interpreter problems...

Reba said:
Your parents can ask if she is certified, and she must reply. If she says that she is, then she must prove it by showing you the certification.


She has a bachelor's degree in interpreting? Amazing. She certainly isn't behaving as though she was an educated terp.


Unsat. Sometimes school terps recommend sub terps but the bottom line is the school is responsible for providing you with interpreting services.


Either your teachers don't know what good interpreting is all about or they don't care enough to make waves. That's very disappointing.


I'm sorry that you're having such a struggle. I'm afraid that your parents are going to have to fight for your services this summer, even to the extent of taking legal recourse.

Also, I would say that your school terp does NOT work with you. It sounds like she's working against you.

Even with certification and a degree it doesn't seem like she's in a field that she enjoys or is qualified for. That is such a shame.

Certification is not a guarantee that you'll get a qualified terp but it does provide you recourse for complaints.



Now's the time to learn how to assert your rights for quality interpreters. If you continue on to college and require a terp for those classes you will be experienced in getting what you need.
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I have been doing my research on my own about what i can do as a deaf person to fight for my own deaf civil rights. both of my parents believe that when i have another IEP meeting, I should stand up and tell them what i need because I am a deaf person and I should teach them a thing or two about what I really need. But If i do that, i feel like i'm going to get into trouble for standing up for myself. I have never stand up for myself. I'll be turning 17 this year, and soon i'll be 18 which i will be considered as an adult. I've been keeping a notebook filled with NAD stuff, and hoping to use it in one of my IEP meetings or any other meetings we might have in the summer. My interpreter has also taken alot of days off. Some days I don't have a sub-interpreter and some days I do. But its very rare that i do have a sub-interpreter. My mother called the school one day after i texted her that i didn't have a sub-interpreter. My mom called to complain and the school was searching for a sub-interpreter for me until almost towards the end of the day i finally had a sub interpreter, which was probably a waste of my day because i had a hard time understanding stuff. I have almost failed history and biology this year because my interpreter has NOT signed at all, just basically told me her personal life, talking behind my friends back, being the dictator to me and to my classmates, and not having a sub-interpreter when i had the FM system to rely on. When i have no interpreter, my friends who know some sign, signed to me about whats going on in the class. My best friend's mom was a signing teacher and taught my friend to sign, she is also in the band with me, so she basically signs with me everyday. I'm thankful that i have alot of friends who knows sign in my school to help me, but i am disappointed in my interpreter and the school.
 
coolgirlspyer90 said:
I have been doing my research on my own about what i can do as a deaf person to fight for my own deaf civil rights. both of my parents believe that when i have another IEP meeting, I should stand up and tell them what i need because I am a deaf person and I should teach them a thing or two about what I really need. But If i do that, i feel like i'm going to get into trouble for standing up for myself.
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How can you get in trouble if your parents are encouraging you to stand up for yourself? You have their support, so you know you won't be in trouble with them.
 
Reba said:
How can you get in trouble if your parents are encouraging you to stand up for yourself? You have their support, so you know you won't be in trouble with them.
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because every time i try to stand up for myself in school, i don't win, they always do. Especially to my interpreter. I want to stand up for myself but I just want to avoid all the trouble and avoid the big mess that we would have to clean up sooner or later. Because they are the adults and apparently they know better than me. And if i try to stand up against an adult, i'm afraid that they'll put me into detention because i keep complaining about this situation and that they don't like to hear about it over and over again, just like how my interpreter threaten me to call my parents if i didn't give her an answer towards something
 
coolgirlspyer90 said:
because every time i try to stand up for myself in school, i don't win, they always do. Especially to my interpreter. I want to stand up for myself but I just want to avoid all the trouble and avoid the big mess that we would have to clean up sooner or later. Because they are the adults and apparently they know better than me. And if i try to stand up against an adult, i'm afraid that they'll put me into detention because i keep complaining about this situation and that they don't like to hear about it over and over again, just like how my interpreter threaten me to call my parents if i didn't give her an answer towards something
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I think Reba meant you shouldn't be afraid that the terp might call your parents, because they're on your side. I don't think she was talking about getting in trouble with the school.

Regardless, with the support of your parents, you should at least be able to try to work with the school or someone higher up if need be. That's a horrible thing to go through, especially considering the importance of your education.
 
coolgirlspyer90 said:
because every time i try to stand up for myself in school, i don't win, they always do. Especially to my interpreter. I want to stand up for myself but I just want to avoid all the trouble and avoid the big mess that we would have to clean up sooner or later. Because they are the adults and apparently they know better than me. And if i try to stand up against an adult, i'm afraid that they'll put me into detention because i keep complaining about this situation and that they don't like to hear about it over and over again, just like how my interpreter threaten me to call my parents if i didn't give her an answer towards something
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If you are attending an IEP meeting with your parents and they ask you to stand up for yourself then you won't get into trouble. Your parents will be there to support you. Don't forget, your parents are adults, too.

Don't you have the IEP meeting before the school year starts? Then how could you get detention?

BTW, when you attend IEP meetings you are supposed to have an interpreter present. That interpreter CANNOT be your school interpreter.

If the school staff doesn't like to hear complaints over and over again, then they better solve the problem instead of ignoring it. The burden is on their shoulders to resolve this problem.

Don't worry about the interpreter calling your parents. She's bluffing. They believe you, right?
 
coolgirlspyer90 said:
because every time i try to stand up for myself in school, i don't win, they always do. Especially to my interpreter. I want to stand up for myself but I just want to avoid all the trouble and avoid the big mess that we would have to clean up sooner or later. Because they are the adults and apparently they know better than me. And if i try to stand up against an adult, i'm afraid that they'll put me into detention because i keep complaining about this situation and that they don't like to hear about it over and over again, just like how my interpreter threaten me to call my parents if i didn't give her an answer towards something
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Best way to handle this is be firm. Tell people that you and this interpreter do not have a good professional relationship with each other-- that there too much friction between you two and they are wasting their money on her. Forget her performance since it your word against hers.
they need to post a ad or something to hire another one (or however they handle it when there no other interpreters around).
 
Reba said:
If you are attending an IEP meeting with your parents and they ask you to stand up for yourself then you won't get into trouble. Your parents will be there to support you. Don't forget, your parents are adults, too.

Don't you have the IEP meeting before the school year starts? Then how could you get detention?

BTW, when you attend IEP meetings you are supposed to have an interpreter present. That interpreter CANNOT be your school interpreter.

If the school staff doesn't like to hear complaints over and over again, then they better solve the problem instead of ignoring it. The burden is on their shoulders to resolve this problem.

Don't worry about the interpreter calling your parents. She's bluffing. They believe you, right?
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We don't have IEP meetings before school starts. we usually have meetings during the school year like a few weeks after school has started. and yes they do believe me. I have told them numerous of times that i want a new interpreter. They have told me they are trying everything they can,but we doubt they will get me a new interpreter. before school ended, my current interpreter already signed an contract with the school about being an interpreter again next year. I wasn't looking forward to next year. I really really do not want to be with her again next year. My current interpreter goes to my IEP meetings with me, she doesn't sign at all in the meetings. She just voices in the meeting. i just don't want to have to put up with her stupid stuff again. I remember one time i was in band class, she was late to my band class, she came in CRYING telling me that the teachers hated the way she was dressed. when she told me that she basically went home and i didn't have an interpreter for the entire day. I thought it was pretty pathetic. she would basically cry in front of me about whatever she's upset about. I mean its school for crying out loud. and i mean people are going to criticize you. I mean i have been criticized about what i should do to improve my performance in front of the audience. And i have been criticized about me being deaf or what other people thinks about me, and to me i don't care about what they think, i would just simply move on and just go on my whereabouts.

what matters is, this situation needs to end NOW. otherwise, the school isn't going to learn their lesson. they're not going to walk away easily from this. And you know what, I'm not going to go easy on this about my interpreter and how they have failed about numerous of things from my IEP. My friend told me to switch schools, i told her no, its not a good idea, because if i switched schools, i'm not giving them the information that they need. I mean, what if another deaf student comes into this school? and is going to have the same problem as I am right now? I would have to put an end to this situation and make things easier for future deaf students who are going to be coming into this school. And that i don't want to quit this band, not after the hard work i have done. And if people gets mad about me about getting an new interpreter, so be it. Just as long i get my education, i'm good. But i have reached my limit, i'm not going to put up with this stupid stuff anymore.
 
Are you in Ohio ?
GO to the Dis. Office Counselor maybe or call NID or NAD see who is in the area or Sinclair and see who is working for the school . Get all the information and go with it to your parents .
 
I'm sorry :(

I'm sorry for your bad experiences :(

I'm in college and getting my degree in ASL-English Interpreting for the Deaf and I haven't taken the class for it yet, but people have been mentioning the code of ethics for interpreters.

I've read them before from the RID and it has strict rules on being an interpreter and making sure you have a professional manner and that you don't ask personal questions or get involved in any sort of matter that is going on with the people you are interpreting there for.

I hope everything gets better!

Best Regards,

Spit :wave:
 
To the OP, maybe you can have your friends be the witnesses and at some point, have one of your classmates RECORD it on video via a spy-camera (if it was a girl, have her attach the spycam somewhere around her private areas). Then you can have the evidence to present to the principal. You said that you have friends who can basically sign - well, HAVE them interpret the recorded video to the TPTB!

Sometimes to get things your way, you have to risk getting into trouble with the school. I know that sounds risky, but you have to think outside the box.

Also, to have your parents and friends support you fully is all you need - you won't get in trouble with your parents .... just with the inept school.
 
MDCodeRedFreak said:
To the OP, maybe you can have your friends be the witnesses and at some point, have one of your classmates RECORD it on video via a spy-camera (if it was a girl, have her attach the spycam somewhere around her private areas). Then you can have the evidence to present to the principal. You said that you have friends who can basically sign - well, HAVE them interpret the recorded video to the TPTB!

Sometimes to get things your way, you have to risk getting into trouble with the school. I know that sounds risky, but you have to think outside the box.

Also, to have your parents and friends support you fully is all you need - you won't get in trouble with your parents .... just with the inept school.
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or put a cell in clean pencil-case sit it with only the camera pointing out and leave the video recording function running for the whole lesson thats already paid for option. use the "i want to be able to reply the lesson when its quiet" reasoning it helps with homework(it does the fact it also catches [Mod Edit: incompetent] staff is just a bonus)
 
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inmate23 said:
did i use the wrong word? sorry
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It's OK. :) It's just the visualization of teachers being video recorded in the classroom while having incontinence "issues" that is :eek3:
 
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