Do you feel that hearing teachers restrict Deaf children in learning?

When I was working as an aide for a deaf program at a public school in AZ, I came up with an idea of an inservice for the district about how to educate the deaf/hoh students, work with interpreters and any other information about deafness. I submitted my idea to the principal and you know what he said? He said that they didnt need a a deaf person telling them how to run their program and that the head of the special ed dept knows what she is doing. I checked out her background and her degrees were working with children with learning disabilities. No wonder the program was failing the children big time and I left it because I felt like I was talking to a wall with the administrators and I needed my MA degree in Deaf ed to make myself more credible since I had a BA in Special ED only but I ended up staying in MD instead of going back to AZ like I planned to. I really would love to be a consultant for the mainstreamed programs and help educators who have no training in deaf ed effectively teach deaf/hoh chidlren but I dont think I will get the funding for that anytime soon due to the bad economy and budget cuts. I am seriously thinking of working for the dept of special ed on the federal level. I just need to take more classes on policy making and all that. Just takes time to build the experience and skills to get qualified to work at that level.

I want to make sure that I understand you right. You mean federal government depts?
 
yes...for the Dept of Ed. Just one of my future options.

Oh yes. I would love to work for the dept of ed only if it involves with deaf program. I have faith that you can do it that you can be a chairperson for this dept. that would be AWESOME!
 
oh? care to elaborate on why you disagree with which one?

Lighthouse said.
you have to accept the fact that people don't want to deal with deaf people rather they are oral or use Sign language.
I don't agree with that. Meaning I don't agree that I have to accept the fact that people don't want to deal with deafies regardless of if they are oral or use sign language. I simply don't agree with that. I don't think anyone can speak for everyone. Myself and I am sure many on this and other forums are more than willing to deal with deafies. Where I will agree it becomes difficult is when there are no common modes of commuication. If a deaf person only knows ASL and not any spoken or written English and the hearing person only knows English then yes obviously there will be a problem communicating but that doesn't mean the two don't want to deal with eachother. It just means that they don't have a common mode to communicate. I think it's more of the ability to communicate rather than the desire to deal with eachother.
 
Ok I will get back to you to that issue later.

I only can say one thing is: why do you think anyone who want to become a special education teacher in the first place?
Of course, not ALL, SOME of them.

*** I have to re read your post without misunderstanding or jump to the conclusion. I am at work right now. it's hard for me to think how to give you good exmaples.
 
Lighthouse said.
I don't agree with that. Meaning I don't agree that I have to accept the fact that people don't want to deal with deafies regardless of if they are oral or use sign language. I simply don't agree with that. I don't think anyone can speak for everyone. Myself and I am sure many on this and other forums are more than willing to deal with deafies. Where I will agree it becomes difficult is when there are no common modes of commuication. If a deaf person only knows ASL and not any spoken or written English and the hearing person only knows English then yes obviously there will be a problem communicating but that doesn't mean the two don't want to deal with eachother. It just means that they don't have a common mode to communicate. I think it's more of the ability to communicate rather than the desire to deal with eachother.

Then why do many hearing people roll their eyes at us when we ask them to repeat themselves, or tell us that they will tell us later or give us the "never minds"?
 
Ok, tell me why they aren't willing to spend $$ on something that can help deaf children's education such as getting better projector screen, better visusal aids, paper works, handbooks, and more instead of spending on something else that are useful to the school administration itself. It's been years like that.
 
I can't remember what is the name of that movie. The latino school teacher who worked hard to make his students to study hard and passed by writing and reading level that become higher percents than before. That latino school teacher did have passions for kids' successes that I didn't have my old teachers passions like him. Most of my old teachers were doing like " good girl and you may go outside on your recess". that kind of attitude makes me feel like they treat me like i am incapable of doing anything. Yea One teacher told me that i am not capable of doing the mock trial and going to college. :roll:
 
the Milan conference was over two centuries ago. With all of the discussion in the profession about bi-bi being a better model why is it then that the deaf leaders are not able to invoke change if it is truly beneficial to the majority?

Sure, there are organizations like National Association of the Deaf (NAD), Deaf Bilingual Coalition (DBC) and the likes. The trouble is that the hearing people are turning deaf ears to us - no pun intended.
 
Lighthouse said.
I don't agree with that. Meaning I don't agree that I have to accept the fact that people don't want to deal with deafies regardless of if they are oral or use sign language. I simply don't agree with that. I don't think anyone can speak for everyone. Myself and I am sure many on this and other forums are more than willing to deal with deafies. Where I will agree it becomes difficult is when there are no common modes of commuication. If a deaf person only knows ASL and not any spoken or written English and the hearing person only knows English then yes obviously there will be a problem communicating but that doesn't mean the two don't want to deal with eachother. It just means that they don't have a common mode to communicate. I think it's more of the ability to communicate rather than the desire to deal with eachother.

No communication mode is the reason why they don't want to deal with us. It is too much trouble for them to talk "slower" , "clearer" and face us and such. And they never invite you to places and you are the very last person they will call or don't call... you know how people LOVE their phone these days.. if you can't hear the phone, then you are out.

Then you become one of the "forgotten" one.
 
I have 10 plus experience working in different educational settings and it is always the mainstreamed programs that pushed for oralism and call the deaf children oral failures if they dont succeed with it. Even my own personal experience was the same when people talked about my brother about how he failed to be an oral success. It doesnt need to be said..the attitude is out there.

I can only speak to what is happening in my area, but here it is:

Once a child is discovered to have a hearing loss a PIP (parent infant program) advisor is sent to their home. The PIP advisor is a teacher of the deaf with a master's degree in deaf ed. and a special birth to 3 credential. The PIP advisor educates the parents on hearing loss, literacy, and early language development. The parents then make a choice to use an Auditory-Oral or ASL-English approach. Both approaches take commitment and hard work from the parents. They are set up bi-weekly meetings with the appropriate teachers of the deaf and other professionals. Language goals are written every 6 months as are parental education goals.

The parents are making informed choices and doing their best.
 
Ok I will get back to you to that issue later.

I only can say one thing is: why do you think anyone who want to become a special education teacher in the first place?
Of course, not ALL, SOME of them.

*** I have to re read your post without misunderstanding or jump to the conclusion. I am at work right now. it's hard for me to think how to give you good exmaples.

I work in special ed (not deaf ed currently) and I do it because I love these kids and want them to have the tools they need to be successful in life. And I think that 99% of people would answer similarly.
 
I just hope they make it a deaf human rights to learn ASL in grade school like it is a child's human rights to learn to read.
 
I just hope they make it a deaf human rights to learn ASL in school like it is a child's human rights to learn to read.

It never will be because there is no definative studies or proof that a child who uses ASL ends up with a better education than one who is successfully oral. Until there is actual proof, it won't happen.

There are many positives to ASL and there are positives to being able to hear and fluently use the language and mode of the majority.
 
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