Interviews about Memphis Oral School for the Deaf

I will show you two interviews related to the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. The first is with a former student, Trey Wilson, and the second is with Harold Foxx.

Trey went to MOSD from 1989 to 1992 when he was 2 to 4 years old. He was able to get his mother send a statement, and I’ll show it to you in English text.

Trey's Mother:

"The Shea Hearing Clinic in Memphis gave us one treatment plan with no alternatives: enroll Trey at Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. We were young parents with no knowledge of deafness and no resources. We were told the best we could do for our son was an oral education…I remember painfully boring long lessons at the school, and hours of drill and practice at home. While the school principal described Trey as a "dam ready to burst with oral language," we experienced years of frustration and lack of progress…Profoundly deaf children like Trey received no help from the hearing aids and FM trainers strapped to them... They were set up to fail the impossible task of hearing."

THE DAILY MOTH:

Trey’s mother explained that they decided to leave Trey in the Memphis Oral School for another year when he was 4. She said she finally decided to tell the principal that he would learn sign language and transfer to public school in the fall. Here is her recollection of how the principal reacted.

Trey's Mother:

"The principal refused to allow Trey to attend summer school. The school did not want other kids to see Trey signing because 'signing was the easy way, and sign language made Deaf/hard of hearing children lazy and unfocused.' After three wasted years at the oral school, five-year-old Trey finally began his education and learned sign language.”

THE DAILY MOTH:

That’s from the mother’s perspective. Trey was able to send a video of what he could remember.

TREY WILSON:

I will share my story of trauma at the deaf school. I have three stories that I will recap. The first: I had an oral, one-on-one lesson with a teacher. I learned how to speak one-on-one and the teacher used a black, round kind of cover she used to block her mouth. You couldn’t see through it to read lips. The teacher told me that I had to put my hands on the table while the teacher taught me how to speak. I couldn’t understand anything and had no benefit. The teacher took my hand and hit it with a ruler. It was painful. The second story: if a staff member saw me using sign language, they would push me to a corner as a punishment, against the wall. The third: I couldn’t use sign language at all when I interacted with deaf friends during lunch time. We were separated. That’s my experience.

THE DAILY MOTH:

Very touching and sad to see that you had that kind of experience.

Now, we’ll go to Harold Foxx.

ALEX:

You grew up in Memphis, Tennessee?

HAROLD FOXX:

Yes, that’s my hometown. Memphis, Tennessee. It’s famous for BBQ. That’s exactly why my blood pressure is so high! Ssh.

ALEX:

Haha. You did tweet last week about the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. You said your mother considered sending you there but decided not to.

TWEET: @IamHaroldFoxx: “Born and raised in Memphis, after I became deaf by meningitis around 4-5 years old. My mom and I went to visit Memphis Oral School for the Deaf couple of times and it didn’t wok out. ASL and lip/speech read not allowed isn’t new to us and it’s 2020 they are still on it. (palm on face emoji)

HAROLD FOXX:

So, yeah, I did talk with my mom about that. I grew up hearing until I was about 5 years old, I lost my hearing from a meningitis illness.

[Image of Harold Foxx as a young boy]

My mom had discussions about which school was right for me, because I became deaf, you know. Some people recommended the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. My mom said she felt something off about the place, and of course they banned sign language or lip-reading. They wanted students to learn how to be like hearing people with ability to hear and speak. My mom didn’t like that. I had it good with other mainstream programs in Memphis and I grew up just fine and graduated from the White Station High School mainstream program and went to Gallaudet and my education has been fine. I just wish they could get more exposure to ASL, which is a beautiful language that is accessible everywhere, rather than just focus on oralism.

ALEX:

What are your feelings on the fact that now there is an uproar from the article that went out last week, but the program has been there all this time?

HAROLD FOXX:

Yeah. To be honest, I actually forgot that the program was still there, and with the viral news, I was like “wow, I forgot about that!” I did reach out to some of my friends and they said yeah, it’s still there, but it used to be in a downtown location, but it moved to a very wealthy area called Germantown. It’s in the suburbs of Memphis. I think it’s funny how all this time, with AG Bell and their methods, their belief that sign language should be suppressed in favor of oralism, I feel it’s time for a change. There are more and more ASL language access everywhere, including schools, they are learning it. I mean, it’s everywhere. So, to see this news go out, I’m scratching my head and thinking, “Wow! It’s 2020 and they are still on that?!” I don’t get it because… I’m sure they know there are ASL programs out there but maybe they just don’t believe in it. But still, I think, it’s 2020! I feel bad for those kids who have to go through speaking and listening without using their hands. I think their parents should be able to see that there are a lot of good role models who are deaf that have access to sign language. They are very successful and they are fine, so if the kids learn how to sign, they will be just as successful. So, if they think signing is inferior in favor of speaking and listening, they miss out on access to sign language, which is a beautiful language!

THE DAILY MOTH:

Thank you, Harold, for your time and for sharing your insights.

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I sent an email to Lauren Hays, the executive director of the MOSD, with several questions. I will show you the full email exchange in the transcript, but I will recap some of the key things they said.

Hays said the MOSD employs “two “hearing-impaired teachers who experienced oral deaf education and who became independent oral communicators.”

Hays said that MOSD believes in parent choice and follows research that shows that deaf children who have amplification devices and receive training can develop spoken language at a rate comparable to their hearing peers.

Hays said the MOSD recognizes ASL as a language as they recognize spoken English as a language and that it is very difficult for proficiency to occur if two languages are taught simultaneously.

Hays said she has a deaf son who is 5 and can speak on par with his hearing twin brother. She shared several testimonies of parents and former students who had positive experiences. They are included in the transcript below if you want to read it.

I asked Hays what she thought of ACLU’s tweet from last week.

[Tweet: @ACLU: “Refusing to allow deaf children access to signed or spoken language is language deprivation, and it’s flat out discrimination. Deaf students have every right to access language fully.”]

Hays said the tweet was misinformed because they do focus on listening and spoken language for language development.

Thank you, Hays, for your responses.

So this means the debate continues. It’s been 200 years since the Milan Conference, and we’re still talking about this.

(Full question and answer exchange with Lauren Hays)

THE DAILY MOTH:

I saw the "No sign language is used" statements on your website. Why do you emphasize that? Is there a ban on sign language?

LAUREN HAYS:

“As a part of OPTION, MOSD is committed to ensuring children with hearing loss and their families have access to listening and spoken language education choices. MOSD provides an oral rich environment for our students to learn to listen and develop spoken language. Every child at MOSD has varying degrees of hearing loss, from profound deafness to mild hearing loss. All of our children wear hearing devices, such as cochlear implants, hearing aids, and BAHAs (bone-anchored hearing aids). Auditory training is critical for children to gain the most benefit from their hearing devices. At MOSD, students receive a full day’s worth of small group classroom instruction, as well as daily speech therapy and aural habilitation to ensure success with their devices.

MOSD joins every other school in navigating the uncharted territory of a global pandemic with the need for protective equipment in the classroom. It is a constant learning process. Our teachers will exclusively be using protective face shields during instruction, as well as our speech language pathologists and audiologists as face shields are best for speech perception and allow children to see the faces of their teachers.

It is disappointing to witness social media attacks on our program and mission that originated from misconstrued pictures and untrue statements by individuals unfamiliar with our program. Though MOSD focuses on oral deaf education to help children develop listening skills with their devices, families have the right to choose any additional languages that will support their child’s development. Families are provided education on available resources in our community and are encouraged to choose a communication mode that will be most supported and proficient within the family.

MOSD is respectful of the Deaf community and Deaf culture and has demonstrated collaboration with statewide parent outreach coordinators and early interventionists across the country. MOSD understands the deep commitment of individuals in the Deaf community and recognizes the generational hurt caused by outdated oral deaf education practices from other institutions.

MOSD celebrates the generations and testimonies of children who have been given the opportunity to learn to listen and talk. It is our hope that the Deaf community will accept children and families who are accessing sound to develop spoken language.”

THE DAILY MOTH:

It is very common in the deaf world to see children who were never able to pick up speech or listening skills, and because they were prevented from sign language exposure, they end up very delayed with language. Is the school taking that risk? What do you do with students who just can't learn listening and spoken language?

LAUREN HAYS:

Each child at MOSD receives a full day’s worth of small group classroom instruction focused on developing listening and language skills. Each child also receives 30 minutes of daily speech therapy and 30 minutes of daily aural habilitation. MOSD employs two hearing-impaired teachers who experienced oral deaf education programs and who became independent oral communicators. They are able to add valuable perspectives on our educational programs and are leaders in our infant family training programs.

Research clearly shows that if children are identified with hearing loss/deafness early in life, receive appropriate amplification, and begin early intervention, they are able to develop spoken language at a rate comparable to their hearing peers. MOSD believes in parent choice and MOSD is the oral deaf education option in our community. MOSD provides every family with all available resources in our area. MOSD helps parents transition students to other area programs if there are clear indications that a child is not benefitting from their hearing devices. MOSD wants each child to be successful in developing a language to lay the framework for learning.

THE DAILY MOTH:

Granted there are success stories of people gaining listening and spoken language, but they could have had ASL as well. Why deny them the ability to communicate with everyone, especially their peers who have hearing loss?

LAUREN HAYS:

Though MOSD focuses on oral deaf education to help children develop listening skills with their devices, families have the right to choose any additional languages that will support their child’s development. MOSD recognizes ASL as a language as we recognize spoken English as a language. It is very difficult for proficiency to occur if two languages are taught simultaneously. This is evident in recent initiatives to remove spoken language from classrooms in order to focus on ASL exclusively in other schools for the Deaf. MOSD is the oral deaf education option for parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

THE DAILY MOTH:

Are you aware that there is research from Gallaudet University that shows that children who pick up on sign language process it in the auditory cortex in their brains, which is the language processing area. So spoken or signed languages are essentially the same to a child. What kind of research guides your decisions?

LAUREN HAYS:

Advancements in audiology have made it possible for children to access sound earlier than ever in life. A child can receive two cochlear implants as young as 9 months. More than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Child-parent interactions are crucial for a child’s success. Research from the Journal of Deaf Studies, American Academy of Pediatrics, EHDI (Early Hearing Detection & Intervention), ASHA, and Hearing First are sources for statistics based on oral language outcomes in children who are identified early with hearing loss. I share with you many testimonies from families and children who we have served:

“I have experienced first-hand the same hearing loss journey as the parents we serve. My son is deaf. We live in a day and age where advancements in technology have opened a world of possibilities to hear sound and identification happens at birth. Our family has been committed to oral deaf education in these first years of life. He is 5 now and has typical spoken language skills as his hearing twin brother. He loves to sing, play music, and laugh with his brother. I am blessed by this program personally.” (Lauren Hays)

“My child attended this school and it is an absolute blessing. I am not sure where you live but would absolutely encourage you to tour this school before you pass judgment. My daughter cochlear implants. She is in 2nd grade and makes straight ‘A’s. She also reads well above her age range. She takes guitar lessons and loves music. If a parent decided that this is not the route for their child or CIs were not what they wanted for their child, do you know what I would say to them? Absolutely nothing. Their kid, and their choice. The teachers at MOSD are some of the most caring teachers in this world. They really care for these kids. P.S., if oral education does not work for a child, I have absolutely seen this school recommend ASL instead. Their priority is to help these kids communicate.” (Stacy Greene)

Christy Keane, another parent, spoke with Deaf Vee Journal to discuss her feelings about how the Deaf community has created a space of hostility towards hearing parents with deaf children. “90 percent of Deaf children are born to hearing parents!” she said. She also shared her child’s experience as nothing but positive, and that her daughter also utilizes ASL at home and while at MOSD, the school never once penalized her for signing. Keane shared that she has a video of her daughter, Charly signing “airplane” and the person working with her acknowledged what she was signing and responded enthusiastically. Keane also emphasized repeatedly that she never felt like the school didn’t respect her family’s wishes to incorporate ASL in their child’s life, and that the school has collaborated to provide events with other programs that endorse and promote American Sign Language. These events are marketed to parents with the intent to provide all options possible for their families.

Ginger Lessel Ragan, yet another parent, shared her thoughts as well:

“I am so very thankful for schools like MOSD. Without them, our daughter would not have had all the opportunities that lay before her now as an adult. I am aware oral deaf education doesn’t work for everyone and there are lots of reasons why. But it did for our family and I am thankful we had oral schools, teachers, audiologists, AVT’s, speech pathologists, etc., around us to love on us and help my daughter! I can also tell you that the mission of the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf is to empower deaf and hard of hearing children to listen and speak. It’s not to immerse them in Deaf culture.

If we had chosen ASL or any other type of queued speech, etc. we would have chosen a school for the Deaf.

I am thankful for all the choices that are out there for all families. I dare not ever assume that my way is the best or only way and I am hopeful that others will come to that same realization and stop pushing lies and fear. Isn’t there enough of that out there???”

Brittany Pellegra, a graduate from MOSD, also spoke with Deaf Vee Journal about their experience, including information about her family.

Pellegra’s grandmother is Deaf and does not speak, so because of that experience, her parents wanted her to have all possible opportunities. As a child, she received a cochlear implant and went to MOSD. She explained that her and her brother’s journeys and choices of communication were very different, but neither was traumatized by their MOSD experience. She chooses to speak while her brother prefers to sign. Their parents allowed both children to choose their preferred method of communication.

Attending MOSD, she said, was an experience that afforded her all the opportunities she has today. “This world is crazy enough and we need to be a community to help one another. Closing a school isn’t an option.” (Pellegra)

THE DAILY MOTH:

What do you think of ACLU's tweet? Do you feel like people are overreacting?

LAUREN HAYS:

ACLU’s tweet was misinformed. MOSD focuses on listening and spoken language for language development in our students.

MOSD has collaborated and demonstrated respect of differing language philosophies by participating in the Common Ground Initiative, a project that held a panel discussion at the EHDI conference back in 2016. There were four OPTION school representatives on the panel, along with four Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf [CEASD] representatives. While both organizations have very different language approaches, they have come together in support of the “child first” initiative. OPTION schools provide instruction through Listening and Spoken Languages [LSL], while CEASD provides instructions in American Sign Language (ASL)/English both.

DEAF NEWSRenca DunnAugust 13, 2020