For my parents and friends, it's mostly about communication. My Dad is profoundly deaf, my mum hearing impaired. They prefer to hang out with people that they can fully communicate with. My mum is very oral, can hear quite well with her hearing aids on and people can understand what she says when she talks. However she still prefers AUSLAN as it means she doesn't miss anything that people are saying. Even though she has good hearing, it's still not the same as understanding everything that people are communicating with her.

I also know of a few Deaf teenagers that took out the external part of their cochlear implants as they weren't really helping them much anyway and they wanted to be Deaf, not hearing.

It can sound a bit confronting and you are probably processing lots right now. At this stage, I think that Deaf playgroups, social groups when older etc are more about giving him choices than segregating him. At least then Jett has had exposure to a range of people he can hang out with and then he can make his own decisions based on what he feels most comfortable with.

People will sometimes try and speak loudly to my dad or talk to my mum with her back turned. Some people think my parents are stupid because they are Deaf and automatically turn to me in any conversation so I can translate. I see my role as helping to educate these people about how to communicate with Deaf people effectively. Basic stuff like speak slowly to my Dad and look at him, no point shouting as it doesn't make a difference. Make sure you have Mum's attention before starting otherwise she won't realise you are talking to her. If someone is particularly rude, I'll just walk away so they have no choice but to communicate with Mum and Dad as I've said. Mum and Dad are absolutely able to assert themselves if they don't understand what someone is saying and conversations can take a while in shops. However that's the way things work with them and they have as much right as everyone else to understand what is being said to them by a hearing person.