Ms Elaine Grehan:

I remember what I wanted to add. We talk about identity and it is really important for everyone because when one has an identity, one can get on with one's life. Children have an identity, but from the feedback we get from parents and deaf people who have had a cochlear implant, as Dr. Conama mentioned, the parents may have been told not to use ISL and to focus more on speech acquisition and to not learn ISL because it would affect that. After the cochlear implant programme, some of the parents decided they wanted to learn ISL and others decided to stay with speech. It is so disappointing. Much of the information is conflicting. This causes delays. The children may start to feel different in school. They may feel segregated or isolated. They may even feel that in the family environment, especially in a dinner table scenario when people are sitting around and laughing and the deaf child is not laughing because he or she is left out. If there was early-intervention ISL and the family learned it they could have a conversation at the table through it and then everybody is equal.