Child Of Deaf Adult
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A Child Of Deaf Adult (CODA) is a hearing person who was raised by a Deaf parent or guardian. Many CODAs identify with Deaf and hearing cultures. The acronym KODA (Kid Of Deaf Adult) is sometimes used to refer to CODAs under the age of 18.
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[edit] Challenges CODAs face
Because CODAs are hearing, but are raised in visual signing environments, some face difficulty with social and cultural norms that differ from the norms within their deaf community. Some CODAs receive enough exposure to spoken language models through extended family members, neighbors, and television. Other CODAs require speech therapy, due to limited exposure to spoken language. Typically, CODAs attend hearing schools. Due to the dichotomy between the culture in their Deaf home and the hearing culture in their school, many CODAs feel that they don't fully fit in with either culture.
[edit] Support organizations
The organization CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) was established in 1983, by founder Millie Brother. CODA began hosting annual conferences in 1986, in Fremont, California. The conferences have grown, taking on an international status with attendees hailing from worldwide. CODA has raised awareness among CODAs themselves, the deaf community and the hearing world about the unique experiences and issues of growing up between these two cultures. These experiences and issues seem to be universal among CODAs regardless of what spoken and sign languages they used. Many issues also apply to CODAs raised with deaf parents who are oral and do not sign. An example of similar cultural identity issues can be found with children of expatriates, in a phenomenon known as Third Culture Kid.
There are support groups for Deaf parents who may be concerned about raising their hearing children, as well as support groups for adult CODAs. There are also several camps established for KODAs, one is found at Camp Mark Seven, which hosts 2-week programs for preteen and teen KODAs.
[edit] Notable CODAs
- Alexander Graham Bell's mother, Eliza Grace Symonds Bell, was hard of hearing, and his wife, Mabel Hubbard, became deaf at age 5.
- Lon Chaney, Sr., American actor raised by deaf parents. His upbringing allowed him to communicate better in silent films
- Kambri Crews, American comedic storyteller and writer who incorporates sign language in performances and whose parents, maternal grandparents and several aunts and uncles are deaf.
- Lou Fant, American actor; sign language coach for Children of a Lesser God
- Louise Fletcher, American Academy Award-winning actress for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Edward Miner Gallaudet, founder of Gallaudet University, the world's only university for deaf and hard of hearing students. He is the son of Sophia Fowler Gallaudet and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, founder of the American School for the Deaf, the first school for the deaf in the U.S.
- Craig Gass, American impressionist
- Richard Griffiths, English actor
- Stefan LeFors, Canadian football quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Homer Thornberry, a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1948 to 1963
- Jim Verraros, American Idol finalist, season 1
- Keith Wann, with two other Deaf actors, perform regularly in a troupe called Iceworm, to showcase the cultural and linguistic barrier faced between the deaf and hearing worlds in a comedic fashion
- Vera Patterson, Consistent volunteer at the Ontario camp of the Deaf. Lead staff in programming all activities for said camp. A notable deaf ally of her time. Has been voicing her concerns for the deaf community since her early youth.
- Blair Patterson, Deaf advocate for the deaf community. Currently 18 years old. One of the youngest CODAs to fight for deaf rights.
[edit] Fictional CODAs
- Gil Grissom from the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
- Abby Sciuto from the TV series NCIS
[edit] Other Deaf culture acronyms
- CODA - Child of Deaf Adult(s) (18+ years old)
- OHCODA - Only Hearing Child of Deaf Adults (deaf parents and deaf siblings)
- OCODA - Only Child of Deaf Adult(s) (no siblings)
- KODA - Kid of Deaf Adult(s)(17 years or younger)
- SODA - Spouse or Sibling of a Deaf adult
- GODA - Grandchild of Deaf Adult(s)
- COHHA - Child of a Hard-Of-Hearing Adult(s)
[edit] References
- Mother Father Deaf: Living Between Sound & Silence, Paul Preston, ISBN 0-674-58748-0
- Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World, Leah H. Cohen, ISBN 0-679-76165-9
[edit] External links
- Children of Deaf Adults
- CODA International - Organisation for hearing children of Deaf parents
- KODAWest - Kids of Deaf Adults in the West
- CODA Essay - Communication & parenting issues in families with deaf parents and hearing children. [1]
