Deaf Like Me

Lynn Spradley was born with a profound hearing loss. Her story is co-authored by her uncle and father, written from the father's viewpoint. It begins with the family's fear of having an unhealthy child due to the mother contracting German Measles. The family's fears are realized many months after the birth of their daughter, when they begin to suspect she cannot hear. As the family tries to provide for their Deaf little girl, they are urged to talk to her and treat her like a normal" child. They are advised that oralism is the only way to go and that one day Lynn will learn to speak. The book has been updated with an epilogue by Lynn Spradley, the Deaf child who is now grown. She reflects on deafness, education, and her struggle for communication, adding a distinctly new dimension to the original text. [Thomas Spradley & James Spradley; (1978) 285 pages; soft cover]