Re: Cost effectivity of CI

[Guest guest]

Jerome,

As I said before, with the 'gift', if you have the desire, you can make

it happen. If you want the CI bad enough, go for it. True, the cost is

pretty astronomical, but the benefits have far outweighed the negatives

for me (um, can't really recall any negatives with the CI, but perhaps a

better way to keep the damn processor on my ear when, er...getting in

the heat of passion, if you know what I mean!). I'm sure the same goes

for most of us here on the forums (the benefits outweighing the

negatives, I mean! Get your heads out of the gutters, people! LOL)

But it is an excellent question, and one worth investigating. I agree

with Brad, though - there should be a wider spectrum of subjects

investigated in the study, not just those involved with the JHU Center

aural rehab programs. I also must disagree with Brad on the fact that

we should be looking at SATs, GREs, GPAs and other academic success

measures - these have absolutely NO bearing on how successful a person

will be in real life. None. Someone could score a perfect 1600 on

his/her SAT's, graduate with a 4.0 GPA and still be struggling in the

real world. There are book smarts and street smarts, it is important

(at least in my opinion) to have a fine balance of both types of smarts.

That is what will help a person in the real world.

Again, great question to bring up! Wonder if JHU will follow up on

those subjects, as Brad suggested.

Regards,

Andy

RE: Cost effectivity of CI

Hi Andy,

Thanks for sharing your opinions. I agree with you 100%. I have been a

bit

concerned of the CI cost lately, as what Alice said, yes the cost is too

steep. And so I read some more articles on CI and found out the cost

effectivity thing, I'm glad to read there that eventhough CI cost is

high,

it's consider one of the most cost effective prosthetic device out there

in

terms of benefit for quality life. This made me bring up this question

in

this forum.

Thanks again.

Regards/

Jerome

[Guest guest]

,

You ought to read Danny's web site of his account of starting a restaurant.

He took small business classes, got a small business counselor and was able

to obtain a loan to begin his restaurant.

RE: Cost effectivity of CI

> Hello all,

>

> Thank you for your warm receptiveness to my email. I was afraid I was

> going to start another ASL/Oralism war down towards the end! That's

> another dead horse I don't want to have to beat again.

>

> , sure you have the gift to make your dream a reality! If this

> guy can start up his own company, AND he is deaf-blind, there's no

> reason why you shouldn't be able to do so. You wrote: " If everyone

> had the ability to achieve the same lofty goals, where would the garbage

> workers come from? " If you want my perspective on this, here it is:

> Everyone DOES have the ability to achieve THEIR own goals, not the " same

> lofty goals " as you describe here. Matter of fact is, each and every

> person is different, has different goals and different meanings of what

> success is to them. Believe it or not, there IS someone out there who

> wants to be the best damn garbage collector out there, just as there is

> someone who wants to be the best janitor, or baseball player, or CEO, or

> secretary.

>

> What's stopping you from starting your own bakery? Is it lack of

> information? Go to the library and do research, go online and do

> research, talk with other bakers who have started their own successful

> bakeries. Is it lack of capital? Go talk to the bank and Small

> Business Administration (SBA) - they will give money to a sound business

> plan that shows good profit potential. Or is it lack of the inner

> desire? Only you can find that inner desire yourself. None of us can

> do anything about it if you don't want it, and that is perfectly fine,

> nothing wrong with that. Sure, I'd love to own a restaurant or hotel,

> but I don't have the desire to actually own one . . . yet. It is a

> definite possibility for me in the future. Point is, everyone DOES have

> this 'gift', but each of us make the decision on what to do with this

> gift.

>

> Dixie, wonderful post! I am really happy to hear how well your

> husband's niece's children are doing with their CI's! It truly is an

> amazing thing for all of us to share this gift of sound (not to be

> confused with the 'gift' I spoke of earlier! LOL) You wrote: " Their

> hope and dream was to give them a chance in the hearing world. Their

> thoughts are if their children choose to become part of the Deaf

> culture, they have a choice as they grow older. " Beautiful! Couldn't

> have said it any better! This was my parents' mantra as they raised me.

> They wanted me to have every opportunity in the real world, and if I

> should ever choose to become part of the Deaf culture because I would be

> happier there, I would be free to make that decision. Needless to say,

> I'm glad I haven't had to make that decision to join the Deaf culture

> because I am extremely happy where I am now. Beautiful, Dixie!

>

> Best regards,

> Andy

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Not only did I meet Danny, I ate there one time. And of course, I

had the blackened catfish. Yummy!

*---* *---* *---* *---* *---*

Ever stop to think . . . and forget to start again?

& Gimlet (Guide Dawggie)

Portland, Oregon

N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup

rlclark77@...

http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/

[Guest guest]

Brad said " So having a strong early

> base in Tactile ASL, his brain's language centers were well developed

> and ready to learn the words and rules of English as well as other

> languages "

I agree with this and yet understand I have yet another side of this coin.

What about the kids who are deafened after birth? I could say that Annika

could fall in the post-lingual catergory even though she was technically not

speaking before she lost her hearing. She contracted bacterial meningitis

when she was 2 1/2 months old and lost her hearing because of this. She was

hearing for a time and her brain language center had already started to work

in this matter. Yes, when our brains are young they are adaptable and yet I

find with my daughter she did not do well with ASL but is doing wonderful

with the oral. My opinion is not only based on my daughter's

experience(partly because we are still just at the very beginning of this

journey) but in the opinion of other families that I have spoken to at her

oral deaf school. All the children who are there who lost their hearing due

to meningitis have much better speech and have done really well in

comparision to the kids who are deaf from birth. The theory that the speech

therapist at the school has is that these kids' brains desire the oral

language as because that is how it developed in the womb and had started to

really develop until a disease came along and took the hearing away. So ASL

may not always be the best base for all children who are deaf.

Yes, in my house we started out with sign. I would sit daily down and learn

more signs so that I could communicate with her. We would even try to do

hand over hand with her and encourage her to use the signs. She refused to

use signs. She understood what we said to her but she would come back with

some type of vocalization or the pointing. This is just my experience with

this and like I said I agree but the rule can change.

Mom of 4

Marcus 13

12

Jon 10

Annika 2

bilateral implant 3/1/04

hookup 3/25/04

[Guest guest]

,

No arguments here. I also believe that kids are more wired foe hearing

or vision than others. Once again, that old individualism, and parental

intuition rules.

____________________________________________

Best Regards,

Brad Ingrao, M.S.Ed. CCC-A, FAAA

Editor

EDEN - The Electronic Deaf Education Network

www.bradingrao.com

e-mail: info@...

Re: Cost effectivity of CI

Brad said " So having a strong early

> base in Tactile ASL, his brain's language centers were well developed

> and ready to learn the words and rules of English as well as other

> languages "

I agree with this and yet understand I have yet another side of this

coin.

What about the kids who are deafened after birth? I could say that

Annika could fall in the post-lingual catergory even though she was

technically not speaking before she lost her hearing. She contracted

bacterial meningitis when she was 2 1/2 months old and lost her hearing

because of this. She was hearing for a time and her brain language

center had already started to work in this matter. Yes, when our brains

are young they are adaptable and yet I find with my daughter she did not

do well with ASL but is doing wonderful with the oral. My opinion is

not only based on my daughter's experience(partly because we are still

just at the very beginning of this

journey) but in the opinion of other families that I have spoken to at

her oral deaf school. All the children who are there who lost their

hearing due to meningitis have much better speech and have done really

well in comparision to the kids who are deaf from birth. The theory

that the speech therapist at the school has is that these kids' brains

desire the oral language as because that is how it developed in the womb

and had started to really develop until a disease came along and took

the hearing away. So ASL may not always be the best base for all

children who are deaf.

Yes, in my house we started out with sign. I would sit daily down and

learn more signs so that I could communicate with her. We would even

try to do hand over hand with her and encourage her to use the signs.

She refused to use signs. She understood what we said to her but she

would come back with some type of vocalization or the pointing. This is

just my experience with this and like I said I agree but the rule can

change.

Mom of 4

Marcus 13

12

Jon 10

Annika 2

bilateral implant 3/1/04

hookup 3/25/04

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/5/2004 9:39:20 AM Pacific Standard Time,

rlclark77@... writes:

I am looking for partners who

want to live on the coast and would get a thril from making fresh

bread in the middle of raging winter storms. LOL

you asking for someone to make you a bread along the famous icy windy

Columbia River? no thank! lol

Lee

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/5/2004 10:31:10 AM Pacific Standard Time,

rlclark77@... writes:

Last time I looked at the map, the river was not the coast. LOL

Windy, oh that Columbia gorge can be windy. No thanks. Look at a

map, look for Newport, its about in the middle of the coast.

now i am lost!........ Newport is about 150 miles from Portland,,,,, Portland

is on river (yes, no thank to harsh winter storm),,,,,, but why newport?

lee

[Guest guest]

Andy,

Lots of good points. No question, we all have gifts, but

different ones. But lets take a car transmission, made of thousands

of parts. Many are simple lowly nuts and bolts. They are not

regarded with admiration. But lose one and the whole transmission is

in trouble.

Whats stopping me. More likely, a clear picture of what I want.

But it will become clear at some point. I am looking for partners who

want to live on the coast and would get a thril from making fresh

bread in the middle of raging winter storms. LOL

*---* *---* *---* *---* *---*

Give your child mental blocks for Christmas.

& Gimlet (Guide Dawggie)

Portland, Oregon

N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup

rlclark77@...

http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/

[Guest guest]

Lee,

Last time I looked at the map, the river was not the coast. LOL

Windy, oh that Columbia gorge can be windy. No thanks. Look at a

map, look for Newport, its about in the middle of the coast.

*---* *---* *---* *---* *---*

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

& Gimlet (Guide Dawggie)

Portland, Oregon

N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup

rlclark77@...

http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/

[Guest guest]

Lee, I lived there for 3 years and every summer, I complain

because its too warm here in Portland. LOL Granted, I would not be

close to the CI clinic but its ok, its easy enough to ride Greyhound.

*---* *---* *---* *---* *---*

A ship was carrying a cargo of yo-yos, bound for San Francisco from

Hong Kong. It was hit by a typhoon and sank twenty-three times.

& Gimlet (Guide Dawggie)

Portland, Oregon

N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup

rlclark77@...

http://home.comcast.net/~rlclark77/