Customer Reviews

Deaf Like Me

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tell-alls by parents of disabled kids is a genre now, but when Deaf Like Me first was published, it was an unusual book for the market. The story is of the Spradley family, and daughter Lynn, who is one of many children born Deaf in the US in the late sixties and early seventies, the result of an epidemic of Rubella (German Measles).

At the time Lynn's deafness was diagnosed, the common wisdom among hearing professionals was that children born deaf should not be exposed to any kind of sign language, and instead should receive intensive tutoring, even as infants, in speaking and speechreading. Although the tide would turn soon, the Spradleys had no way of anticipating that; they embarked on an odyssey of trying to teach Lynn to speak, and with a hearing aid, and by watching intently, to appear to listen as a hearing child.

After many years of pouring words into Lynn, with the promise from the experts that one day Lynn would finally pour the words back out, the Spradleys are frustrated with not being able to talk to their daughter. Lynn is several years old, and becoming a discipline problem.

Then one day, the Spradleys meet a five year old, signing Deaf child, a child who not only communicates with her parents, but makes jokes. The Spradleys are forced to reconsider years of expert advice balanced against one little girl who can talk to her parents, where their daughter cannot.

How the Spradleys learn to stand on their own, and disregard the experts, even in the face of some heavy censure, is the story of heroism. This is a book to own, because you will want to return to it again and again.

Deaf Like Me is a story of 2 young parents struggling to raise their deaf daughter, Lynn, in a hearing world. Written by Thomas Spradley, Lynn's father, the book begins before Lynn was born with her mother's fear of rubella. The book takes you through the fear and waiting for the pregnancy and the eventual realization of Lynn's deafness. The story is written in a simple, straightforward manner, yet conveys the emotions of the new parents. The descriptions Thomas gives are often lacking in vibrancy and inventive vocabulary, but at the same time he conveys honest, true-to-life emotion.
The first 80% of the book is focused on the Spradley's attempts to raise Lynn to succeed in the hearing world. Thomas agonizingly describes the auditory training and constant schooling that he and his wife give Lynn, only to have her barely speaking 4 words at the age of 5. The constant movement of the family portrays varying experiences that Lynn and her parents go through as they try to teach her lip-reading and speech. It is not until the last 2 chapters that the Spradleys finally realize that communication with their daughter is more important than their dreams for her success as a `normal' hearing person and begin teaching her sign. These last two chapters show Lynn's character developing its own independent personality. Lynn also begins to explore a new deaf culture that neither her nor her parents have any experience.
My fault with the book as that I feel it ends just as the story becomes interesting. The eighteen chapters of oralism, which are shocking and disturbing, are painful lesson in futility. An impatient reader would most certainly give up on the book after the seemingly thousands of failed attempts at oralism. The dedicated reader however, is rewarded with touching moments of a family that finds its `normalcy' through the common language of sign.

Over 90% of deaf children in the US have hearing parents, and perhaps the first thing those parents learn is that the single word "deaf" is unable to convey the wide range of hearing losses lumped under the term "deaf", and with that, the consequently wide range of options that Deaf people have for dealing with life. Since each Deaf story is so uniquie, though, it is all the more wonderful that the Spradley family was able to tell the highly individualistic story of their deaf daughter Lynn (now a young adult) in such way that it holds the interest of, and teaches valuable lessons to, the families of other deaf chidlren, regardless of their particular situation. Curious how one family can learn things about itself while reading the story of another family, but that's what happened with us. This more "humane" book is also welcome break from the reams of more techical reading that most hearing parents must plow through as part of helping their deaf children. I recommend this book warmly.

As the mother of a hearing impaired child, I highly recommend this book. I read it shortly after our son's diagnosis (in April of 1996) at the age of one year. Although we were just beginning this remarkable journey of raising a child with a disability, I found great comfort in the struggles and triumphs of this loving family. It was easy to identify with their need to communicate with their child. And I agree completely with their choice to use a mode of commuication which is easiest for the child. Over the past 2 1/2 years, we have come to the conclusion that we must adapt our world to meet the needs of our child, rather than expecting him to adapt to ours without the necessary tools. I applaud this family for their courageous decision!

This is an amazing story of a family who strugles when they realize that their little girl is deaf. The story they tell is so true of so many hearing parents of deaf children (90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents). I am a student at Northern Illinois Universtiy and am studying to become a teacher for deaf children. The whole time that I read this book I just kept saying to myself. LET HER SIGN!!! They it made me laugh when all the parents came together and started to talk about the behavior problems their children had. I sat back and said to myself.."do you think it is because they can't communicate what they want and are frustrated?" This is a must read for any parent of a deaf baby!!!!

"Deaf Like Me" is one of my favorite books of all time in any genre, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who comes across this page.

The book is a richly detailed autobiography of one family's struggles to grow up with deafness in mid-1960s America. As such, it provides a terrific introduction into a key moment in the history of deaf education when deaf children were still suffering from a wrong-headed emphasis on lip reading and vocalization, rather than sign language. Members of the deaf community have long heralded the book for this reason.

But "Deaf Like Me" isn't a book just for deaf people and others interested in deaf culture. To the contrary, I think, it's a book for anyone who grew up in 1960s America, and possibly for anyone who has struggled to communicate with loved ones ever.

That's because there are so many parallels between this little family's struggles to learn how to communicate with one another against a background of changing norms and great uncertainty, and the difficulties that many American families went through in the 1960s to speak with and understand one another on issues ranging from civil rights to the Vietnam war. Such struggles afflict most generations everywhere.

None of this is to suggest that I think the authors of "Deaf Like Me" intended to write a metaphorical treatise on 1960s America much less humanity. To the contrary, I believe the authors' sole focus was on the Spalding family's particular struggles. One of the authors was a trained anthropologist, and that comes through in the book's unerring attention to details as opposed to generalizations. It's these details in large part that bring the book to life.

Nonetheless, as a hearing person with no deaf family members, I found myself identifying with this book a lot. I suffered as the little girl Lynn and her parents suffered. And I rejoiced in their discovery that everyone in the family can express themselves and be understood if only they learn to "hear" one another in the different ways that each of us has to communicate.

Strongly recommended.

This book, the true-life story of parents who struggle to do the best they can for their deaf child, is one of the most concise and important books ever written on this subject.

The book doesn't tell hearing parents what decisions they should make for their deaf child, but instead tells this family's story in an easy to read and engaging first-person narrative, written from the point of view of the child's father.

Lynn Spradley's revelation at the dinner table, after her parents teach her the first signs they've learned at a night school class, is heart breaking and revealing. 'Name me?' she demands to know. What is my name? Without sign language, there was no way to bridge the gap between parent and child, and she was five years old before she knew her own name.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down! It was very detailed, but not too detailed. Deaf Like Me is such a great book because it's true! It makes you laugh, and cry. Sometimes you feel like jumping into the book to comfort this man, who went through such an emosional experience!

Many people find this book THE book to read in regards to a deaf child's experience (of course, that includes her family as well). And this book is very good at showing you what a hearing family goes through when a deaf child is born into it. It tells of the "typical" struggle between raising their child strictly oral or letting them sign, too.

Many doctors and therapists tell hearing parents that to allow their deaf child to sign would be to hinder their ability to speak, lipread, or progress intellectually. All of this is hogwash, but, nevertheless, that is what this book is about. What should we do with our child?

If you're looking for that kind of informative read, this book is sure to please. For me, it was just another book about the same old issue and I found myself skimming often just to get to something original. As harsh as that may sound, that's just this deafie's opinion. :v)

I came across this book while browsing through a local bookstore in the 80s after my children were already grown. It was so well written and inspiring I have never forgotten it even though I haven't read it since then. The parents of a profoundly deaf child are continually pushed by health care providers who believe they know what is best for this child, trying to make their daughter conform to the hearing world around her. Finally, after years of forcing her to wear inadequate hearing aides and other assistive devices, causing financial and emotional stress on their entire family, they resist the ongoing demands of the well meaning professionals in order to spare her further suffering. They realize that there is more than one way to help their child live in a hearing world, even though she can't hear it. They adapt themselves to her abilities and help her to assimilate into the world around her by developing her own internal skills to communicate with others. The courage and strength displayed by these parents in favor of a happier life for their child and family is a true testimonial to the love and dedication of these parents. Although I have no friends or close acquaintenances with this affliction, I couldn't put the book down. I learned so much through the telling of their story.