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“Deaf Again” Reaction Paper

Mark Drolsbaugh is the author of the book “Deaf Again” that gives the world insight into

a deaf person’s life. The author describes how deaf people live and the struggles they undergo

living among ordinary people. Mark narrates his journey from being a child with normal hearing

abilities to joining a deaf community. As he writes, he explains the challenges he faced by being

forced to remain in a regular school and being denied the joy and happiness of joining the deaf

culture. It was when he was in his twenties that he lived in a community of deaf people and

learnt to embrace and the benefits of being in such an environment.

Mark was born in Pennsylvania as a normal child, but his parents were deaf, so they

taught him how to use sign language as he grew up. However, when he was in first grade, he lost

his hearing ability despite being taken to various doctors for help. The negativity that came about

with deafness made Mark very depressed about his condition despite his grandparents trying

their best to improve his hearing and speech. According to his grandparents, they believed that

Mark would live a healthy life if he continued to live and interact with healthy children at school.

Also, the grandparents thought that taking Mark to a school of deaf people would destroy the

opportunity he had at getting fixed.

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Mark found learning with other students hard since he was in a class of about 20 and the

information being communicated proved difficult for him to understand and interpret. The other

children found him awkward when he put on his hearing aid, and he was often ridiculed by the

other students. Many times he got into fights, and the grandparents opted to transfer him to

another school. In his new school. Mark had a better environment, but his religion added to the

challenges he faced apart from being deaf. Being Jewish, celebrations brought problems for

Mark and his family, and he would often play baseball to release his pressure and stress.

Later mark was transferred to another school, and the major problem that he faced was

the inability to connect to other students and interact fairly. Although the baseball he joined was

supportive and he made many friends, Mark still felt that he was a misfit in the hearing world.

Many people were not patient with mark especially when they would go to parties and social

gathering since he would require someone to interpret what was going on. The feeling of not

being able to belong made Mark feel different and presented more challenges to his life.

While he was working as a supermarket attendant, Mark received advice to join the deaf

culture. It was at this point that he realized that he had tried for so long to fit in a community that

would always view him differently. Interacting with other fellow deaf people gave him the

chance to have deep and meaningful conversations with other people who were like him. At this

point in life, it was evident that Mark had found a purpose in life and was developing different

skills altogether. He became a better version of himself by learning how to live with people like

him despite the challenges they face living among ordinary people.

Social interaction in children Is a vital element in their development whether they are

normal or they are challenged with hearing disabilities. Friendships and social relationships have

been attributed to assisting the psychological wellbeing of the children that protects them from

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stress and development illnesses. Close relationships between children and their peers increase

their self-esteem and can express themselves better(Harris and Beech). Deaf children are more

sensitive, and if they can interact comfortably, they develop proper emotional balance and

positive attitude towards school work. Moreover, they can adapt better to changes from one

school to another.

In the case of Mark in his early childhood, he was forced to attend a school where he was

the only deaf child. As a result, he had low self-esteem since he was ridiculed for being deaf and

interacting with normal people. Depression could have kicked in since he felt that he was not

enough for the normal world and he was trying too hard to fit in. Rejection from peers can force

a child to develop more internal problem such as depression and anxiety which leads to low self-

esteem. Moreover, such children are observed to perform poorly in school and exhibit isolation

from other people making them miss out on living a normal life.

Basic values that children developed are often cultivated by their interaction with peers

such as sharing, helping and problem solving by negotiating with others. Children who are deaf

have a right to lead healthy lives and also engage in equal opportunities similar to healthy

children(Harris and Beech). Essential skills are developed when children interact with their

peers. In the case of Mark, it was difficult for him to interact with other children and therefore he

did not achieve satisfaction. Mark found it difficult to engage in meaningful conversations with

other children. None the less, placing children in the environment they feel most comfortable in

will positively help their growth.

The building of friendships starts when people are young and later helps them develop

meaningful life and cognitive skills. Deaf children usually encounter many problems when they

fail, to communicate with their environment correctly. Without fostering early development of

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essential skills, the wellbeing of the deaf children would be at risk. The emotional imbalance

might also affect their performance at school or in life(Harris and Beech). The interaction

between deaf children and their peers as well as other people is crucial since it helps them handle

the challenges they face more efficiently and increase their psychological and educational

success.

Communication is vital in fostering meaningful interactions among people. Children who

are born deaf in a family of ordinary people such as mark may encounter language delays in their

life. The possible delay in such children may eventually affect their communication strategies

and their ability to comprehend and accommodate other people’s thoughts and feelings. Failure

to create a favorable environment for a disabled child to grow these skills among people they feel

comfortable in will ultimately leave them vulnerable to impulse reactions and emotions. In the

case of Mark, living in a community with ordinary people made him have a lower performance

in social activities. However, after he discovered the deaf culture, he participated more in social

activities and even became a leader.

Relationships among the deaf and the hearing students are not entirely mutual. The

challenged students consider themselves inferior to their hearing counterparts especially if they

are in the same school. Deaf children tend to feel rejected than their hearing peers, especially in

their teenage years. Relationships between the deaf and normal teenagers are sporadic with the

deaf having a higher chance of lacking friends than their hearing counterparts(Harris and Beech).

In the case of Mark, he only found a friend in his baseball team, but even then their relationship

was not as strong as the one he found in the deaf community. Many parents observe that

teenagers with hearing disabilities are more aggressive in behavior and are less accommodative

as compared to normal teenage behavior.

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Many people who have come into contact with deaf people share different beliefs of the

situation. Some believe that the disability is as a result of being cursed and that relating with such

people will lead to bad luck in life. A personal experience provided insight into how normal

people consider the deaf. The perception that the healthy people have of the deaf is equally

crucial in creating positive interactions among the two groups. Their attitude should show their

consideration for the deaf and also should be more accommodative to allow them to air their

views and feelings more freely.

Considering the information and knowledge acquired concerning the deaf culture and

community, it is essential to understand the nature of their interactions to communicate

effectively. Also, the deaf community undergoes a lot of challenges especially in relating and

living with ordinary people. Healthy people should create a favorable environment and also and

accept the deaf to allow them to have a place in society like regular people. Special institutions

for the deaf have created opportunities for them to grow their talents and self-worth away from

stress and depression. It is crucial for every individual to play a role in supporting the deaf deal

with challenges in life.

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Work cited

Harris, M., and J. R. Beech. “Implicit Phonological Awareness and Early Reading Development

in Prelingually Deaf Children.” Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 2012,

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