CSign

Just wanted to give an update for those who remember this thread. The child is doing exceptionally well at the school. This student has made some good friends at the school, and other students received this student well. Language and communication abilities are growing by leaps and bounds, and most importantly this child is in a placement where they can actually have opportunities for direct communication with peers and staff, in their primary mode of communication. All is well for this child and family.

School for the Deaf denies deaf child with Down Syndrome placement

Deafness

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GrendelQ

Csign, that's a wonderful update! I'm trying to recall the details -- was this a 1st grader? It's nearly impossible near us to move in that direction: from a mainstreamed environment to a deaf school, so I expect they must have felt like they were moving mountains. So happy for this little one!

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Oceanbreeze

That's awesome that she is thriving so well!

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TXgolfer

Awesome news!

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Sometimes at night, I see their faces. I feel the traces they've left on my soul

deafdyke

and again, I am happy that her communication has improved immensely.
I really do think that CSB and the California Deaf School should create a collabrative class for kids who while they aren't nessarily severe or profoundly mentally affected, they still won't be able to handle mild mental handicap level work.

CSign

You recall correctly... It was a monumental effort on the part of the family and those involved. Hopefully if someone is in a similar position, they can read this thread and know that it's okay to stand up to the big bad wolf. Just because a school district (or school for that matter) says no to something, doesn't mean it's right. If, as a parent you know and understand your child's needs- don't be afraid to educate yourself and stand up and advocate for your child. Don't let them get you down...

Is it looking like Li will be mainstreamed at this point? It's always tricky when they turn 5/6. It's a tough transition from early intervention into kindergarten.

CSign

Yes it is . It was a long time coming for this family, but worth the wait.

deafdyke

Then again CSign, this was a VERY tricky placement. Please do not demonize the school! Moderate mentally disabled kids, especially kids with more complex issues (this student had severe expressive language issues) are very hard to serve at schools in general. I do think that there needs to be programs specificly for this population since it's VERY low incidence. Most mentally handicapped kids are mild (meaning they still can learn albielt slower)
and a moderate kid is too high functioning for a severe handicap classroom.

GrendelQ

I think Csign was helping in the fight to get the child placed at this school, not demonizing it.

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CSign

I'm not demonizing any school actually, not sure where that came from.

If you're talking about what was posted in the original thread, at no time did I ever demonize the school- I stated the facts.

Also, this child did not have a severe expressive language delay. She did have an expressive language delay, but it was never classified as severe and it was due to her Down syndrome.

CSign

Exactly.

deafdyke

From the way you described it, it was classified as severe. Down's kids have oral motor issues, whih inhibits their spoken language issues. ASL bypasses those oral motor programs. Yet, she still had severely delayed language (even for someone on a moderate mental handicap level of functioning)
And yes, you were bashing the school for not accepting the student.

GrendelQ

DD, where are you getting this? Where do you see that she's classifying the DS? She's celebrating how well the student is doing at the school, not bashing it.

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deafdyke

She was yes......but she was also not understanding that the student was the type of student who would have been better served in the Perkins Deaf-Blind program. (which accepts "just" deaf kids with significent issues) I distinctly recall our resident TODs quibbling with the primary classification (she was classfied as dhh, when her classfication should have been severe multihandicapped) Heck, even jillo and sally were quibbling.

GrendelQ

Is the student deaf-blind? I thought he or she was deaf. And seems to be thriving in the academic environment they chose.

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deafdyke

Oh and I just wanted to say that it's good that her language levels have really improved.. A lot of times it can be really hard to tell if a kid with severe language issues might be able to benifit from an Sign language placement vs sign as augmentive/alternative communcation with other AAC thrown in ...I think a good idea would be to offer trials at the deaf school. Also maybe create a center or program specificly for kids with severe signed language issues....

deafdyke

Grendel, most students classfied as deaf-blind tend to also have significent (beyond mild) mental handicaps. The Deaf-Blind program at Perkins actually admits deaf kids with significent mental handicaps... meaning children who are deaf-blind without the blind. The programming for such students is pretty much the same.

CSign

And no, at no time did I bash the school. Is that how you really feel?

CSign

It doesn't matter what your "resident TOD" were quibbling about. The fact is, and was that the student's primary category of eligibility was deafness. Student wouldn't have been able to get placement at the school if it wasn't.

Also, we've been through this before DD. In no way is it appropriate to put a sighted child in a deaf-blind placement. That's like putting a deaf kid with limited language in a severely handicapped class. Not appropriate.

Edit to add: How on earth can you make a statement like the bolded above? You don't know the student, and it seems you might be a bit misguided as to what an appropriate placement looks like.

Also stop with the, "what she's not understanding"... It is rude, and you write that all the time. I understand DeafDyke, on a much deeper level than you do about this student.

Oceanbreeze

Why on Earth is this being debated AGAIN? The child seems to be happy and doing well in the school, so, lets just be thankful that she's doing so well.

***gobsmacked***

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"There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living."

CSign

You would think people could just be happy this deaf child is in an accessible environment...

Grayma

Eeek. As the mother of 'that type of student,' albeit she can hear (with a very mild hearing loss on one side, very, very mild), I would be horrified at the idea that if she were deaf, just because she's also retarded she should be served by a deaf/blind program, regardless of whether or not she is blind.

Foxrac

Yup, I don't understand why this thread got debated.

Hey deafdyke, this thread topic isn't big deal and I think that you should accept whichever placement is right for children, my friend.

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deafdyke

It depends on the level of retardation. As you may know multiple disabilties are very common on the profound and severe end of the spectrum. She would simply be in a profound/severe multihandicapped classroom with profound/severe deaf support.
The issue with this student was that she couldnt be served well in a severe classroom but yet she wasnt quite high functioning enough to be served as mild. A very hard student to serve/place in other words.

TheOracle

Boy do I ever remember that thread.

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CSign

Fortunately Grayma, it doesn't work like that in the real world.

CSign

I was thinking about you when I was re-reading the thread...

Long time no see! Glad you stopped in... Stay a while

deafdyke

Then how come Perkins School for the Blind admits deaf kids with significent mental handicaps to their deaf-blind program?

Cloggy

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CSign

Shel Silverstein was a wise man...