Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School (Deaf Lives Series, Vol. 1) [Paperback]

Gina A. Oliva (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2004

When Gina Oliva first went to school in 1955, she didn’t know that she was “different.” If the kindergarten teacher played a tune on the piano to signal the next exercise, Oliva didn’t react because she couldn’t hear the music. So began her journey as a “solitary,” her term for being the only deaf child in the entire school. Gina felt alone because she couldn’t communicate easily with her classmates, but also because none of them had a hearing loss like hers. It wasn’t until years later at Gallaudet University that she discovered that she wasn’t alone and that her experience was common among mainstreamed deaf students. Alone in the Mainstream recounts Oliva’s story, as well as those of many other solitaries.

In writing this important book, Oliva combined her personal experiences with responses from the Solitary Mainstream Project, a survey that she conducted of deaf and hard of hearing adults who attended public school. Oliva matched her findings with current research on deaf students in public schools and confirmed that hearing teachers are ill-prepared to teach deaf pupils, they don’t know much about hearing loss, and they frequently underestimate deaf children. The collected memories in Alone in the Mainstream add emotional weight to the conviction that students need to be able to communicate freely, and they also need peers to know they are not alone.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Author’s Note

Children of My Heart was the first title I envisioned for this book. In just four words, this phrase describes the depth of feeling I have for all deaf and hard of hearing children. Living with my father, who also had a hearing loss, intimately connected me with the controversies surrounding sign language, deaf history, and deaf children. Our lives were and are inextricably tied, and it is curious how we chose such different ways of dealing with our hearing loss. My father remained in the hearing world his entire life. He laughed when others laughed and smirked when others smirked. Not only that, but I feel certain he knew of the Deaf community, because he worked for almost thirty years at the New York Daily News, and I know from my conversations with other Deaf people that many Deaf men worked there during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Yet, my father never once mentioned this to me.

I saw the impact of his struggles (and my struggles) on my mother, my siblings, their children, and even our extended family. My heart aches for relationships that were marred by a lack of knowledge and understanding. My heart aches for never having known my hard of hearing grandfather and great-grandmother. But most of all, my heart aches for deaf children today, especially those who are solitaires in hearing schools.

On one of those few occasions where my father and I did discuss hearing loss, he suggested that I "do something to help people who cannot hear." When he died on my forty-sixth birthday, the drive to produce this book began to grow from embers to fire. I began to feel compelled to produce a work that would illuminate the issues over which he and I had so passionately disagreed. I could not understand how we could differ so much in our perspectives concerning our shared uniqueness. I felt that he denied himself and our family so much joy by refusing to learn sign language. His recalcitrance greatly saddened me. I wanted my work to shed light on our opposing ideas about deafness. Frankly, I wanted to produce a work that would help others avoid what I perceived as the pitfalls my father stumbled into and from which he never escaped.

I reached out to adults who were also mainstreamed as solitaires for all or most of their K–12 years. I invited them to correspond with me electronically about their experiences, a task that they gladly accepted. They concurred that the labels, solitary and solitaire, encapsulated their experiences. I collected and analyzed their writings, shared my analyses with them, and included many of their comments in this book.

Over the years, I have met people who would put me on a pedestal, declaring that I was somehow unique, better, different than "those other deaf people." In their effort to lift me up, they put others down, albeit unintentionally. I want very much to make the point that my story is not unique. Every solitaire made their own unique points. I am deeply grateful for their willingness to share their stories, enthusiasm, and love for deaf and hard of hearing children with me, and with you.

About the Author

Gina A. Oliva is Professor in the Physical Education and Recreation Department at Gallaudet University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Gallaudet University Press; 1st edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563683008
• ISBN-13: 978-1563683008
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Voice of Reason in the Mainstreaming Debate, May 25, 2004

By 

Patricia Bourgeau (Cape May, N.J. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School (Deaf Lives Series, Vol. 1) (Paperback)

In the question of mainstreaming children with handicaps, parents, educators and legislators all want to make the wisest choice possible. They would be well advised to read this compassionate, illuminating book by a woman who knows firsthand the experience of being isolated by the good intentions of her family and her schools. Gina Oliva compiles personal anecdotes, research and information as well as the voices of many others with similar experiences to provide a clear delineation of the problems and issues confronted by deaf students in a hearing environment. Ms. Oliva could have chosen to be bitter about her early experiences, but instead her courage and her intelligence in the face of daunting difficulties shine through on every page. This is an important book about a subject which is very much in the forefront of the debate about public education.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I Had Read This Before, March 16, 2006

By 

Deborah Hymanson (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School (Deaf Lives Series, Vol. 1) (Paperback)

Alone in the Mainstrain sensitively relates the experiences of the author growing up a hearing impaired child mainstreamed into the hearing world. Reaching out to others who have been similarly mainstreamed she presents a study of the effects of the mainstreaming experience on other deaf and hard of hearing people. Teachers and parents of both deaf and hard of hearing, as well as hearing, children would learn much from reading Oliva's combination autobiography/study. Frankly, I found it surprising how little I was aware of the social isolation experienced by a non-hearing person in a hearing environment. Oliva discusses how those individuals with a cochlear implant can still experience isolation in a room filled with many sounds

Oliva advocates giving deaf children opportunities to be a part of both the deaf and hearing worlds. Through examples from her own rich life, she shows ways in which one can intertwine the two. I recommend this excellent book both as general autobiography and as an insightful study of the effects of mainstreaming, told by those most qualified to comment, those who have experienced it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read for all educators, June 4, 2005

By 

Sarah Lane (The Buckeye) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School (Deaf Lives Series, Vol. 1) (Paperback)

This quarter I had the amazing opportunity to take Brenda Brueggemann's class "The Disability Experience in the Contemporary World" at The Ohio State University. She encouraged me to read this book (that she happened to be the editor of), and I can't thank her enough! While at times I felt this book was a bit redundant, I think that is just a stylistic choice; it is Oliva's way of reiterating the profound impact these specific events had on her life. Personally, I agreed to read this book because I felt as a future teacher it is crucial for me to be aware of current issues and debates in education. I really feel all of the points addressed by Alone in the Mainstream are very real concerns that need to be considered by everyone involved. As a result, I would highly recommend this book to any educator; past, present, and especially future. The future of these highly capable students is dependent on the educational opportunities, and it is the responsibility of educators to be as informed and knowledgeable as we possibly can. While we can't turn back the hands of time and erase the painful experiences expressed by Oliva and others throughout the book, it is my hope that we can take actively work to create the possibility of a brighter future for d/Deaf and hard of hearing students. They have a lot to say about this issue, and it is time to stop and "listen."