Final answer:
Most deaf individuals take pride in their culture and communicate using American Sign Language (ASL). Parents face tough decisions about whether to immerse their children in Deaf Culture or mainstream schools. The approach to addressing hearing loss, such as with hearing aids, depends on the type and cause of the hearing loss.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject matter in question pertains to Deaf Culture, which is a critical aspect of Social Studies. In Deaf Culture, most deaf individuals take great pride in their culture and language, which in the United States often revolves around the use of American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is a complete, complex language that employs signs made by moving the hands combined with facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the primary mode of communication for many deaf people.
Parents of deaf children face challenging decisions regarding their education and cultural exposure. They must consider whether to enroll their child in mainstream schools and focus on verbal communication and lip-reading or to immerse them in Deaf Culture where they would learn ASL and be amongst peers with similar experiences. The approach may vary, especially based on whether the parents themselves are deaf.
Hearing loss is categorized in different forms, with conductive hearing loss involving the failure of sound energy delivery to the cochlea and sensorineural hearing loss being the most common, which can result from numerous factors such as aging, trauma, or environmental effects. Addressing hearing loss, such as with hearing aids, is specific to the type and cause of the hearing loss.
It is preferred to use the language and terms that individuals with the lived experience of being deaf choose to identify with. American Psychological Association (2019) recommends using language to promote respect and dignity, whether it's first-person or identity-first language, to honor all individuals.