ASLMommax2

A while back I began a thread that read " Why is having to be a Bitch the Only way to be heard" Well here we go with my having to be a bitch. Met with a rep. from the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf the other day, absolutely awsome meeting, but after she left I heard from our Spec. ed department who informed me they were looking at a program for my 2.5 year old to enter come the fall. A program where the "Teacher of the Deaf' is only a basic signer - who relies on interpretors to speak to her students, all 2 of them. I am aboslutely flabbergasted that they would even consider this program for her. I have my oldest daughter in one of the best Deaf schools in the counrty and they want me to give my youngest a shitty education just to pleaase their budget for next year. So sorry but please allow me to bend over to kiss my ass!
So my plan is, to go "tour " this program interview the "Teacher" in only ASL and see how many of my questions she can answer , w/o interpretation for her, allowing our Special Ed. Dept . the first hand look at what kind of program they feel would be best for MY CHILD!
Sorry for the release of frustration, but where better to do it then here!

Deafness

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shel90

As budget cuts increase, the less the quality education children with special needs will get. U know what sucks..the sports programs at the high school levels don't seem to be affected. It shows what America's priorities are heh?

Keep on fighting for what you believe in. Let us know the outcome of this "interview". Good luck!

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jillio

Agree with Shel. Continue the fight. As a parent of of Deaf kid (well, adult now), I empathize with the frustration you are going through. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Vent here anytime you need to. You need to dump it somewhere, so that you can get past it and continue your fight without feeling overwhelmed. Hugs to you.

deafdyke

Ugh that's effing bad. Not as bad as one of those 766 preschools...........but maybe you could argue that Sadie is already a strong signer, so she would benifit more from being in an enviroment that is strong ASL.
Are there any other options besides this one or TLC? Massachusetts has some pretty good Deaf programs (including mainstream established ones....two Deaf girls I know went to the READS program in Middleborough for elemetary. One of them is at NTID and the other went to Gally and earned a master's from a hearing college.

ASLMommax2

I won't consider anything but TLC for Sadie, not gonna allow them the opportunity of giving her a 2nd class education for the sake of their budget exspecially considering how well Taylor does at TLC. With her loss, we found out throught the ABR , it is a Severe (right)/ Profound (left) hearing loss. I don't have much hope for the hearing aids to work as neither do the Audiologists at ChildrensHospital Boston. So not sure what their thinking in mainstreming her through CAPS program which by all counts suck to the highest degree. So as I said here we go with the my having to bitch, which is fine with me - don't screw with me or my kids when it comes to their right of having the best education possible through TLC

Gma

Under the IDEA your child is entitled to an education with instruction in direct ASL. You have to demand it. It is her first language. DIRECT - not through an interpreter.

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deafdyke

Oh yeah definitly opt for TLC. The difference between a really good deaf school and a half assed mainstream program is WORLDS apart! I do agree with you there! I was just asking if there were any other ed placements that might be OK. Like not as good as TLC, but decent enough so that she'd be learning stuff directly from the teacher, rather then depending on 'terps.
Really? You could argue that she is deaf and needs Deaf Ed.....I'm surprised that her hearing loss wouldn't respond to aiding......I thought that reverse slope losses were relatively easy to manage. But on the other hand, at least she won't have to deal with the expense of hearing aids!

Miss-Delectable

Best of luck fighting with the school district to cough up money for your little girl to attend TLC.

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deafdyke

Oh good link Gma!!!!!! ASLMomma, join this Yahoo! Group......it's a special ed listserv for Mass......SPEDWatchMA@yahoogroups.com
The good news is that it supports every placement from minimal accomondations to specialized schools.

jillio

You sound like me! I always told the school system, "You know, I don't want to be a bitch about these issues, but I will if I have to. Don't put me in the position of having to me. You won't like what you get!"

Juli-terp-to-be

"Never give up, never surrender!" - Galaxy Quest

You know what is needed for your child. Keep being a bitch until you're heard! LOL

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Gma

School districts are not to be trusted or compromised with!!!!! They are a business. There may be employees at schools who care about the children, but the powers that be value only the producer such as IB students and sport stars.

GrendelQ

ASLMommax2, Two of my daughter's preK peers at TLC got placement program after taking it to the courts -- you may want to get their names from TLC and share info about their legal approaches.

In our case, we got placement without difficulty:

1. We had arranged for our EI activity (conducted by an ASL-fluent SLP) to be conducted on site at TLC as well as taking part in the PIP program there from the time Li was 1 -- so we established her services and evaluations in ASL from the get go. I think you may be doing this as well.
2. We had evaluations conducted by Children's Hospital Boston's Deaf & HOH Program, which is a powerful supporter of bi-bi ed for the deaf -- and made our wish that she attend TLC very clear ==> strong rec. from them that she attend instruction in ASL (Dr. Terrell Clarke, who heads the CH program, is amazing -- you may already know her)
3. We agreed to transport her the first year (we'd been driving her to and from their daycare center there for the 2 years prior, so not a big change for us), and that made a $25K difference to the school budget
4. Because she had gotten her CI the year before, I think the underlying expectation on the school's part was that this was a temporary step until she'd be mainstreamed, so I don't think they considered that they were committing to 15 years at $95K a year (but ....)
5. Our school and TLC worked with an independent educational consultant (Ask Carol about Kym, whom you should meet if you haven't) who assesses the capabilities of the school to meet the IEP requirements and has thus far stated it's not possible for our local school to provide what's necessary.
6. Frankly, our school's sped director is fantastic and cares a hell of a lot more about educating the kids and trusting the professionals in the field than about budget.

So, we have had an easy 2 years getting placement, have just been given a breather for 2011-2012, and although we may encounter some trouble next year and each year to follow, I believe we'll be able to make a good case for a long time to come. Even if I have to slip the batteries out of Li's CIs during evaluations .

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deafdyke

Oooooo.... I wish more schools offered something like this. Like evaluate the student personally, rather then a kneejerk mainstream placement..........and I actually think most public schools (with the exception of those with sizable established mainstream formal programs) cannot provide the same stuff that a school or program for the Dhh can. I think you'll be able to keep Li Li at TLC for awhile!!! You could also argue that she's getting an actual education, and that dhh kids who attend Deaf Schools do better then mainstreamed kids. One thing I think a lot of school admins don't understand is that dhh kids are actually getting an EDUCATION, (which will make them productive citizens) at their specialized placements as opposed to kids with severe issues who are just going to live at school, and end up in a day program.

and yes
Oh hell yes...........that's so true. They don't give a shit about giving your kid a good education or good accomondations. They just want the money the kids bring in. I really think if it weren't for the fact that we bring in money, mainstream schools would basicly tell us to go to a specialized school.

ASLMommax2

The replies have been dead on - thank you. tomorrow we have our in home meeting which will be attended by the town Spec. Ed. liason, the Early Intervetion program ( new woman who I have never met) MasS. Commission for the Deaf and TLC, I was also able to get a letter of reference from Childrens Hospital stating that with Sadies hearing loss , her capability of establishing a spoken language w/o the recourses of TLC's help isn't feesible through a mainstream setting so yes ............. I am about to kick some ASS!!! LOL

dogmom

Go Get 'Em, ASLMomma

Miss-Delectable

Hope the meeting went well.

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deafdyke

Ha.....boy oh boy, the IRONY!!!!
But yeah, TLC and the other good state schools are a lot better at helping kids develop oral language, then a half assed poorly staffed regional program.......most mainstream schools don't generally have speech therapists experianced with teaching dhh kids. Don't forget to mention that...that could be a selling point!

jillio

Well said. Too many parents greatly over estimate the values of the system.

jillio

Taking it to due process is generally the way these things get accomplished, unfortunately. It was that way 20 years ago with my own son, and it is still true today.

GrendelQ

Ugh, you're right -- I've heard this. I'm just so glad it's not yet gotten brutal. I've heard that once you establish out of district placement, it's a lot more difficult to reverse that decision.

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jillio

Absolutely. The fact that you have managed to get out of district placement approved, usually by an administrative law judge, discourages the school system from going against that ruling. Just a shame that it has to be done because of a legal ruling rather than true concern for the well being of the child.

deafdyke

OT, but I wonder if arrangments like this might help with out of district placements for parents who can afford it. It does seem like weird incidental things like transportation etc are the big things that really eat up a school budget.

AlleyCat

ASLMomma - how did the meeting go ?

bwright6

I'm just flabbergasted about the teacher communicating with her students through an interpreter. It makes me wonder who is going into deaf education these days-- hope the meeting goes/went well!

Gma

Flabbergasted - I'll give you another fine example of schools shafting our kids. The only interpreter in Virginia going through training to work with deaf/blind students is being fired at the end of this school year. She currently works with a multi handicapped deaf/blind student who will then be stuck without the necessary support..........and no one gives a crap!!!

Bottesini

Virginia Project for Children and Youth with Deaf-Blindness

Check your facts.

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chipmunkis

So am I!!! how on earth can a "teacher for the Deaf" NOT be expected to be FLUENT in ASL?????? WTH????

Gma

I did.....they were the ones who informed me that this one interpreter is the one and only interpreter in the state of Virginia taking the college courses that is providing her with the knowledge to work with deaf/blind students. My grandson is also registered with the Deaf/Blind Project.

So Bottesini what exactly is your point?

Oh, and they are an informative group and not a group permitted to advocate.

Gma

Look at Virginia law.

LIS > Administrative Code > 8VAC20-542-460

Don't let the word proficiency throw you. It is up to each district to decide what is proficient. Each district gets to decide who evaluates the teacher if at all. No reporting to the state is required as to "proficiency".