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In Deaf culture, a child of Deaf adult (or simply CODA) is a hearing person who was raised by a Deaf parent or guardian. Many CODAs have dual identity between Deaf and hearing cultures. A similar term KODA (Kids Of Deaf Adults), is sometimes used to refer to CODAs under the age of 18. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article describes aspects of Deaf cultures. ... This article describes aspects of Deaf cultures. ... The term hearing or hearing person, from the perspective of mainstream English-language culture, refers to somone whose sense of hearing is at the medical norm. ...

Because the children are hearing, but raised in a visual signing environment, they may face difficulty with social and cultural norms that differ from the norms within their deaf community, especially when attending hearing school. In some cases, CODAs may need speech therapy due to limited exposure to spoken language. Generally though, CODAs are exposed to spoken language models through extended family members, neighbors, and television. Though they are raised in a Deaf home, CODAs do not go through the same experiences as their parents, such as going to a deaf school. As such, many feel that they don't fully fit in with either the deaf world or the hearing world.

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 and become truly international with members from all over the world. 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. In fact 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. Third Culture Kids (abbreviated TCKs) is a term for children who have lived a significant portion of their lives in a country that is not their passport country, usually because of parents work obligations. ...

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 CODAs, such as the one at Camp Mark Seven which hosts two separate 2-week programs for CODAs, one from age 9 to 12 and one for CODAs from age 13 to 16 and it usually occurs during the summer, from the last month of June to mid-August.

Notable CODAs

• Alexander Graham Bell, both his mother and his wife, Mabel Hubbard were deaf.
• 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.
• Homer Thornberry, a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1948 to 1963
• 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.
• Lon Chaney, Sr., American actor raised by deaf parents, his upbringing allowed him to better communicate in silent film
• Lou Fant, actor, acting coach in Hollywood, Ca.
• Lou Ann Walker, who wrote A Loss for Words, a story about her experience as one of three siblings growing up with two deaf parents.
• Louise Fletcher, American, Academy Award, Best Actress for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
• Richard Griffiths, English actor.
• Stefan LeFors, Canadian football quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish scientist, inventor, and innovator. ... Edward Miner Gallaudet (1837-1917), son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, was a famous early educator of the deaf in Washington, DC. He founded the first college for the deaf in 1864 which later became Gallaudet University. ... It has been suggested that Gallaudet United Now Movement be merged into this article or section. ... Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (December 10, 1787–September 10, 1851) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The American School for the Deaf (ASD) was the first institution for the education of the deaf in America. ... William Homer Thornberry (January 9, 1909 - December 12, 1995) was a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1948 to 1963. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Biographies. ... Lon Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930), nicknamed The Man of a Thousand Faces, was an American actor during the age of silent films. ... Louise Fletcher as Winn Adami on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Louise Fletcher (born July 22, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest can refer to: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (novel), a 1962 fiction novel by Ken Kesey One Attempted to Fly Over the Cuckoos Nest But Didnt Give Himself Enough Clearing Room, (film), a 1975 film adaptation of the novel One... Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Richard Griffiths (born 31 July 1947 in Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorkshire, England) is a Tony-award winning English actor who has appeared on stage, film and television. ... Stefan Wayne Lefors (born June 7, 1981) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. ...

Other Deaf culture acronyms

• SODA - Spouse or Sibling of a Deaf adult
• OHCODA - Only Hearing Child of Deaf Adults (deaf parents and deaf siblings)
• OCODA - Only Child of Deaf Adults (no siblings)
• NERDA - Not Even Related to Deaf Anyone/Adult (sometimes referred to as "NERD")

References

• Mother Father Deaf: Living Between Sound & Silence, Paul Preston, ISBN 0-674-58748-0

External links

• Children of Deaf Adults
• CODA International - Organisation for hearing children of Deaf parents