Attachment Issues of Deaf Adults with Hearing Parents: Exploring the Lived Experience
Attachment Issues of Deaf Adults with Hearing Parents: Exploring the Lived ExperienceEllen Schaefer-Salins, Ph.D.Director, Lynn M. Mayer, Ph.D.The formation of attachment style between a parent and child is influenced by both verbal and non-verbal communication (Bowlby, 1988; Cassidy & Shaver, 2008). Of the 1,000,000 functionally deaf people in the United States (Mitchell, 2005), 96% are born to hearing parents (Mitchell & Karchmer, 2004) and 75% of these parents do not learn how to communicate with their children fluently or effectively (Mitchell& Karchmer, 2005; Oliva, 2004). Previous research with deaf children and adults has examined the relationship between attachment and deafness related to use of sign language and type of school attended (Greenberg & Marvin, 1979; Chovaz McKinnon, Moran, Pederson, 2004). However, a qualitative approach has not been used to understand the lived experience of a deaf person raised by hearing parents. This mixed methodology research studied the impacts of deafness on the attachment style of deaf adults with hearing parents. Fifteen deaf individuals, age 30 to 50, with two biological parents, who are still married, were interviewed. The participants filled out a demographic information form and Attachment Style Questionnaire which had been previously adapted for use with deaf individuals (ASQ-D) (Feeny & Noller, 1996, Steider, 2001). The research questions used were 1) How is the relationship between a deaf adult and her or his hearing parents understood and experienced? 2) How does a deaf adult describe the current relationship with her or his hearing parents? 3) How does/did the communication styles within the family impact the relationship between the deaf adult and her or his hearing parents? Ten participants (66%) presented with a secure attachment style, and five participants (33%) presented with an insecure attachment style. A grounded theory approach of data analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts. The main common theme that impacted the attachment style of the study participants was the support that they received as a child from her or his parents, which was independent of what communication style was used. This study contributes to the knowledge of social work by demonstrating the importance of supportive parental relationships for individuals who are deaf.
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