I Want Honesty, Nothing More.

I think people in oral education who advocate for AVT/CI should be more honest about the high possibilities of Deaf children not being able to develop speaking and listening skills. This will enable parents to accept that their child will always be Deaf, and to celebrate this fact. ASL, Deaf culture, and Deaf community are made of intelligent, successful, and beautiful people who take pride in their existence and contribution to the world. I don't understand why AGBell and AVT advocates would want to deny the deep connection Deaf people have with each other by perpetuating the belief that ASL is inferior, ASL is for militants who hate hearing people, and ASL is for people who refuse to learn how to hear and speak. The opposite is true. Parents don't have to choose ASL OR English... parents can give their Deaf child ASL AND English. I wish I could debunk this false myth, but I don't know how.