We're moving our 19 month old CI using daughter from a home day care setting to a center setting that is structured a little more like a pre-school. Neither the home nor center is specifically set up for deaf kids, CI or not. She was able to advance her hearing and speech in the more quiet home setting with just a few other kids around, and I'm a little anxious about how things are going to go in the center. Neither the home nor center have people who know sign, although the home people have tried to keep up with her signing level (sometimes completely missing the mark; "no, mom is on the chin" type thing). Our TOD has easier access to the center, and has an FM system for use there. Just curious if anyone else has had experience moving from home day care to a center with a CI using kid or toddler.
home day care to center
- Thread starter iowaboy
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In South Carolina, we have BabyNet and First Steps.
SC First Steps
Do you have an equivalent agency in Iowa?
They provide liaison between parents and day care centers to help set up programs for special needs children, free of charge. They help the parents ensure that their children's needs are accommodated, such as time and place available at the day care/preschool center for therapy, special equipment or diet, special training for workers, etc.
SC First Steps
Do you have an equivalent agency in Iowa?
They provide liaison between parents and day care centers to help set up programs for special needs children, free of charge. They help the parents ensure that their children's needs are accommodated, such as time and place available at the day care/preschool center for therapy, special equipment or diet, special training for workers, etc.
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Hi! Until she was 3, we were lucky to find an ASL-based daycare open during school hours that was affiliated with the school for the deaf my daughter now attends. But, during that time we did need to find some daycare during summers and on Fridays, after school, etc at times: we tried and really loved Bright Horizons. They didn't hesitate at all to integrate our deaf child into their program, and she would often be dropped off after napping on the bus, with her new CI askew or packed away in a backpack. The staff at the center took it on themselves to learn all about CIs and how to turn them on or off, set the appropriate programs, place them properly on and change batteries, and they were extremely diligent about making sure they were on and working, ensuring she wasnt just nodding or following others while the CI hung somewhere on her pigtail, not even on.
In addition, because Li was primarily an ASL user, especially in her first year with her CI, they brought in an instructor and held several staff classes on basic sign. Perhaps this was supported by the type of program Reba mentioned. Li began coaching other kids on how to sign, and the staff encouraged this, asking her to teach a word or two at lunch every day, which the children were then delighted to use. Another ASL-using classmate began attending the center as well after finding that they were so willing and eager to accommodate special communication needs.
Not only did (does) Li love going there, we found that this immersion into an environment of hearing/speaking children resulted in a leap in spoken language--she would come home chattering away non-stop. This expeience encouraged us to enroll Li in all of the activities she has asked for regardless of whether or not there was any awareness of deaf-related accommodations in place. So all in all, an unfortunate necessity that we had really worried about -- placing our ASL-using child in an alien environment, turned out to be a wonderful experience for her.
In addition, because Li was primarily an ASL user, especially in her first year with her CI, they brought in an instructor and held several staff classes on basic sign. Perhaps this was supported by the type of program Reba mentioned. Li began coaching other kids on how to sign, and the staff encouraged this, asking her to teach a word or two at lunch every day, which the children were then delighted to use. Another ASL-using classmate began attending the center as well after finding that they were so willing and eager to accommodate special communication needs.
Not only did (does) Li love going there, we found that this immersion into an environment of hearing/speaking children resulted in a leap in spoken language--she would come home chattering away non-stop. This expeience encouraged us to enroll Li in all of the activities she has asked for regardless of whether or not there was any awareness of deaf-related accommodations in place. So all in all, an unfortunate necessity that we had really worried about -- placing our ASL-using child in an alien environment, turned out to be a wonderful experience for her.
CSign
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Iowaboy- your daughter should be eligible for early intervention services, beyond just a TOD who comes to visit. I think that might be what Reba was referring to (maybe?). I would look into a pre-school in your area that serves DHH children, where she will have an opportunity to have access to peers and adults who are fluent in sign language. The early years are critical in terms of making sure they are acquiring language appropriately. I'd ask your TOD what's available, perhaps in conjunction with another setting if that's what your looking for.
Yes, it's a bit early but maybe there's something out there. And Csign you are SO right, preschools especially for dhh kids are a gotta have. That way they have the tools for a good educational foundation....although what makes it really hard is that, Iowaboy is in the middle of no where.