There's no single personality type for deaf people; they have diverse traits like everyone, but cultural norms within the Deaf community emphasize directness, strong visual communication (eye contact, gestures), and resilience, while some studies link early communication challenges (especially without sign language) to traits like impulsivity or difficulty with abstract future planning, though these aren't universal and vary greatly by individual, communication access, and support systems.
Many of the traits that have been used to characterize deaf persons might also be used to describe a person who is thought to be "immature." Three traits that have been used again and again are "impuisivity," "egocentricity," and "rigidity." If we look at the meaning, or at the behavioral patterns that these trait ...
Some of the common characteristics of deafness commonly found in classrooms include the following: Difficulty following verbal directions. Difficulty with oral expression. Some difficulties with social/emotional or interpersonal skills.
Deaf community norms include: Maintaining eye contact. Being blunt and direct, whether in description or opinion. Waving, tapping the shoulder, stamping on the floor, banging on the table, and turning the lights on and off to get someone's attention.
deaf: (where the word begins with a small 'd') This is a medical term to describe a person who cannot hear. This has become a standard term to describe all types of deaf people. It is often the word used to cover all types of hearing loss – Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing and hearing impaired.
You might see others use the terms Deaf, d/Deaf, hard of hearing, hearing impaired, deafened, people with hearing loss, etc.
What to know
The use of facial expressions in Sign Language are mandatory
This is offensive. Similarly, it is considered incredibly rude to grab a deaf person's hands while they are signing. In the deaf community, this is the equivalent of holding your hand over someone's mouth to prevent them from speaking.
Deaf people use facial expressions while they are using sign language to express their own emotions or to describe the emotions of others, through the use of the same range of emotional facial expressions used naturally by the general population e.g. happiness, anger, sadness etc.
Unlike the hearing population, Deaf individuals often don't have immediate access to verbal communication or written materials that are tailored to their needs. This gap in communication leads to feelings of isolation and exclusion, which can significantly contribute to mental health struggles.
Autosomal- recessive inheritance is responsible for about 80% of cases of non-syndromic hearing impairment, while autosomal-dominant genes cause 20%, less than two percent of cases are caused by X-linked and mitochondrial genetic malfunctions.
Many Deaf people develop adaptive strategies to navigate a predominantly hearing world—this includes enhanced visual thinking, creative use of space, inventive problem solving, and strong adaptability. These abilities can lead to advancements in technology, design, communication, and education.
Symptoms
Not all Deaf people communicate in the same way. American Sign Language (ASL), Signed English (SEE), lipreading/speechreading, writing, gesturing, and speaking are all methods of communication which may be utilized by different Deaf people.
Hearing loss can bring hidden struggles:
Anxiety and stress from straining to hear in noisy environments. Depression and loss of confidence due to communication barriers.
Deaf culture meets all five sociological criteria (language, values, traditions, norms and identity) for defining a culture. American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes Québécoise (LSQ) are the two predominant visual languages used by Deaf people in Canada.
Many Deaf individuals think predominantly in visual terms, shaped by the signs, objects, and scenes they encounter in their daily lives. One individual shared that their inner voice is composed of ASL signs, images, and printed words—without any auditory components.
How to say “hello” in Sign Language. To perform the sign “hello” in American Sign Language (ASL), simply place the hand you are writing with on your forehead close to your ear and move it outwards and away from your body. Don't forget to smile!
Tone-deaf is especially applied in cases in which a person is insensitive or uncaring about the emotions or hardships of other people, as in The athlete apologized for his insensitive, tone-deaf comments about fans from impoverished neighborhoods.
Nine things not to say to a deaf person
Deaf and hard of hearing are the two most widely accepted terms for someone with hearing loss because they're considered to be more positive than the term "hearing impaired" or "hearing disabled", which implies a deficit or that something is wrong that makes a person less than whole.
Behaviour. Eye contact is extremely important. Hearing people often talk to each other with comparatively little eye contact, but within Deaf culture, avoiding eye contact can be seen as rude. Looking away while someone is signing to you is definitely a no-no.
Sounds made with the lips are easiest to see and copy. Thus those who are deaf sound differently. They do not have that feedback system that helps them fine-tune their muscle movements. It would be interesting to see if ultrasounds become more widespread with speech therapy.
This phenomenon, also known as diplacusis, occurs when the same sound is perceived differently in each ear. It can be disturbing and distracting for anyone who experiences it. Let's look more closely at why double hearing occurs, as well as what can be done to treat it.
Factors across the life span