Images of Children With Communication Disorders in Modern Childrens Fiction

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Images of Children With Communication Disorders in Modern Childrens Fiction

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Title: Images of Children With Communication Disorders in Modern Childrens Fiction

1
Images of Children With Communication Disorders
in Modern Childrens Fiction

Monica Gordon Pershey, Ed.D., CCC-SLP
Associate Professor
Director, Speech and Hearing Program
Department of Health Sciences
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH
216-687-4534
m.pershey_at_csuohio.edu, mgpershey_at_att.net
Presented at the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Annual Convention
Chicago, November 20, 2008

2
How This Study Began

The Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
A baby with a cleft lip is born in approximately
the early Renaissance era to an unmarried
servant girl and her mistress's spoiled ward.
The deformed baby is seen as proof of the
wickedness of their affair and the terrified
servant girl abandons her baby to die.
This distraught mother is then executed for
murder but the baby's father is not implicated,
although his life is in turmoil from then on.

3
How This Study Began

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The young boy who has a cleft lip is more
pure than the others, more honest, forgiving,
valiant, and loyal, but he is also tragic. He
is sacrificed so that others less worthy
may live.
Why did these characters have a cleft
lip instead of a club foot? Why does the
communication impairment mark their tragedy?

4
Reading and Research

A reference list of about 100 trade books where
characters are persons with communication
disorders, such as stuttering, deafness, cleft
lip, articulation disorder, mental retardation,
autism, or mutism.
Analyzing works for themes that relate to
depiction of these individuals in society. Are
they seen as "whole" people? Or are they seen as
"only" their impairment? Why would an author
assign such an impairment to a character? Is it a
symbol for something society believes in? Why
would a communication impairment be used as a
literary device? If communication impairments are
seen as having symbolism or as identifying
character traits, or if impairments represent
larger ideas in society, does that denegrate or
celebrate individuals who have communication
disorders?

5
Characterization

Some characters are authentic,
multifaceted, and realistic, but a
disproportionate number of
characterizations cannot be
considered complex, authentic,
unique, or believable. Rather,
authors rely on trite, hackneyed
themes. Few authors have written
stories that reflect the life
experiences of children with
communication disorders.

6
Characterization

The characterizations are often
overdrawn and one-dimensional
and are sometimes degrading.
Some characters are too childlike
but most are too adultified some
seem to know theyll always be
outside the mainstream and may
purport not to care about the
mainstream others keep trying
to gain entrance into the
mainstream.

7
Characterization

The Only Outcast
by Julie Johnston
A coming-of-age story set in Canada in 1904.
Fred, 16, is a disappointment to his
demanding, often cruel father. He is shy,
introspective, small for his age, and has a
severe stutter all of these factors contribute
to his self-doubts. When he spends the
summer at his grandparents cottage, he is
relieved to escape his father. Fred rescues his
siblings from danger, receives a first, painful
lesson in love, and discovers the truth behind
the local legend involving a murder. Instead of
molding himself to fit his father's rigid
expectations, Fred chooses
to follow his own path.

8
Characterization

Characters are often engaged in
typical plot patterns. The
characters must overcome
obstacles, overcome social
isolation, show their merits
by extraordinary feats, behave in
exceptionally brave and
distinguished ways so that people
will come to accept them, and so
that they will find themselves and
learn to accept themselves.

9
Characterization

The Half-a-Moon Inn
by Paul Fleischman
Set in pioneer times, 12-year-old Aarons mother
leaves him home alone while she runs an errand
during a blizzard. When Mother doesnt come
back, he sets out to find her. Aaron, who is
mute,
teams up with a ragman who cant read what
Aaron writes. Aaron earns his stay at an inn but
the madwoman innkeeper wont let him leave. She
keeps him in servitude as her accomplice as she
steals money from customers. Aaron entices the
innkeeper to kidnap a prison escapee because hes
royalty. During this caper Aaron escapes
himself
and is later reunited with his mother.

10
Characterization

Mary Maroney and the Snake
by Suzy Kline
Mary, who stutters, is entering second grade.
Characters include an understanding mother, a
matter-of-fact teacher, a helpful speech
therapist,
and typical classmates some who tease and
others
who are sympathetic. But brave Mary soon gains
the
respect of all her classmates. When a snake that
bully Marvin has brought to school escapes,
Marvin
stands by terrified while Mary catches it and
becomes the class hero. Ex-elementary teacher
Kline gives a glimpse the ironies and challenges
of
school life while offering a positive,
sympathetic look
at stuttering.
Also MM and the Chocolate Surprise
MM, Mummy Girl
MM Hides Out

11
Characterization

Mandy by Barbara D. Booth
Mandy is a deaf girl spending the day with her
grandmother. They bake cookies, sing and dance
along with the radio, and look at old pictures.
When
they take a walk, grandmother notices the brooch
her late husband gave her has fallen off her
blouse.
They retrace their steps, but dont find the
brooch.
They give up as darkness falls.
Mandy feels terrible when she sees grandmother
crying and sneaks out with a flashlight. She is
frightened alone in the woods at night. Lightning
begins to flash. But she is determined to find
the
brooch. Just when she is about to give up, she
sees
it under some tall grass. She runs home to find
her
worried grandmother waiting for her. But
grandmothers worries turn to gratitude when she
sees what Mandy has done.

12
Characterization

The Flim Flam Man by Darlene Bailey Beard
The narrator is 10-year-old Bobbie Jo, who
stutters. In 1950 a con man, F. Bam
Morrison, comes to her sleepy southern town. She
is enthralled by his speaking
voice. Morrison tells her he used to stutter but
he taped himself imitating radio
announcers until he could speak without
stuttering. The con enlists Bobbie Jo to
advertise the traveling circus its his job to
promote. He takes small amounts of
cash, store goods, and favors from the townsfolk
as payment for cutting them in
on the economic boom that the circus will bring
to town.
In time, people start to suspect theres really
no circus. Morrison bolts out of town.
Bobbie Jo and her girlfriend chase after him and
find him fixing a flat tire. He
confesses he lied to her, he never had a speech
problem and never used a tape,
but hed heard of someone who did. He used the
problem to get her to identify with
him and trust him. The girls do not want to leave
their town without a circus, so
they plan a big parade instead. Later, after two
years of tape practice, her speech
is smooth. Bobbie Jo ends up thankful to F. Bam
Morrison.

13
Characterization

The Flim Flam Man is based on true events.
From the Shawnee, OK News-Star
Wetumka's worldwide fame came following a 1950
event where the
townspeople were duped by a slick, fast-talking
con artist, F. Bam
Morrison. He promised a three-ring circus that
failed to make an
appearance. Morrison vanished the day before the
circus appeared,
snatching up the circus advanced ticket money and
circus program
advertising. Wetumka merchants were left holding
huge orders of hot
dogs, buns and pop for the anticipated crowd plus
several tons of
hay for the circus animals. Community leaders
were sorely
disappointed but not down. They staged the first
ever Sucker Day.
A host of events are scheduled including a giant
parade, Friday night
gospel singing, acclaimed arts and crafts show
and sale, 8K run,
antique tractor exhibit, golf and softball
tournaments, capped off by
a street dance with a live country band - "The
Smoking Okies.
Wetumka Kiwanis and Chamber members are promoting
a
sanctioned junior rodeo, teddy bear and doll
exhibit, kids games and

14
Characterization

There are a lot of books that promote
friendship and acceptance of this
special person, not this equal person.
These books may sentimentalize or
romanticize the characters condition.

15
Characterization

Deaf Child Crossing
by Marlee Matlin
A didactic entrée into deaf culture for
pre-teens.
Megan, a deaf girl, is not a saint. She has her
defenses
and can be bratty and willful, just like any
other girl. A
new hearing neighbor, Cindy, is overly helpful to
Megan.
At summer camp, Meagan shuts Cindy out of a
social
circle that involves deaf and hearing girls.
Megan is
angry with Cindy because Cindy treats Megan as
dependent. They argue and Cindy is insulting to
Megan.
Megan stops being angry at Cindy because Cindy is
finally treating her as a whole person, not with
solicitousness. Loosely based on Matlins
autobiography discussion of easy use of sound
field
amplification, TTD, hearing aids, instant
messaging.

16
Plot Patterns

What happens to characters with
communication impairments?
They overcome obstacles
They overcome social isolation
They show their merits by extraordinary feats
They learn to accept themselves
People come to accept them They find
themselves
They make friends
Plots are sometimes reduced to the character
repeatedly
pleading for understanding.

17
Plot Patterns

Ben Has Something to Say
by Laurie Lears
Ben avoids talking because of his stutter. At a
junk yard
that Ben and his dad regularly visit Ben
befriends the
junk yard dog, although this is uncomfortable
because the
junk yard owner teases Ben about being shy. Bens
dad
uses Bens desire to see the dog as a motivator
Ben must
talk in different situations to earn dog
visitation privileges.
When Ben learns that the owner plans to send the
dog to
the pound, Ben must ask the owner about adopting
the
dog. Ben finds it hard to be thought of as shy or
socially
ineffective instead of as having a communication
disorder.
The strength of this book is that it accurately
shows that
stuttering is not caused by shyness or
performance
anxiety. Shyness and social avoidance are
consequences
of having a disorder which the character finds
embarrassing to reveal. The mature illustrations
add
sophistication to the presentation of the story.

18
Plot Patterns

Apple is My Sign by Mary Riskind
Set in the late 1800s, Harry is coming of age
amid the rift
between the deaf and hearing communities. Harry
discovers
that he must judge each person on his or
her own merits, not by whether the person is
hearing or deaf.

19
Plot Patterns

Some stories about understanding and acceptance
of disability seem degrading, paradoxically,
because the character starts out as a stereotype
and remains a stereotype throughout the story
what is accepted by others is this stereotype.

20
Plot Patterns

Beethoven Lives Upstairs
by Barbara Nichol
A series of letters from LvBs landladys son to
his uncle, the book describes LvBs
eccentricities
pounding musical rhythms on the floor, standing
nude in his window, writing on the walls, cutting
off his pianos legs to play on the floor and
feel
its vibrations. LvBs flurries of creative
torment,
rough manners, sloppy dress, and poor house-
keeping are recounted. He had a temper, he was
scarred by his fathers abuse, and he was lonely.
Hes presented as a man with many troubles
deafness, weak eyes, migraines, sensory
defensiveness but a heart so full of joy.

21
Plot Patterns

Moses Goes to a Concert
by Isaac Millman
A be all you can be book. Moses, who is deaf,
goes with
his class to hear a concert by an all-deaf
orchestra. The
kids are welcomed by the percussionist who lets
them play
a variety of percussion instruments and
encourages them
to pursue their dreams.
In plots such as these, the character makes
adjustments
in his life. But some issues remain
The characters carry all of the burden of
interpretability.
They come equipped with speechreading or a
handy sign language glossary that makes them easy
to communicate with.
Do these stories highlight the similarities
between
disabled and nondisabled people or the
differences?
Do these stories promote inclusion or
separatism?

22
Plot Patterns

Amelia Lends a Hand by Marissa Moss
When Amelia learns her new neighbor is deaf, she
sets to learning sign language. The book is a
how-
to-learn-sign manual embedded into Amelias
journal about her exploration of environmental
sounds with her new friend. Moss uses an eclectic
format. The book features hand-printed text,
colorful drawings and asides, and 32 sign
language
flash cards. The fictional story, personal
journal,
and how-to book flow together well. The deaf boy,
Enzo, is almost a secondary character. Enzo
knows what it is like to want to say more than
you
can. He and Amelia have in common a love of
drawing and writing. An American Girl book.

23
Plot Patterns

Petey by Ben Mikaelsen
In 1920 Petey is born, a vacant-eyed, twisted
baby with cerebral
palsy who cannot be healed. His care drains his
parents funds and
causes neglect of his siblings. Petey is
institutionalized, consigned
to a ward of untreatable freaks. By age 5 Petey
is conscious of
his environment and his impetus to express
himself. An attendant
teaches Petey to nod to request chocolate, but
the nurses say its
just conditioning an idiot. At age 11 Petey is
moved a ward for the
insane. By this time Petey can nod yes and no
and vocalize.
By age 22, attended by a loving nurse, Cassie, he
converses with
words. Petey wonders what his purpose in life is.
Throughout the
1960s and 70s Petey struggles on with fellow
resident Calvin,
attended by Owen. In 1977 Calvin and Owen are
both gone. Petey is
sent to a nursing home. In 1990 Petey meets a
teen, Trevor, who
becomes his trusted friend and advocate. Petey
develops a bleeding
ulcer and pneumonia. Petey is bound to die. From
Trevors need to
make Petey his family, Trevors parents learn
that they have been
neglecting him and they vow to be a better
family.

24
Themes by Genre

Contemporary Realism
Emancipated minors becoming independent and
dealing with loss
Acceptance by peers
Mirroring the social issues of our times
(drugs, broken families)
The Problem Novel
Survival stories

25
Themes by Genre

The Flip-flop Girl by Katharine Patterson
Vinnie is a 9-year-old girl whose father has
recently died.
Her brother, Mason, has not spoken since their
fathers
funeral and is behaving erratically. Vinnie ends
up being
responsible for Mason at home and at school. If
Vinnies
anger and stress cause her to act out and be
self-
destructive, Mason reacts even more so.
Vinnie stops Mason from a possible suicide on an
old
railroad trestle. He regains his ability to speak
and Vinnie
repairs the relationships with her friend and
teacher that
have suffered due to the strain that grief has
caused her
and Mason to experience.

26
Themes by Genre

(Modern) Fantasy, (Modern Literary) Folktales,
Myths, Legends, Fables
These stories alter the characteristics of
everyday reality. The
impossible becomes convincingly possible.
Unfettered by convention
and expectation. Settings are worlds where
unusual circumstances are
believable. Themes include universal struggles,
values (the wish to be
heard, not silenced?), and emotions. Constant
battle between good
and evil. Faith and perseverance in the face of
obstacles. Personal
and social responsibility, love, friendship. The
story must be so good
that we wish it were true. Characters and their
feelings and conflicts
are plausible and natural. The heros worth is
initially unrecognized.
The hero is powerless (children identify with a
lack of power) yet
things end justly if not happily.

27
Themes by Genre

(Modern) Fantasy, (Modern Literary) Folktales,
Myths, Legends, Fables
Ethical allegory to condemn the flaws of society
Cautionary tales tales to disarm and teach
Stories to explain natural phenomena
Magical stories that make children with
communication
disorders responsible for natural phenomena
how can
this normalize readers views of children with
communication disorders? We are left with
wondering why the author chose this impairment.
What symbolism is there, what point is this
making?

28
Themes by Genre

The characters may be magical figures, eerie or
supernatural.
The authors use the communication disorder in a
symbolic way, to
illustrate a point. However, these characters do
not promote
integrating children with communication disorders
into everyday life.

29
Themes by Genre

Shining by Julius Lester is a modern literary
folktale. Shining lives long ago in a
mountain village. She is so quiet, she doesnt
even birth cry. Her parents take her to see The
One, the wise woman, who says it is natural for
Shining to be silent.
At age 12 she is supposed to be sent away for a
year to live with women and learn the ways of
women. She is not allowed to go because her
silence steals peoples souls. Ethereally
silent,
Shining makes others uneasy and suspicious. They
fear an evil spirit has taken her voice.
Shunned, she sleeps for a year. When the girls
her age come back, The One enters the village
and claims Shining as her daughter. She can talk
now, but all she does is sing a wordless song
of the sounds of nature.
The town asks her forgiveness. She goes off to
live with The One. Why is she silent? Silence
had become language. Through her powers, she
hears all of peoples joys and sorrows and
fears. She is there to listen, especially to what
they do not hear.