Parents want hearing school to get state funding

[KristinaB]

I am interested in your thoughts on this issue. It is nice to get as many different perspectives rather than a few of them.

I basically have forgotten what the whole topic was. Seems to me it was regarding a parent of a deaf child, wanting that child to go to a specific private school that does not fall within the contract guidelines of that school district and therefore the parents are responsible for paying and they are refusing and expecting the school to do it. If I am right---

My opinion is that the child should be in a school that will best suit the child's needs and not the parents wishes. The child would benefit from learning ASL and may benefit from speech. Not all children with a severe to profound hearing loss can acquire speech. Yes, a lot do, but there are still quite a few who don't and no parent should force their child to learn speech. If that child is showing signs of learning speech, then, by all means expand on that learning, but if the child does not show any signs of learning it, even after speech therapy for 1-2 years, then stop forcing the child. They will only begin to hate it more and more.

Yes, there is a lot of bullying and stress in public school for hearing students, but nowhere near the amount that a hoh or deaf student has to endure. I can't say (obviously) about a residential school since I wasn't able to go to one. I only know what I went through and most of the school kids were terrible. A few of the teachers were not much better. It was a school janitor who threw my hearing aid away in the garbage. "I though it was parts to a transistor radio." I was constantly belittled and made fun of. All of the kids knew my brothers helped me and therefore, I had to deal with that ridicule from the classmates as well. I have had garbage cans dumped on me by kids thinking that would make my brain work. I have had school books ripped up, since I was obviously retarded in their eyes. These were kids who knew me outside of school and were considered to be good friends. They went to church with me and on all of the youth trips the church took. Needless to say, I stopped going on the youth trips and gave up the Junior Choir.

I survived and am a pretty well adjusted person. I am thankful for my family and the support I got from them. Do I think it might have been better for me to go to a deaf school, yes - I do, but then, I might not have the same husband or my kids, so that makes it a hard thought process.

I do realize speech is better obtained during the child's first 3-5 years or something like that. It's just that if a child has such a severe hearing loss, speech isn't always 100% obtainable. I know that's where some people will support a CI. Maybe the child is not a candidate for a CI. I know I would not have been if it were available to me.

Okay - I've gone on too long and rambled quite a bit. That's just my 2 cents for whatever it's worth.

 

[faire_jour]

But if the school is unable or unwilling to provide appropriate services to the child, should they have to pay for a private placement. That is what the parents are requesting. They aren't asking for any private school, just the one that would be the least restrictive enviroment for teaching their child.

 

[KristinaB]

But if the school is unable or unwilling to provide appropriate services to the child, should they have to pay for a private placement. That is what the parents are requesting. They aren't asking for any private school, just the one that would be the least restrictive enviroment for teaching their child.

Yes, the parents should have to pay!!! That's what we've been saying. The school system is only responsible for providing a child with an education within reasonable means. Maybe some districts will do more, but there are too many school districts who do not have the funding to pay for a child to go to a private "special" school just because the parents don't think that that same child will get a "good enough" education where the district want to place that child. Not everyone is blessed to live in an area where the schools have that kind of money. These parents are not entitled to special treatment just because they don't feel the school is good enough or has the right services.

 

[A]

As long as the public funded system nearby is proven to work for oral deaf children in the highest standard, there is no need for them to pay for private schools. That's the parent's choice

 

[KristinaB]

This is from a post I had in another thread. Shel thought I should post it here. This just goes to show other issues with the public school system and district policies.

As far as school goes, if we move to another area and the school system seems to be good, I would consider putting my son back into public as I don't really want to home school the high school grades with him. Daughter will never benefit from any public school system and we can't afford private. Her learning problems just are too heavy. She has just had another regression to 3rd grade level. She's 16 and we dropped her out just to deal with these issues. the main thing is, she now (in Florida) can't apply for a driver's license until she is 18 or goes to a GED class and gets her GED (General Equivalency Diploma).

 

[shel90]

This is from a post I had in another thread. Shel thought I should post it here. This just goes to show other issues with the public school system and district policies.

As far as school goes, if we move to another area and the school system seems to be good, I would consider putting my son back into public as I don't really want to home school the high school grades with him. Daughter will never benefit from any public school system and we can't afford private. Her learning problems just are too heavy. She has just had another regression to 3rd grade level. She's 16 and we dropped her out just to deal with these issues. the main thing is, she now (in Florida) can't apply for a driver's license until she is 18 or goes to a GED class and gets her GED (General Equivalency Diploma).

So, do you think you should you force the school district to pay for a private school to meet your daughter's learning problems?

 

[KristinaB]

So, do you think you should you force the school district to pay for a private school to meet your daughter's learning problems?

No. There are special needs teachers in this district who think they can help my daughter, but I don't feel they can do for her what she needs. None of the private schools can do it or want to. I have had 2 different school districts tell me that she was "unteachable".

 

[faire_jour]

Wirelessly posted

Actually the school is required to provide a free and appropriate eduction. that is all the families want. If the school can not provide that they are breaking the law. they have to, and that means sometimes they have to pay for it. it is not the school "going above and beyond" or the parents being selfish, it is about an education that legally must be tailored to meet the child's needs.

 

[shel90]

?????

Look for a program in which:

Children can maximize their auditory potential all day where they are expected to learn to listen and speak.

Spoken language is the only language used by children at all times.

The curriculum prepares children for mainstreaming.

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

What I was taught in the deaf ed teaching programs and in the field of teaching, the purpose of oral deaf ed is to prepare deaf children for mainstreaming.

 

[faire_jour]

Wirelessly posted

Look for a program in which:

Children can maximize their auditory potential all day where they are expected to learn to listen and speak.

Spoken language is the only language used by children at all times.

The curriculum prepares children for mainstreaming.

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

What I was taught in the deaf ed teaching programs and in the field of teaching, the purpose of oral deaf ed is to prepare deaf children for mainstreaming.

The key word is prepare. if they are not yet prepared they continue to need a specialized education.

 

[shel90]

Wirelessly posted



The key word is prepare. if they are not yet prepared they continue to need a specialized education.

That was what happened with my brother and my mom sent him to a signing program.

If the child is not prepared for the mainstreamed environment where spoken language is used naturally, maybe the child needs an environment where language occurs naturally in sign language.

To me, it seems that the parents arent really considering the child's needs.

 

[KristinaB]

Okay - I just re-read the original article that started this thread. The parents are upset since the school is not on this APS list and the state will not place the school on the APS list? Well, tough tiddly-winks! the article also mentions that there is a school that is on the list and can help the child. It just happens to be on the other side of the state. Kind of reminds me what is happening here in my local school district. The special school for special needs children (deaf, hoh, low vision, cerebral palsy, and whatever else) is closing. Many of the children will be mainstreamed. All teachers have been taking ASL classes that are mostly PSE. The district has hired a bunch of people to assist these students. Most of the deaf/hoh/low vision students will be transferred to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, FL. That's 4 hours from here. Parents are not happy, but are accepting that this is in the child's best interest. They are not out to create issues with the school district or to create issues with the state because of this, they are accepting this and dealing with it.

 

[faire_jour]

Wirelessly posted

Wirelessly posted



The key word is prepare. if they are not yet prepared they continue to need a specialized education.

That was what happened with my brother and my mom sent him to a signing program.

If the child is not prepared for the mainstreamed environment where spoken language is used naturally, maybe the child needs an environment where language occurs naturally in sign language.

To me, it seems that the parents arent really considering the child's needs.

Of course that is the case sometimes, it depends on the age and progress of the individual child. but to say that the mainstream is the lre for all oral kids all the time isn't right either.

 

[shel90]

Okay - I just re-read the original article that started this thread. The parents are upset since the school is not on this APS list and the state will not place the school on the APS list? Well, tough tiddly-winks! the article also mentions that there is a school that is on the list and can help the child. It just happens to be on the other side of the state. Kind of reminds me what is happening here in my local school district. The special school for special needs children (deaf, hoh, low vision, cerebral palsy, and whatever else) is closing. Many of the children will be mainstreamed. All teachers have been taking ASL classes that are mostly PSE. The district has hired a bunch of people to assist these students. Most of the deaf/hoh/low vision students will be transferred to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, FL. That's 4 hours from here. Parents are not happy, but are accepting that this is in the child's best interest. They are not out to create issues with the school district or to create issues with the state because of this, they are accepting this and dealing with it.

Interesting...

I just have a feeling with this case, that the parents are ashamed that their oral deaf child cant function academically in an oral-only environment and doing whatever they can do to avoid having their child be exposed to sign language.

Just my two cents.

 

[KristinaB]

Interesting...

I just have a feeling with this case, that the parents are ashamed that their oral deaf child cant function academically in an oral-only environment and doing whatever they can do to avoid having their child be exposed to sign language.

Just my two cents.

I agree.

 

[faire_jour]

Wirelessly posted

I think the parents have the right to ask for it to be amended, why wouldn't they? Clearly other private schools are allowed.

 

[KristinaB]

Wirelessly posted

I think the parents have the right to ask for it to be amended, why wouldn't they? Clearly other private schools are allowed.

And I don't think they do. There, we can agree to disagree, right.

 

[shel90]

Wirelessly posted

I think the parents have the right to ask for it to be amended, why wouldn't they? Clearly other private schools are allowed.

How? If the child is an oral deaf trained by an oral program to prepare her for mainstreaming and the public school provides a TOD to assist her in the mainstreamed classes, they are doing what is appropriate by law.

I just never heard of an oral-only deaf program that trains deaf kids to be oral-only in an oral-only deaf program.

It was always the purpose to assimilate them in the hearing world.

I dont know what kind of training you got, but that was the training I got about oral-only deaf ed programs.

 

[faire_jour]

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Wirelessly posted

I think the parents have the right to ask for it to be amended, why wouldn't they? Clearly other private schools are allowed.

And I don't think they do. There, we can agree to disagree, right.

Can you explain why not? they aren't forcing the change and clearly oral schools in other areas have been approved, why shouldn't they try to advocate for their school and their children?

 

[faire_jour]

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Wirelessly posted

I think the parents have the right to ask for it to be amended, why wouldn't they? Clearly other private schools are allowed.

How? If the child is an oral deaf trained by an oral program to prepare her for mainstreaming and the public school provides a TOD to assist her in the mainstreamed classes, they are doing what is appropriate by law.

I just never heard of an oral-only deaf program that trains deaf kids to be oral-only in an oral-only deaf program.

It was always the purpose to assimilate them in the hearing world.

I dont know what kind of training you got, but that was the training I got about oral-only deaf ed programs.

I agree, but should there be a cut off date? they can get services to age 3 but if they need it one day longer, too bad? the school should be serving kids on an individual basis and when they are ready they will be mainstreamed.