I am sure that the info would be helpful--we all want to know how to help deaf children. However, I THINK the question was something along the lines of deaf kids fitting in with mainstream hearing kids, right? I can think of several situations where a deaf child was in the mainstream--some situations worked better than others. A child who cannot speak well is surely going to have a harder time in the mainstream than one who does speak well, right? Of course, there are always exceptions to that: a child who uses ASL only somehow could luck up and be placed in a mainstream school where a majority of the students think ASL is cool and they accept the deaf child and learn the language. It happens, but it is rare. And a deaf child who has perfect speech could still struggle in the mainstream because they still feel "different" and have trouble "fitting in" even though they speak as well as the hearing kids. I bet that is quite common--my daughter kind of fits in that category. There are always exceptions--I have heard of kids with CIs who become the most popular kids at a mainstream school--however, I am sure that is rare. So what helps deaf kids "fit in"? I would imagine that a load of self-confidence and a very outgoing personality are key factors. And, in MOST cases, but not all--I would imagine that having good speech would be a key factor in the situation of a deaf child being the only deaf child in a mainstream school and still finding a way to "fit in." It would be a rare child indeed who "fit in" a mainstream school if they do not speak at all--but it does happen in some cases. I THINK that is what the question was about--and if the response was somewhere along the lines that: great speech is NOT a guarantee of "fitting in"--that is also the case. While good speech can definitely help a child fit in better than a child with no speech, it does not guarantee that they will completely fit in and feel comfortable in the mainstream. I think that is the idea behind the question and response. If studies can show the professionals how very important social issues are when deciding placement, then we need those studies to be publicized--not enough professionals seem aware of these issues. Yes, there IS so much more to it than "speaking well"--but a child who cannot speak at all will probably have and even harder time fitting in, wouldn't they? This makes me just want to hug every deaf child and let them know that THEY are wonderful just as they are--and I wish that each and every child could go to school in a place where they felt accepted and loved just as they are!
