Deaf people

[Faith]

How are people who are deaf from birth able to lip read? They have never heard the words in their life and so how can they recognise the shapes that the mouth makes? And how can they read, if they can't talk? And how can they think if they haven't learned to speak (This applies to babies aswell)? I'm genuinely curious about this.

[the outlaw torn]

i've thought about this aswell after watching a show about a guy who was deaf and blind and communicated through a specially made device using points on his hand to represent letters or something. he was deaf and blind from birth so how did he know he was alive and there were people around caring for him. it really confuses me how they do it but its great goin that they can have some bit of a life and get past their disabilities.

[neenee]

Well the lipreading even if you've never heard the word is like saying how can a baby learn to speak. Instead of associating words with sounds you learn to associate them with shapes of the mouth (I presume).

[kidney killer]

I've learned (well i was supposed to learn but never really did) all about the shape of the mouth for every letter and sound for Drama. All you have to do is learn which shape goes with which letter and your flying.

[pablo]

And how can they think if they haven't learned to speak I guess we verbalise our thoughts most of the time. But not all of the time when I a driving I am not saying in my mind that I should put my on the accelerator.

It’s a hard question alright, but as I am here thinking of what to type next I am not actually thinking of the individual letters or the fact that I need to type these words. Maybe thinking in your mind of what you are going to say, is one way to bring the thoughts from your subconsicious to the conscious.

some good questions ...

[claire.h]

If you're really interested, I would recommend a book by Steve Pinker called "How the Mind Creates Language". It's an extremely readable and fascinating book and discusses the topic of how human thoughts are not really based on what language you use. (note not language you speak, cos sign language can be as rich and powerful medium of communication as anything else!) It's got a very interesting chapter on people who are deaf and/or mute.

Also, it's people who are deaf... not deaf people, they are not defined by their lack of hearing!

[claire.h]

And how can they read, if they can't talk? .
Try this when you're reading yourself:sound out all the words, you don't even have to do it out loud, just consciously do it in your mind. you will notice that you're reading way way slower, cos nobody with a level of literacy as high as someone doing their leaving cert, ever sounds out the words. Reading and talking, although they both use words and carry out similar functions of communication, are actually processed by different parts of the brain. It's like when you don't have to look at the individual letters to recognise the word, you certainly don't have to know how it sounds to read it! I can read loads of words that I can't pronounce!

[Demios]

To be honest i've always had an amazing respect for deaf people with particular respect to the induviduals that go against the odds and teach themselves to speak...Humanity at its best.

[JennyPen]

I went to St. Columba's in Douglas, which is also home to the Munster school for the deaf. Our school ran out of classrooms so we used share classrooms with teh deaf kids. They were cool, they could speak very well, actually, but they preferred to use sign language, and they used to teach it to us. I can still remember how to say a few things, like My Name Is Jenny (and spell Jenny), good morning, I love you etc etc etc.

The people who I have respect for are people who don't have any sight/hearing and still learn to communicate by their own sign language which involves talking by touching someone's hand in a certain way. I can remember how to say doll like that too!!

[Faith]

If you're really interested, I would recommend a book by Steve Pinker called "How the Mind Creates Language". It's an extremely readable and fascinating book and discusses the topic of how human thoughts are not really based on what language you use. (note not language you speak, cos sign language can be as rich and powerful medium of communication as anything else!) It's got a very interesting chapter on people who are deaf and/or mute.

Also, it's people who are deaf... not deaf people, they are not defined by their lack of hearing!
Wow, that book sounds really interesting. How we think fascinates me. I mean, as far as I can tell, it's a little voice in our head, telling us what to do...

And yeah, I wasn't sure how to phrase "People who are deaf". No offence intended to anyone, in case they thought i was being cruel or anything.

[claire.h]

No offence intended to anyone, in case they thought i was being cruel or anything.
Oh I don't think anyone thought that, I was just being politically correct!
:)

[JennyPen]

I'm all for political correctness now, in all fairness, but things like personhole covers and what not is a bit overdone, in all fairness. It's not Lambeth Council, you know!

[Faith]

Yeah, they're taking things a bit too far with political correctness alright!

Btw, wouldn't the truly PC name be people of impaired hearing?