Dialogue With the Deaf: The Future Role of Psychology

Abstract

As a child of deaf adults (CODA), this article traces my journey in the field of psychology and deafness, and points the way to developing a more culturally and socially responsive psychology that will be fully inclusive for deaf people. My lived experience as a CODA and the long-standing tension between the scientific, clinical, and applied aspects of psychology are described in detail. I document the early misguided conceptions about deafness which permeated my own career path involving psychology, research, teaching, administration, and advocacy.A major focus of this article is with the enduring harm that has been caused by the oral–manual debate concerning the role of hearing, speech, and sign language in the education of deaf children. I urge psychologists to contribute to the resolution of this destructive controversy. From a scientific and clinical point of view, psychologists are uniquely qualified to gather evidence and apply best practice concerning the role of various communication modalities during the early development of deaf children. In the context of equity, diversity, and inclusion and recent human rights legislation, it is of paramount importance to recruit and support students, faculty, and professionals who are themselves Deaf. This will include a commitment to intersectionality that will ensure that Deaf persons who identify with diverse ethnic groups and identities are well represented.