A person is born deaf and dumb. If after 20 years he regains all these senses, Will he be able to communicate? If yes in what language?
If intellectually able, he will be able to communicate in sign language. People who are born deaf are usually unable to talk. However, if he regains all senses, one predicts he will be able to talk in whatever language he is taught. He will still have to learn to talk and, again depending upon his intellectual ability, culturally and cognitively mediated and teaching should accelerate his learning conisderably.
Teh Exodus Akwa
Many people who are deaf can speak. Deaf babies babble and can continue to learn oral language skills if taught. Of course, they can use sign language and also communicate in writing, sign, and via paralinguistic means.
Please join me as an advocate for humanizing terms. Let us all be careful to stop using the term "dumb" for a person who doesn't speak. Although historically it was used in some contexts, we all now recognize that the term is derogatory, and suggests the speaker's ignorance about intelligence in deaf people. I do not mean in any way to insult you in saying this! I am just hoping you will join our worldwide community of advocates in support of deaf people, and pass this along when you hear others use that term.
Warmly,
Brooke Hallowell
Spoken English language skills of prelingually deaf children who were given cochlear implants have been examined. The rate of language development after implantation was significantly greater than the language abilities of unimplanted deaf children and not significantly different from children with normal hearing with the oral linguistic system relying on the function of the cochlear implant. To check further please look at:
Svirsky MA, Robbins AM, Kirk KI, Pisoni DB, Miyamoto RT. Language development in profoundly deaf children with cochlear implants. Psychological science. 2000 Mar;11(2):153-8.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Psychology