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03/29/2009 - Decision to close dorms at deaf school a sign of changing needs, but leaves parents scrambling - STLtoday.com
Deaf education has undergone transformation after transformation since 1837, when two Sisters of St. Joseph traveled to St. Louis from France and opened a school for deaf children in a log cabin.
Back then, the cabin had a dormitory component, as the children lived and learned with the sisters.
Times, of course, have changed. Newborns get hearing screenings, and doctors detect problems earlier. Advances in technology, such as cochlear implants, allow children to learn to listen and speak at younger ages without requiring as much specialized schooling.
In the last few years, the economy has changed, too. And the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in Chesterfield, like many other schools, is feeling the pinch.
So after this school year, the dorms at the school — which out-of-state and international families have relied on for decades — will close.
The parents of the 14 students living there now got the news before Christmas. About half of those children will either graduate or be transferred into regular classrooms. But several parents of the rest of the students feel lost.
"I just can't express the devastation," said Lisa Trott, of Bermuda, whose son, Shakori, 11, began attending the school this year. He lost much of his hearing as a baby, probably because of ear infections, and had fallen behind in school in Bermuda because of inadequate services.
"I searched so long and so hard for a place for this child, and to finally find a place where it is just perfect," Trott said. "There are no real alternatives. What's going to happen to my child?"
'IT IS THE BEST'
St. Joseph serves about 90 students from birth through eighth grade. They practice auditory-oral education, which strives to give the children the ability to better listen and speak. They don't use American Sign Language, which is taught at many state schools for the deaf.
Culture clashes often occur between those who believe the children can be taught to speak and listen and those who believe deaf children should be part of their own "culture" that communicates using sign language.
That is why these parents feel so strongly about St. Joseph.
"For us, by far, it is the best oral deaf school in the country," said Carrie Brisette of Warsaw, Ind.,whose son Freddie, 12, was born deaf and got a cochlear implant three years ago. "I think not only is it a very robust program for children who are hearing impaired and need to talk, it also is a very warm environment. For my son to be away from home at age 10, he adjusted within a few weeks."
Regular tuition at the school is about $25,000. Tuition plus room and board is about $54,000. Many parents get financial aid, said Debbie Wilson, president of the school.
The cost of staffing the dorm, plus insurance, food and utilities required to run the residence hall, make it too expensive to keep open, she said.
"It was a decision that was coming," Wilson said.
A dozen years ago, the dorm easily held more than two dozen children. St. Joseph saw a change after Sept. 11, 2001.
Parents were less willing to send their children across the country, and cochlear implants were becoming more common.
CENTRAL INSTITUTE
Another oral deaf education school in St. Louis, Central Institute for the Deaf in the Central West End, closed its dorm after the 2003-04 school year. Officials saw a similar shift in residential enrollment.
"There are just more ways for parents to get an education for their children," said Kim Readmond, spokeswoman for the school.
Only one other oral education school in the country, Clarke School in Northampton, Mass., has a residential component. It has received inquiries from St. Joseph parents looking to transfer, said the school's president, Bill Corwin.
Although closing the dorms has left parents in a bind, the change is bittersweet, school officials say.
Ten years ago, a child would attend St. Joseph for about seven years before moving on to a regular school. Now, thanks to early intervention and advanced technology, they stay only about three years.
The school regularly sees newborns who have had abnormal results on screening tests. The school immediately helps families decide how best to help their children because the crucial period for learning language is in the first few years.
With younger children getting cochlear implants, more leave the school sounding remarkably like their normal-hearing peers.
DRAWING IN SHAVING CREAM
One morning last week, preschool teacher Allison Wrozier sat with three young girls at a small classroom table. All three girls had cochlear implants. Orange plastic trays placed in front of each girl were smeared with shaving cream.
Wrozier held up a picture of a firefighter's helmet. "What's this one?"
"Helmet," one girl responded.
"Think about it. What sound does it make?"
"H," the girl responded, and Wrozier told them to draw the letter with their fingers in the shaving cream. They happily and messily complied.
Two of the three girls will transfer into regular kindergarten classrooms next year — a victory for their families and the school.
But for parents such as Joanne and Mitchell Schmidt of Chicago, the decision to close the dorm leaves few options. Their son, Maximus, 10, has lived at St. Joseph for the last five years. The local public school can't meet his needs, the family says, and the other private deaf education school in Chicago caters to younger students. And he's not ready for a regular classroom, they say.
The family is looking into Clarke School, but they have also spent their most recent visits to St. Louis searching for houses so Max can stay at St. Joseph. Mitchell Schmidt may have to stay behind to maintain the family business, and Joanne Schmidt may have to quit her job in Chicago as a teacher.
"He's a wonderful, happy kid," said Joanne Schmidt. "He wants to move here. He wants to stay here. He is who he is here. Confident, and learning."
Deaf education has undergone transformation after transformation since 1837, when two Sisters of St. Joseph traveled to St. Louis from France and opened a school for deaf children in a log cabin.
Back then, the cabin had a dormitory component, as the children lived and learned with the sisters.
Times, of course, have changed. Newborns get hearing screenings, and doctors detect problems earlier. Advances in technology, such as cochlear implants, allow children to learn to listen and speak at younger ages without requiring as much specialized schooling.
In the last few years, the economy has changed, too. And the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in Chesterfield, like many other schools, is feeling the pinch.
So after this school year, the dorms at the school — which out-of-state and international families have relied on for decades — will close.
The parents of the 14 students living there now got the news before Christmas. About half of those children will either graduate or be transferred into regular classrooms. But several parents of the rest of the students feel lost.
"I just can't express the devastation," said Lisa Trott, of Bermuda, whose son, Shakori, 11, began attending the school this year. He lost much of his hearing as a baby, probably because of ear infections, and had fallen behind in school in Bermuda because of inadequate services.
"I searched so long and so hard for a place for this child, and to finally find a place where it is just perfect," Trott said. "There are no real alternatives. What's going to happen to my child?"
'IT IS THE BEST'
St. Joseph serves about 90 students from birth through eighth grade. They practice auditory-oral education, which strives to give the children the ability to better listen and speak. They don't use American Sign Language, which is taught at many state schools for the deaf.
Culture clashes often occur between those who believe the children can be taught to speak and listen and those who believe deaf children should be part of their own "culture" that communicates using sign language.
That is why these parents feel so strongly about St. Joseph.
"For us, by far, it is the best oral deaf school in the country," said Carrie Brisette of Warsaw, Ind.,whose son Freddie, 12, was born deaf and got a cochlear implant three years ago. "I think not only is it a very robust program for children who are hearing impaired and need to talk, it also is a very warm environment. For my son to be away from home at age 10, he adjusted within a few weeks."
Regular tuition at the school is about $25,000. Tuition plus room and board is about $54,000. Many parents get financial aid, said Debbie Wilson, president of the school.
The cost of staffing the dorm, plus insurance, food and utilities required to run the residence hall, make it too expensive to keep open, she said.
"It was a decision that was coming," Wilson said.
A dozen years ago, the dorm easily held more than two dozen children. St. Joseph saw a change after Sept. 11, 2001.
Parents were less willing to send their children across the country, and cochlear implants were becoming more common.
CENTRAL INSTITUTE
Another oral deaf education school in St. Louis, Central Institute for the Deaf in the Central West End, closed its dorm after the 2003-04 school year. Officials saw a similar shift in residential enrollment.
"There are just more ways for parents to get an education for their children," said Kim Readmond, spokeswoman for the school.
Only one other oral education school in the country, Clarke School in Northampton, Mass., has a residential component. It has received inquiries from St. Joseph parents looking to transfer, said the school's president, Bill Corwin.
Although closing the dorms has left parents in a bind, the change is bittersweet, school officials say.
Ten years ago, a child would attend St. Joseph for about seven years before moving on to a regular school. Now, thanks to early intervention and advanced technology, they stay only about three years.
The school regularly sees newborns who have had abnormal results on screening tests. The school immediately helps families decide how best to help their children because the crucial period for learning language is in the first few years.
With younger children getting cochlear implants, more leave the school sounding remarkably like their normal-hearing peers.
DRAWING IN SHAVING CREAM
One morning last week, preschool teacher Allison Wrozier sat with three young girls at a small classroom table. All three girls had cochlear implants. Orange plastic trays placed in front of each girl were smeared with shaving cream.
Wrozier held up a picture of a firefighter's helmet. "What's this one?"
"Helmet," one girl responded.
"Think about it. What sound does it make?"
"H," the girl responded, and Wrozier told them to draw the letter with their fingers in the shaving cream. They happily and messily complied.
Two of the three girls will transfer into regular kindergarten classrooms next year — a victory for their families and the school.
But for parents such as Joanne and Mitchell Schmidt of Chicago, the decision to close the dorm leaves few options. Their son, Maximus, 10, has lived at St. Joseph for the last five years. The local public school can't meet his needs, the family says, and the other private deaf education school in Chicago caters to younger students. And he's not ready for a regular classroom, they say.
The family is looking into Clarke School, but they have also spent their most recent visits to St. Louis searching for houses so Max can stay at St. Joseph. Mitchell Schmidt may have to stay behind to maintain the family business, and Joanne Schmidt may have to quit her job in Chicago as a teacher.
"He's a wonderful, happy kid," said Joanne Schmidt. "He wants to move here. He wants to stay here. He is who he is here. Confident, and learning."