1. What was unique about the book? Identify specific themes the authors discussed throughout the book.
2. In what way has the information the authors presented been interesting and/or insightful, made you uncomfortable or prompted you to change your perspective?
3. Consider historical and cultural events that are similar or different from the Milan Effect.
4. Describe the possible benefits of using ASL in your life.
5. Identify examples of being stigmatized in your life. How has it affected you?
6. Describe the roles you play in your family compared to the roles described in the book: monitor, facilitator, protector, etc. Consider not only your role as a sibling but the other roles you take on as well: daughter, son, uncle, cousin, grandparent, etc.
7. Using your own experience, what do you consider nurtures or inhibits the closeness of siblings?
8. If you knew you had a few months to live, what would you want to tell your sibling(s)?
9. How do the parents’ decisions regarding language acquisition, educational placement and social development shape the bonds between deaf and hearing siblings? What are the consequences, as it relates to siblings, if parents decide not to learn ASL?
10. Consider the forces that contribute to the rebellion of deaf or hearing siblings when they want their family members to use ASL. Discuss the changing nature of the relationship among the deaf and hearing siblings who didn’t sign as children but did as adults.
11. In the stories presented in the book, discuss examples of Audism.
12. “She is my sister. That we are deaf or hearing was never an issue.” Discuss the semantics of this quote and provide possible ways to live by this. Compare and contrast the perspectives of disability with that of minority culture and how these views may have affected the person’s quote.