47 pages • 1 hour read
Deaf Like Me
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Deaf Like Me is a non-fiction biography of the Spradley family and their experiences raising their daughter, Lynn, who was born deaf. It was written by Lynn’s father, Tom Spradley, and her uncle, James Spradley. Deaf Like Me was first published in 1979; the second edition, published in 1985, includes an Epilogue Lynn wrote when she was 19 years old. In 1965, when Lynn was born, it was common to push deaf children to learn to lip read and use hearing aids instead of teaching them American Sign Language (ASL). The Spradleys attempted to use this controversial education system, called oralism, with Lynn, until it finally proved to be ineffective.
This guide uses the 1985 edition from Gallaudet University Press.
Content Warning: This text includes ableist language, eugenicist ideas, and outdated terminology. This terminology is only used in direct quotes; otherwise, updated and inclusive language is used in this guide. Although Deaf Like Me only uses the term “deaf,” this guide uses deaf, Deaf, and d/Deaf as appropriate. For more information on this terminology, see the Background section on ASL and Deaf Culture.
Summary
