Children come up often when you have a genetic disorder - at the cardiologist, my doctor asked me if I had been to a genetic counselor recently, to which I said no. He then mentioned multiple times how important it is to have genetic counseling before planning a pregnancy, despite me being only 18 with no intentions of having a baby anytime soon. It seems everyone’s mind is on my uterus, and if I will be having children, and if I think it is fair to subject them to my disorder. Simply put, I do not know. 

I feel so happy that CODA won prizes on Oscar, it is such a milestoe the community about representation and deepening the public's attention in thsi subject that sometimes go underrecognized in conversations and in daily scenarios where accomedations are much needed. I think winning the prize definitely increased discussion and reflections in my culture (Chinese) too.

I really enjoyed watching The Sound of Metal for many different reasons, but I think the strongest part that stood out to me was Ruben's emotions and feelings surrounding his deafness, especially at the beginning of the film. When he was first starting to realize his hearing was decreasing, It felt like I was feeling everything he was feeling. A major part of the film that promotes that happening is the sound editing because it really tries to put you into the shoes of someone who's deaf. Obviously, as someone who has never experienced deafness, I cannot truly understand what It would actually feel like to become deaf.

As I have been doing the readings and videos for today, I've been reflecting on the idea of Deaf gain and my own journey to understanding my disability. It is strange to think that only about a year and a half ago I still considered myself a hearing person with a medical impairment. I still remember getting the diagnosis of hearing loss when I was 13 and feeling terrified. Given the dynamic and sudden nature of my hearing loss, I was scared that I could lose more or all of my hearing overnight, as I had before. During this time, I began to cling to Deaf culture, and more specifically ASL, as a life raft without realizing it.

Literature Review on ABA, critical analysis of history of ABA

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rQ-TNsvw5e-f84z0GL2Fg36u8eoT-Y7bSUf8q40ET9c/edit?usp=sharing

Pamphlet - Resources for Families

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xhcZEQas9WA0UgWbrJg4JoCIHBNtRkTKg-gfDToefos/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KLl8QP1UjsjvESnMyTRiTscgvrovZYEDnG79TKcIddk/edit?usp=sharing

I would describe “CODA” as a feel-good movie that tells a coming-of-age tale. However, instead, of the plot centering around the typical “film friendly family" (white and able bodied), the Rossi family is deaf besides their one hearing child, Ruby Rossi. The movie centers around the Rossi family dynamics providing insight into the life of a “CODA”- Child of Deaf Adult. CODA was adapted from the French film “La Famille Bélier.” In this film, the cast were all hearing with the exception of the brother played by deaf actor Luca Gilberg. Contrastingly, in CODA, all the deaf characters are played by deaf actors, which is what made this film feel so authentic and beautiful.

It was such a treat to watch CODA and I'm really glad that I watched it. I really enjoyed the story itself; the romance, coming of age, growth of characters, and growth of relationships. I thought it is an interesting choice to have Ruby kind of be the main character--the one whose story lines we seemed to follow the most--when she was the only hearing person in the family. It allowed us to see the unique experience and issues that Ruby has to face as a child/young adult acting as a translator for her family. Her role was more than a translater, though. Ruby took on a lot of responsibility for her family's well-being by stepping into this role mediating between her family and the business community. It was interesting to see how the family grew when they considered life without Ruby.

Scottie Andrew, CNN: CODA Is Just One Recent Film Influenced by Deaf Creators Who Are Changing the Industry

Audiologist: Well, there are implants that bypass the cochlea. 

Ruben: You said implants?

Audiologist: Yes.

Ruben: Those work?

Audiologist: For people with severe hearing loss or complete deafness, yes they help. 

Ruben: Well, then let’s do that. 

Audiologist: Well, it's not that simple. Uh, it's a very involved process, and it's quite costly. 

Ruben How much is it? 

Audiologist: Well, they can run between $40,000 and $80,000 depending, and they are not covered by insurance. 

00:16:59- 00:17:24