Born deaf 8 month old baby hears for the first time.

Nice thread, I know quite a few hearing people who may as well be deaf

Originally posted by Aquarius1
Thank you for posting this wonderful news, so adorable, made me cry, sad to say there is so much negativity these days I will take any good news I can find.

Dumbass here is wiping tears so he can see the keyboard - this is wonderful and much needed. Good things DO happen.

Originally posted by kauskau
thats great. I am really interested in how people would perceive music after not being able to hear for a lifetime. And i would be interested in how people who are def imagine music.

Most deaf people can hear some sounds. Mostly the screeching, booming, annoying sounds we all hate.
I can't tell you exactly how they percieve music, but they have equivalents to music. Things that move or feel rhythmic, there's a disco that's popular with the deaf because the floor floats and the deaf feel the rhythm. Things that are movement oriented, like dancing, skating, and gymnastics provide "visual music" for them. There is also deaf poetry, based on hand shape and movement.

Deaf parents are happy to have a deaf child. You might think this is awful, but it means the child will be part of their culture. You would never expect your child to grow up in an entirely different culture, with different standards, norms and morals, (while living at home) but that often happens. Hearing parents want the child to be like them, we all understand that and don't think it is selfish. (Even if surgery is painful and not always sucessful)
But if deaf parents want a child to be like them, we think they are mean people. (Not all children are candidates of a CI or even for hearing aids.)

Many adult deaf hate hearing aids and decided to stop using the CI that mom and dad decided they had to have. The reason is that the sound just isn't the same as natural hearing and they don't want to fight with the inability to screen background noise and harsh sounds. The picture isn't always black and white on this CI issue.

I am happy for the family in the video. It looks like it truely benefited him. There is a "mapping" process that will occur over time and with some of the new technology coming along, he may have nearly normal hearing.

Coming from someone who almost lost their hearing a few years back, this made my day!

Not being able to hear correctly, really sucked, and just getting back to normal was HUGE!

That baby knew instantly what he was missing. Even at 8 months old.

Wow, that was touching....just reminds me how sensitive I am..

I'm a big lad and you just made me cry at work!.....hayfever in spetember doesn't quite cut it.

Keep up the positive vibes please!

the focus on the babys face while listening to his mother made me realize how often people take verbal communication for granted.
He was actually listening and trying to mimicked his mothers laughter. How freaking ADORABLE!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4ecb7e2d0e69.jpg[/atsimg]

Excuse me, I'll have to write more later.
I've suddenly got something in my eye...

peace