New here, hearing teacher learning ASL

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Susan4000

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Hello everyone! I am a teacher for students with brain injuries. We just had a student join us, 9 years old and Deaf. The student has had very little ASL, just beginning last year. I have begun to learn ASL with a fantastic teacher, and the struggles that the Deaf/HOH community face daily really amaze me!
So, I want to become fluent to aid in communication and social interactions, but I also want to be able to help this student (and others I may meet in the future) assume his/her place in Deaf culture. This is really hard, as a hearing person I know how little I understand about everything. I also want to become fluent because it is a beautiful and challenging language that I am loving more as I learn. I have only been learning for a month now, and I appreciate the insights and viewpoints of the members here. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to getting to know you all more.
 
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Susan, are you allowed to suggest other Deaf specific resources? When you say Brain Injuired, are we talking about severe/significent (more then mild)? You may want to contact http://cccbsd.org/ (specializes in multihandicapped dhh kids) and http://www.perkins.org/school/educational-programs/deafblind (School for the Blind but accepts Sighted Dhh kids with more then mild intellectucal issues)
 
Thanks

deafdyke said:
Susan, are you allowed to suggest other Deaf specific resources? When you say Brain Injuired, are we talking about severe/significent (more then mild)? You may want to contact http://cccbsd.org/ (specializes in multihandicapped dhh kids) and http://www.perkins.org/school/educational-programs/deafblind (School for the Blind but accepts Sighted Dhh kids with more then mild intellectucal issues)
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Yes, I am a licensed Severe Special Ed. Teacher and our students tend to be quite challenged. We are actually pretty close to Perkins and I have some familiarity with them for visual impairments, but hadn't thought of them for hearing. I am sure I can suggest resources, I just need to find out about them! Thanks for the ideas, I appreciate any and all suggestions.
 
Hi :wave:! I live in MA too ! My sister is RN and works with patients that have brain injuries and she tell me it's very hard work .
 
Susan4000 said:
Yes, I am a licensed Severe Special Ed. Teacher and our students tend to be quite challenged. We are actually pretty close to Perkins and I have some familiarity with them for visual impairments, but hadn't thought of them for hearing. I am sure I can suggest resources, I just need to find out about them! Thanks for the ideas, I appreciate any and all suggestions.
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Well the thing is, as you may know blind kids tend to be more severely multihandicapped. It's no longer the "strongly academic blind kid with a cane" Same with Deaf-Blind. People seem to think that deaf-blind= modern day Helen Keller types, but most of them are deaf blind along with other issues. So educationally even thou your student has perfect sight, she would fit in with a Deaf-Blind program....and as a matter of fact Perkins DOES serve dhh students with significant additional issues.
Most dhh additional need students at least here in the US, tend to be more on the mild spectrum, so it can be hard for dhh kids with more severe additional needs to "fit in" in educational programs for the dhh.....
Is your student more severe or more profound? I'm not sure if Perkins manages dhh kids with more profound issues. I know it does for blind profound multi kids......So hard to find services when the dhh is secondary. It's like the ID(intellectucal disability) issues are taken care of with the current program, but add deaf.....very hard to figure out how to best educate a student like that.
 
deafdyke said:
Well the thing is, as you may know blind kids tend to be more severely multihandicapped. It's no longer the "strongly academic blind kid with a cane" Same with Deaf-Blind. People seem to think that deaf-blind= modern day Helen Keller types, but most of them are deaf blind along with other issues. So educationally even thou your student has perfect sight, she would fit in with a Deaf-Blind program....and as a matter of fact Perkins DOES serve dhh students with significant additional issues.
Most dhh additional need students at least here in the US, tend to be more on the mild spectrum, so it can be hard for dhh kids with more severe additional needs to "fit in" in educational programs for the dhh.....
Is your student more severe or more profound? I'm not sure if Perkins manages dhh kids with more profound issues. I know it does for blind profound multi kids......So hard to find services when the dhh is secondary. It's like the ID(intellectucal disability) issues are taken care of with the current program, but add deaf.....very hard to figure out how to best educate a student like that.
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We have multiple disabilities, often with challenging behaviors. Many of our students would not be accepted into other programs due to the behaviors. We have a significant portion of kids who live residentially with the school to provide wrap around 24 hour services. I feel Beverly School for the Deaf had been considered and ruled out. The student is experiencing many behaviors that impede instruction, so I think we will be focusing on getting that corrected. Plus side: the student I'd approximating 'yes', 'help' and 'match' signs spontaneously.
Now I have to learn all I can! Thanks for the help!
 
I would like learn sign language I can't hear

Sent from my SPH-M830 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
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