Putting your deaf children in which schools...and why?

[deafdyke]

I totally agree. This is what has been so hard for us with Katie. We got a lot of overly concerned comments when we dropped speech. The teacher who was around when the DHH program was set up said she didn't think there had been more than 4-5 "no speech" kids in the district in almost 20 years and never one from a hearing family.

Wow, really? I know two families from my area who are hearing but did "no speech" with their Deaf kids. But yeah.....it does seem like 98% of the time with non orally skilled kids, its Deaf of Deaf families....and a lot of times with ASL only from a hearing family, there's additional circumstances (like the kid has a tracheostomy or significent apraxia/speech issues ) Despite what AG Bell thinks
most of us DO get a really hefty dose of speech therapy.
I do think it's a good thing that you're being very child focused...basicly following Katie rather then FORCING it when there's really little to no benifit. Almost like unschooling. Things may change when you guys transfer to Wisconsin School for the Deaf. The speech therapist there may be able to help her more then the general speech therapists you've seen.
and faire joure yes I know that other kids get picked on. I attended school in a VERY VERY snotty area. BUT, dhh kids don't just get teased. There is a HUGE difference between normal childhood teasing and the HELL those of us who are dhh mainstreamed (or otherwise obviously "different") go through. A lot of times it emotionally stunts us b/c we don't get the normal social emotional development that other kids do.
A BIG part of the reason why I disagree with a kneejerk "regular classes regular school with minimal accomondations and oral only is b/c the parents who chose those options seem to have this fanasty that their kid's experiance in the mainstream and being oral will allow them to be a part of this glorious suburban perfect world fanasty.
Just b/c we're on the same "bus" it doesn't mean we get the same benifit. Too often dhh kids get sent to the back of the bus!

 

[natty_4ever]

To anyone lurking........natty feels this way and she was a pretty good "standout" acheiver.
That should tell you something!
natty, do you think you would have benifited from attending a dhh academic program?

From what i know about DHH programs, I am going to guess that I would have benefitted, assuming that the educational material and pace were the same. I do not have any other issues, I'm just deaf.

I can work at the same pace and everything. My math professor from my summer class earlier told me that I would not be allowed extended time to complete a test unless I went to the testing center, and I had to tell him I'm deaf, but that doesn't mean I need extra time or anything.

I know I might be in a minority and on a pedestal for some hearing parents, but I would hope that isn't the case. I know I did well, but I hope they realize when they look at me that it was extremely difficult and I wish I could have had more time to enjoy myself in the classroom and feel a part of it.

 

[A]

I was researching about the different levels of special education and this sounds more like what I grew up with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusion_(education) <---- the only thing is that I had to go to a resource room for English (but the kids and teachers always called it LD class) and that was about all.

(one woman knows about students comparing other student's work in here: http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/nov93/vol35/num09/Issue.aspx )

 

[deafskeptic]

This thread brings back some very unpleasant memories of my mainstream days.

I remember entering mainstream in the fourth grade. By the time I was in the fifth grade, my mother kept telling me I was failing fifth grade. I was puzzled because I had not received any negative feedback from my teachers so I asked my fifth grade teacher if I was failing fifth grade. She looked surprised at the question.

Homework was stressful for me because my parents were strict with me and thought I was being lazy and not working hard like I should to succeed so they screamed at me every night. My dad said I had to study all the time like he did cuz I had to go college.

I never could understand anything in class so I read everything in sight to make up for what I missed. It was hard to talk to the other kids cuz I never could follow the conversation. I was best friends with a girl who was deaf in one ear till the six grade when 2 other deaf students came to my school.

Everything fell apart in the sixth grade and my relationship with my parents were at its nadir. I failed the sixth grade. I have never liked staying around my parents for long because they always find something to be upset about since then.

Is it any wonder then that I'd never put my deaf kids thru mainstream unless the school had a very good deaf program? I don't think there's such a thing as a mainstream program with a good deaf program given the stories I've heard.

 

[deafdyke]

know I did well, but I hope they realize when they look at me that it was extremely difficult and I wish I could have had more time to enjoy myself in the classroom and feel a part of it.

YES. Exactly!!!! Exactly! I do think that a dhh program or magnet school program would really help a lot of oral kids who are mainstreamed to the max.
Being oral only is possible yes....but it is VERY hard work. Imagine if the energy that kids put into being oral was put into actual CONTENT?
It would be like the way a kid with a mild fine motor condition could manually write (although it would look like a little kid's handwriting, and be slow and hard) but they could type faster, and concentrate on actual CONTENT, and enjoying life, and not having to worry about mispronouncations,or being thought of as retarded or pitch volumne and all that stuff.
And being part of a community is very important..actually being part of a vibrant rich community rather then being on the very fringes of the "mainstream"

 

[girlingrey]

I would mainstream my kid (though I guess this is misleading).
I currently attend school in a district that is the school with the best Deaf/Hard of Hearing services in the area, so kids are bussed in from out-of-district neighborhoods to attend this district (if they're deaf/hoh).
I'm fortunate enough to live in district, so I grew up with services available as I needed them.
If these services were available in a mainstream setting for my child, I would mainstream him/her, but still provide heavy emphasis on deaf culture and consider future deaf schooling.

I guess that was a big IDK ^^

 

[JoeyDeafNinja]

I would put my deaf kids into mainstream school. Guys please dont yell me. I really hate deaf school. Period. End of story

 

[A]

I would put my deaf kids into mainstream school. Guys please dont yell me. I really hate deaf school. Period. End of story

why, deaf people are annoying to you? I hate my son's prep school, I'm thinking he'll do better in the mainstream. Those people in his school are just soooo annoying.

 

[JoeyDeafNinja]

why, deaf people are annoying to you? I hate my son's prep school, I'm thinking he'll do better in the mainstream. Those people in his school are just soooo annoying.

Yeah and their education isn't good. VSDB and SCSDB is wrost ever all. so I goes J L Mann high school. I am only deaf but I dont care because I have good hearing friends there. Deaf school is okay but their behavior isn't that good. Too many disrespect. Too many insults. I have had enough with them. so that why I hate deaf school. I heard ONLY few deaf school has wonderful education and possible better behavior but too bad I am not in one of their state

 

[A]

it depends. Maybe they were just frustrated with your attitude toward them. Some people should not go to certain schools because of their attitude, the school deserve better.

 

[deafdyke]

Deaf school is okay but their behavior isn't that good. Too many disrespect. Too many insults. I have had enough with them. so that why I hate deaf school. I heard ONLY few deaf school has wonderful education and possible better behavior but too bad I am not in one of their state

You mean the whole deaf drama? I think A LOT of people who are all disgruntled by the whole "deaf drama" are forgetting that there's HUGE hearing drama too! It really does vary a lot......You could have transferred to Model Secondary School for the Deaf you know.

 

[shel90]

it depends. Maybe they were just frustrated with your attitude toward them. Some people should not go to certain schools because of their attitude, the school deserve better.

That's my thinking as well.

 

[deafdyke]

From what i know about DHH programs, I am going to guess that I would have benefitted, assuming that the educational material and pace were the same. I do not have any other issues, I'm just deaf.

Actually, I think a NEAT idea would be to have a deaf studies/culture/enrichement/dhh resource room class for the dhh kids who while they might be on par with the other students, and only need 'terps and notetakers, might really benifit from additional insturction and friendship time with TODs and other dhh kids. Sort of like a magnet program for dhh kids

 

[shel90]

Actually, I think a NEAT idea would be to have a deaf studies/culture/enrichement/dhh resource room class for the dhh kids who while they might be on par with the other students, and only need 'terps and notetakers, might really benifit from additional insturction and friendship time with TODs and other dhh kids. Sort of like a magnet program for dhh kids

It is a great idea but unfortunately, many parents of these kids most likely do not want their child to be exposed to other deaf children or deaf culture.

 

[A]

tell me about it. There is nothing wrong with deaf people who want to be proud of being deaf or their silent side of deafness (no HA or CI) and use ASL as their communication.

 

[deafdyke]

but unfortunately, many parents of these kids most likely do not want their child to be exposed to other deaf children or deaf culture.

I dunno. While I do know that there are VERY clueless parents, I do think that many parents of those kids are simply mis or uninformed that deaf culture could be of benifit to their kids, even if they are oral sucesses.

 

[A]

I dunno. While I do know that there are VERY clueless parents, I do think that many parents of those kids are simply mis or uninformed that deaf culture could be of benifit to their kids, even if they are oral sucesses.

It's because they think ASL is bad for their auditory pathway of the brain. their kids are in listening training. It's been like that for years, so CI isn't the reasons.

 

[deafdyke]

A I know. But the thing is, I do believe that many parents of hoh kids are misinformed when they are told " hoh kids don't "have a place " in Deaf culture. It PISSES me off that both AG BAD and VERY misinformed TODs still push that myth!
Yes, we can hear somewhat....but that doesn't make us hearing!

 

[faire_jour]

Guys, how many hearing parents of oral deaf kids do you talk to? I know lots...and you know what, maybe 5% of them don't use sign at all. The rest use it before the kids get implants, and afterward when the devices are off. I know that isn't "good enough" for you, but seriously, the idea that they think it is evil or will hurt their child is WAY off base. Just because they don't choose ASL as their child's first or primary language does NOT mean that they think ASL is bad or that ASL users are stupid. They just made a different choice and are using English.

 

[shel90]

Guys, how many hearing parents of oral deaf kids do you talk to? I know lots...and you know what, maybe 5% of them don't use sign at all. The rest use it before the kids get implants, and afterward when the devices are off. I know that isn't "good enough" for you, but seriously, the idea that they think it is evil or will hurt their child is WAY off base. Just because they don't choose ASL as their child's first or primary language does NOT mean that they think ASL is bad or that ASL users are stupid. They just made a different choice and are using English.

We are deaf and we were subjected to thos decisions made by our parents. Why cant you listen to deaf people instead of the parents? Oftentimes, you state that you talk to the parents but do you talk to deaf people and get their input or just ignore those who had bad experiences with oralism-only?