What is a best choice ?

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helpless mom

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:hmm:In which school a deaf child should go? A public school or a deaf school?
 
helpless mom said:
:hmm:In which school a deaf child should go? A public school or a deaf school?
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Deaf school. Better services and direct sign language communication instead of interpreter and all the confusion.
 
Definitly Deaf School. The early childhood programs ROCK at Deaf Schools. You will not find ANYTHING like what you can find at deaf school, at a mainstream school. Move near a deaf school, so your son can be a day student and get the education he needs.
The main trouble with mainstream is that it really doesn't tend to have a lot of Dhh specific resources. Even special ed is NOT experianced with teaching dhh kids.
Matter of fact, I know of a case where a just hoh kid, in Canada is in a LIFE SKILLS class!
The most your son would get in the mainstream is one of those fifteen mintue a day TODs. Whereas if he went to deaf school, he would have qualified teachers who knew how to teach dhh kids.
 
Deaf school. I grew up going to public schools and I was always trying to play catch up academically and socially. Eventually, it took a toll. My brother went to the Deaf school and he said he never felt any of what I felt growing up because he had full access to everything ulike me who had maybe 10% access which left me frustrated, depressed, and anxiety.
 
If there is a large bilingual/bicultural deaf program at a public school..that's like a small deaf school in a public school. I know people who attended those programs and felt they had access to everything so that's another option you can look into if the nearest Deaf school is far. Good luck!
 
Which is "best" is somewhat circumscribed by where you actual live in proximity to "deaf schools"? The other factor: the degree of "hearing loss/deafness" of the child?
I understand there is/was a deaf school in Milton which may not close/easy for you in Mississauga.
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There's no one silver bullet: it depends upon your child's needs, your local resources, your choice of language, your own philosophy about education, so many things unique to you and your child. I've sat in so many classrooms, spoken with so many who were in the programs I've taken a look at, read so much research and found that people just can't conclude that any one option is right in general -- and the experts say this, too. Only you can decide which one is right for your child. Find every possibility and take a look at them all with an open mind, try to avoid preconceptions, and just imagine your child interacting in that environment, learning from the teachers you meet.

You can choose a "mainstream" approach in which your child adapts to the regular classroom, possibly wearing HAs or CIs, with an interpreter or an aide accompanying him in each class. "Inclusion" classrooms are situations in which the teacher and class is supposed to adapt to the student, with curriculum designed to meet different needs. Often inclusion classes have several students with various special needs participating, their assignments differ to varying degrees, and they sometimes share aides. So, depending upon the population, there may be several deaf and HOH kids in the room in addition to typically hearing students. I've seen that sometimes regular mainstream and inclusion classes can be nearly indistinguishable in practice.

Sometimes schools have special "units" or special classrooms in which multiple deaf or HOH kids are educated together using dedicated deaf ed staff -- TODs or specialized teachers. Students may leave to join the general population for certain classes or common activities. Again, depending upon the school, these can vary in size from a couple of kids to -- in one case I've visited, a population and staff of teachers larger than some dedicated schools for the deaf -- sharing the resources of the school (swimming pools, theatres, gyms, media labs, etc), but operating much as a separate school within a school.

Then there are special schools for the deaf, with an emphasis on specialized instruction for the deaf that differs from that which hearing students receive and include interaction with a population of deaf peers. There are several types of these schools, although the numbers are dwindling -- by 2006, the number had dropped steadily to about 15% of deaf kids in the US attending such schools, similar trends hold worldwide. Some of these special schools for the deaf emphasize spoken language to the exclusion of sign language, like Central Institute for the Deaf and Clarke schools in the US, stressing auditory-verbal approaches -- and CIs are prevalent. Other special schools like the Clerc Center at Gallaudet in DC and The Learning Center for the Deaf in MA emphasize the use of sign language while making varied levels of accommodation for the support of spoken language development, especially for HOH kids and those with CIs.

The majority of students with hearing loss (in the US and UK), by far, currently attend local schools in which they are grouped in special classrooms or if primarily in general classrooms, they may receive special services from a resource room teacher who provides a range of services from consultation with the general teachers to direct one on one instruction with the deaf and hoh students. Much of the direct teaching the resource room teacher provides is remedial.

You'll find that many studies show that academic outcomes for deaf and HOH students in general classrooms is higher than in special units and in special schools, but that can be misleading. It's very difficult to compare academic outcomes of these different settings, because of the variables involved: many students with multiple disabilities that complicate the effects of their hearing loss are at special schools, which are better equipped to handle their needs. Students in the general classrooms are often HOH, have lesser degree of hearing loss than those in special units and special schools, there are often socio-economic factors involved that differentiate students placed in special units instead of general classrooms, and often initial placement is based on general skills levels, with a filtering of those with lower skills into schools for the deaf, then special units -- and this initial placement level often factors in to expectations and outcomes. Yet even if deaf and HOH students in general classrooms outperform their peers in other settings, they still lag behind hearing students, falling into the low-average range. One important factor discovered in mainstream environments that many here back up: often students in general classroom are assumed to understand and be processing more info than they actually do -- this is found to be the case with both students in HS and colleges using either spoken language or sign language. And many deaf students aren't aware that they are missing the degree that they are missing. What this means is that the teachers and specialists involved with your child have to be prepared for this and heavily involved, because your child won't realize what he's missing, so he can't effectively self advocate in many cases.

I recommend touring every option available to you. Sit in the classrooms, watch how the teachers interact with the kids -- watch the kids work together, take a look at the ratio and attention given to each child, imagine your child in that room. And learning environments change quickly, so you'll want to keep assessing broadly.
 
GrendelQ said:
There's no one silver bullet: it depends upon your child's needs, your local resources, your choice of language, your own philosophy about education, so many things unique to you and your child. I've sat in so many classrooms, spoken with so many who were in the programs I've taken a look at, read so much research and found that people just can't conclude that any one option is right in general -- and the experts say this, too. Only you can decide which one is right for your child. Find every possibility and take a look at them all with an open mind, try to avoid preconceptions, and just imagine your child interacting in that environment, learning from the teachers you meet.

You can choose a "mainstream" approach in which your child adapts to the regular classroom, possibly wearing HAs or CIs, with an interpreter or an aide accompanying him in each class. "Inclusion" classrooms are situations in which the teacher and class is supposed to adapt to the student, with curriculum designed to meet different needs. Often inclusion classes have several students with various special needs participating, their assignments differ to varying degrees, and they sometimes share aides. So, depending upon the population, there may be several deaf and HOH kids in the room in addition to typically hearing students. I've seen that sometimes regular mainstream and inclusion classes can be nearly indistinguishable in practice.

Sometimes schools have special "units" or special classrooms in which multiple deaf or HOH kids are educated together using dedicated deaf ed staff -- TODs or specialized teachers. Students may leave to join the general population for certain classes or common activities. Again, depending upon the school, these can vary in size from a couple of kids to -- in one case I've visited, a population and staff of teachers larger than some dedicated schools for the deaf -- sharing the resources of the school (swimming pools, theatres, gyms, media labs, etc), but operating much as a separate school within a school.

Then there are special schools for the deaf, with an emphasis on specialized instruction for the deaf that differs from that which hearing students receive and include interaction with a population of deaf peers. There are several types of these schools, although the numbers are dwindling -- by 2006, the number had dropped steadily to about 15% of deaf kids in the US attending such schools, similar trends hold worldwide. Some of these special schools for the deaf emphasize spoken language to the exclusion of sign language, like Central Institute for the Deaf and Clarke schools in the US, stressing auditory-verbal approaches -- and CIs are prevalent. Other special schools like the Clerc Center at Gallaudet in DC and The Learning Center for the Deaf in MA emphasize the use of sign language while making varied levels of accommodation for the support of spoken language development, especially for HOH kids and those with CIs.

The majority of students with hearing loss (in the US and UK), by far, currently attend local schools in which they are grouped in special classrooms or if primarily in general classrooms, they may receive special services from a resource room teacher who provides a range of services from consultation with the general teachers to direct one on one instruction with the deaf and hoh students. Much of the direct teaching the resource room teacher provides is remedial.

You'll find that many studies show that academic outcomes for deaf and HOH students in general classrooms is higher than in special units and in special schools, but that can be misleading. It's very difficult to compare academic outcomes of these different settings, because of the variables involved: many students with multiple disabilities that complicate the effects of their hearing loss are at special schools, which are better equipped to handle their needs. Students in the general classrooms are often HOH, have lesser degree of hearing loss than those in special units and special schools, there are often socio-economic factors involved that differentiate students placed in special units instead of general classrooms, and often initial placement is based on general skills levels, with a filtering of those with lower skills into schools for the deaf, then special units -- and this initial placement level often factors in to expectations and outcomes. Yet even if deaf and HOH students in general classrooms outperform their peers in other settings, they still lag behind hearing students, falling into the low-average range. One important factor discovered in mainstream environments that many here back up: often students in general classroom are assumed to understand and be processing more info than they actually do -- this is found to be the case with both students in HS and colleges using either spoken language or sign language. And many deaf students aren't aware that they are missing the degree that they are missing. What this means is that the teachers and specialists involved with your child have to be prepared for this and heavily involved, because your child won't realize what he's missing, so he can't effectively self advocate in many cases.

I recommend touring every option available to you. Sit in the classrooms, watch how the teachers interact with the kids -- watch the kids work together, take a look at the ratio and attention given to each child, imagine your child in that room. And learning environments change quickly, so you'll want to keep assessing broadly.
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thanks for your suggestions
 
Deaf school definitely. I had gone through so much frustrated and unhappiness at the way the school system never required to have any ASL and the need for ASL interpreters plus like closed captioned movies or program about the very sensitive subjects that I need to learn. Trying to understand what the teachers and hearing students said is what get me frustrated and having a low grade when I can not understand what everyone said at all. That is why I wish I had gone to the Deaf school in Southern Minnesota (Minnesota State School for the Deaf). :(

Going to the Deaf school is really cool unless there are several other Deaf schools which want the deaf students to speak and lipread like in the mainstream school.

You have to listen to your deaf child to see which school he want to attend. If he like the Deaf school, then that is great. If he like mainstream school and make sure he has accommodations he can rely on. Don't make the decision if you are planning on forcing him to do what you want him to do. This will make him feel bad if he can not get the grades in the hearing school. So definitely Deaf school should be the answer. Research looking for the right school for your son might help. Good luck with your son and make sure you make the right choice for him to attend where he can be happy. :)
 
I am all for a Deaf School in which case my city has (but, I really do not like it) so if you live in San Antonio I prefer public school. We have Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf but, they urge parents for HA & CI and do not teach ASL or communicate in ASL they think its more benefit to the children to teach them to learn and use their voice. Which I guess is okay, I see nothing wrong with that as long as they would teach ASL and use both. Just my two cents though. :)
 
like Central Institute for the Deaf and Clarke schools in the US, stressing auditory-verbal approaches -- and CIs are prevalent. Other special schools like the Clerc Center at Gallaudet in DC and The Learning Center for the Deaf in MA emphasize the use of sign language while making varied levels of accommodation for the support of spoken language development, especially for HOH kids and those with CIs.
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Huh? CID and Clarke do auditory-oral education, not auditory verbal.
There's a bit of a difference between the two approaches. Although with the trend towards inclusion and the insistance that the hearing world is the best in the universe, it's kind of hard to tell where auditory oral ends and auditory verbal begins.
I would also add that early intervention/early childhood at Deaf Schools can be AMAZING and kick hearing school's ass. The reason why Deaf Schools are bad, aren't b/c of some inherent poor quality, but b/c they tend to get the kids that the mainstream has messed up.
Also, there is some research that indicates that kids who attend deaf schools, do better then kids who go to mainstream schools. A lot of research indicates that mainstream schools distort acheivement statistics, so they can basicly keep the kids who are cash cows. Kids with disabilties bring extra money to their school districts. But the schools know that they can get away with providing minimal accomondations, and still be giving a kid a FAPE. So they push the myth that mainstream schools are better then deaf schools.
 
Mod note:

Thread is moved from General Chat to Deaf Education.
 
InfamousMacBook said:
I am all for a Deaf School in which case my city has (but, I really do not like it) so if you live in San Antonio I prefer public school. We have Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf but, they urge parents for HA & CI and do not teach ASL or communicate in ASL they think its more benefit to the children to teach them to learn and use their voice. Which I guess is okay, I see nothing wrong with that as long as they would teach ASL and use both. Just my two cents though. :)
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In that case, I should have said a BiBi program that treats ASL and English as equals not deaf school because there are some that focus on oral-only. Didnt think of that when I posted before.

Totally agree with you on that one.
 
I was frustrated maitence public school screw up because interpeter fault communication I don't understand ESL Because I already spoken to social worker transfer I complaint to conviced teacher control, I said stop it teacher not allow control own my decision!
I told social worker accept respect your choice 18 yrs I prefer I clear understand catholic school strictly on school powerful! Strictly more core value!
I was good asl mention to my ASL I am sad on my intrepter moving on BC , she is good professional ASL role! she is experience!
 
I would love to have had the chance to go to a deaf or bibi school when I went.
 
Another thing to remember is that mainstream/hearing school teachers (including special ed) will only have had minimal teaching training on how to teach dhh kids.
 
deafdyke said:
Another thing to remember is that mainstream/hearing school teachers (including special ed) will only have had minimal teaching training on how to teach dhh kids.
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So true. My mom has been retired for quite some time, but was a special ed director in a large school district in NY, and got her PhD in the field. When I consulted her about educational placement she just shook her head and said that deaf education falls far outside the typical sped teacher's skill set, training, experience, and the optimal environment is far from what your typical school can provide even with accommodations: she told me several heartbreaking stories about Cleary kids going into the mainstream and said to fight for out of district school placement from day one and work on my own to fill any gaps I find in my daughter's education.

I've observed several classes in local schools at different age levels, mainstream, inclusion, self-contained: amazing teachers and aides, gifted, experienced, caring. But as you say, minimal training in deaf / HOH education, a spattering of sign language here and there, a lack of familiarity with cochlear implants. The only true expertise I found was in one of the collaborative programs within a public school: great teachers, strong aides -- rivaling the big deaf schools in terms of staffing, and public schools typically require more qualifications, even the aides often have at least one masters degree in relevant subjects. But again, little, if any, ASL in use, so that's a non-starter for us.
 
Thanks Grendel! I do think that a mainstream placement can be a viable placement.....BUT, I also think that mainstreaming needs to be very very very carefully done. The plain fact of the matter is that the reason why student acheivement hasn't risen is b/c mainstream special ed is one size fits all. Yes, it's a good fit for the kids who only need minimal accomondations to suceed. But there really needs to be a filter program....we need to smart stream dhh kids, rather then automaticly assuming that the neighborhood school is Always The Best Placement.
And I'm NOT bashing the mainstream. Other kids with low incidence issues ALSO deal with a lot of the same issues as we do.
I've observed several classes in local schools at different age levels, mainstream, inclusion, self-contained: amazing teachers and aides, gifted, experienced, caring. But as you say, minimal training in deaf / HOH education, a spattering of sign language here and there, a lack of familiarity with cochlear implants. The only true expertise I found was in one of the collaborative programs within a public school: great teachers, strong aides -- rivaling the big deaf schools in terms of staffing, and public schools typically require more qualifications, even the aides often have at least one masters degree in relevant subjects. But again, little, if any, ASL in use, so that's a non-starter for us.
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And the reason I speak out for CI kids, even thou I do not have one myself is b/c their experiance is going to be the exact same as those of us who are hh with HAs were, back in the day.
 
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