefit from having both verbal and signing skills. She is currently learning ASL.
I believe it is AG Bell’s right to advocate oral only, as long as they are up front about it, and are willing to point parents to other options if they want them.
I don’t believe that parading a bunch of horror stories around new parents is in anyone’s best interest. At the same time, they do need to know what the risks are. From what I have experienced, read, seen and heard from other parents, this is happening. I have not talked to any parents who said that they were not clearly informed of the risks and downside of the surgery.
The highest risk of side effects and failures occur with older kids and adults. And the failure rates with older implants is higher than it is today. The procedures are better, the implants are better and the ability to prejudge the outcomes is better. So comparing today’s outcome potential with what happened 10 or more years ago is not a good idea. Apples and oranges.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
So basically what Mishka is saying is that most deaf people and parents are too stupid to look at the support provided to AG Bell or even to understand the type of organization it is. The information is as transparent as anything I have ever seen. The organization is HOW MANY YEARS old? If people dont know by now they never will.
But Mishka claims its all about research and she saved us all because she took the time to look at the website and find information that is ALREADY there for everyone to see.
Of course us deaf folks and parents are too stupid to find it on our own. So thank you Mishka for making this all so very clear for me.
Imagine I had no idea what AG BELL was about *insert sarcasm* now with ALL your hard work and research *more sarcasm* I am now aware.
Wow! Shame om AG Bell organization, imagine an organization getting corporate sponsorship. What will they think of next, oh and whatever they think of we can be assured that detective mishka will be hard at work making sure that this transparent information is available to us, because well we just too stupid to find it ourselves and even if we did we wouldnt understand it. We need people like Mishka to explain it CLEARLY to us.
Chuckles… hehehe… Ah its Friday, no wonder!
June 27th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
K.L you are retard.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
K.L.. please read carefully. I said the parents need to hear both sides fully. Did I say I was discussing the problems dating from 1995 or earlier? Please do not put words into my hands. Thank you.
Unlike you, I’ve met parents who weren’t fully informed… too many parents. By the way, I wasn’t talking about surgery.
I do wish your child best of luck. You are giving her many options. I am sure she will be successful.
Lolypop, if you don’t care about the ethics of the organization, what can I say? *shrug*.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
ChrisH,
I’m so glad that you are articulate enough to make your point without resorting to petty name calling and mud slinging.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Mishka,
Many of the negative experiences that you have posted have been from implants done many years ago. You say that many “pro” implant people object to these stories. They are valid stories, but should not be used in conjunction with current implant consideration. I also support full disclosure, but it needs to be accurate with current results.
I also don’t think it is AG Bell’s responsibility to be the primary bearer of this info. It should come from the doctors directly.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
K.L
I support all Deaf children have the right to make their decision.
June 27th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Mishka your blog post was not completely about the ethics of an organization. It was about transparency also. My comments have focused entirely on the transparency issue. I have not said anything about the ethics of AG Bell nor will I.
I was just commenting that while you claim AG Bell has not been transparent, I disagree because AG Bell is extremely transparent about their mission and their supporters even those by major CI Corporations.
The issue of whether that support is ethical or not is not up to me. However I appreciate the fact that you go through the trouble of telling us its NOT ethical opposed to letting us make those informed decisions on our own.
One of the biggest problems in the deaf community is the inability to think outside the box and conceptualize independent thought but how can we when people like you continue to feed us information that you feel we should follow verbatim.
June 27th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
K.L. I’ve continued my research long after I stopped the blog coverage. My statements are based on the current results. I still see AGBell and C.I. advocates ‘denying’ these issues.
Doctors’ responsibilities are implantations of the devices successfully with minimal complications. They explain the risks of the surgery and what the realistic expectations are from the devices.
However, as a top-leading organization on oralism, AGBell is responsible for providing fully accurate information on oralism with cochlear implants. This includes both the positives and not so positive results. So far, it has not, misleading some parents.
June 27th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
ChrisH,
Thank you. That last post was far more articulate than the one where you called me a retard.
Unfortunately, kids cannot raise themselves. Since the decision about implants must be made as early as possible in order to have the highest success with the fewest problems, it is unrealistic to wait and let the child decide. That is what the parents are for.
June 27th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
K.L Deaf aren’t allowed to remove cochlear implant?
June 27th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Lolypop, if people are fully aware, then there would be no need for Chronicle of Higher Education to publish that article in the first place. I guess they think we are very stupid, too.
How can the parents know that they are not being given the full information to make informed decisions, if the experts and cochlear implant advocates are busy sweeping not so positive results under the carpet? With this knowledge, they will research further and hopefully will get sufficent data to make informed choices.
June 27th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
K.L, Do you think Deaf wear cochlear implants do improve lives?
June 27th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
ChrisH,
Yes, if they want it removed, it can be removed. Unless it is bothering them, it is easier just to leave the processor off and not use it, but it can be physically removed if they want to go through the explant surgery.
June 27th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
ChrisH,
If the implant works to the person’s expectations, it can make their life easier. The only people who can answer you about if it improves their quality of life would be the individual implant recipients. I cannot say if it improves their life.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Ive been busy but I decided to FINALLY go over and take a look at the AGB website. I looked under sponsors the same information that Mishka provided above and imagine my suprise when both Gallaudet and NTID are listed as sponsors also.
Of course Mishka didnt bother to share that bit of information. I guess AGB cant be all bad if they pull sponsors from all segments of society. Unlike DBC who by the way should change their names to DAC as I dont see them advocating Englisg equally with ASL nor do I see them advocating bilingualism equally, its all ASL all the time.
Oh’ well, such is life!