This book weaves intensely personal and evocative stories into a layered autoethnographic text about the author¿s experience of childhood deafness, sign language and education. Interwoven with the performative narrative are powerful stories of stigma, trauma, friendships, relationships, love, isolation and displacement. Using interpretative and reflective analysis, the author explores the storied experience of self and belonging in family and school contexts, providing both personal and theoretical perspectives on language and culture. He traces the pathways he has taken in pursuit of a true sense of belonging in society, community and place.This is an important contribution to the study of sign language, deaf education, disability and deaf health and well-being. It will be of interest to professionals and practitioners working with deaf children and parents and to students and researchers within social policy, social medicine, psychology, sociology, early childhood studies and special education.

CONTENTS: A Childhood Divided - Narratives of Loss and Trauma - Religion, Oralism and Deaf Education in Ireland - Recreating Home and Culture and the Power of Stories - Watching the Watchers: Evocative Stories and Surveillance Matters - Gender, Love, Language and Relationships - Summer Childhood: Identity, Belonging and Meanings of Home - Behind the Teacher's Back: Stories of Cultural Encounters - Reflections.