Mom of a Teen who needs some answers...

[NitroHonda]

And the thing is.........now that the private oral schools are no longer residential, orally skilled kids are being sent to the State Deaf Schools when they start struggling. They then get to learn ASL............

Interesting on the private residential oral schools. I didn't know there were any outside of a couple in faraway places.

I think that's always been the norm everywhere and is no different today. All elementary classes are generally smaller at residential schools. It is not until the kids get older before they get sent there. In fact, I am actually originally from Houston but begrudgingly moved to Austin only to send my kid to TSD. It's no doubt the best place for him but not many other parents are willing or have the capability to relocate in order to send him to the best place. Nobody wants to ship their babies off.

 

[deafdyke]

Then I am also one of them but I wouldn't say that's TSD's culture which is the sense that I got from deafdyke's post.

Oh no, it's not. It's just that there ARE some orally skilled ones...but the thing is at a big Deaf School you'll get a variety of different types of language situtions that's all.............I never meant to imply that TSD is Oral, (like Clarke/CID etc) just that there are orally skilled kids there now.

 

[deafdyke]

Interesting on the private residential oral schools. I didn't know there were any outside of a couple in faraway places.

I think that's always been the norm everywhere and is no different today. All elementary classes are generally smaller at residential schools. It is not until the kids get older before they get sent there. In fact, I am actually originally from Houston but begrudgingly moved to Austin only to send my kid to TSD. It's no doubt the best place for him but not many other parents are willing or have the capability to relocate in order to send him to the best place. Nobody wants to ship their babies off.

Yes I know....... I was told they "hide" the oral kids in the dorms, at WPSD.
I think it's overall fairly rare for YOUNG elementary schoolers to be in the dorms any more, and it's more like......you know how back in the 90's kids would transfer from public school to State Deaf School/Oral Deaf School, when they started struggling around 4th grade? Kids start struggling around fourth grade and then it's suggested they attend Deaf School. And I thought there was always a huge wave of transfers around middle and high school....

 

[whatdidyousay!]

Thank you for that, I was a teen once and do understand that

I read that when the singer Billy Joel drove his teenage daughter to school she would ask her dad not to sing as it was embarrassing to her. I guess the rich and famous go through this too.

 

[Amy&Alex]

How do I post a pic like with my name?

 

[Amy&Alex]

Of course I do not want him to feel like the freak that is deaf at his school. His self esteem seems to be pretty good, He loves to play online with his xbox, and this has been something that he gets supper excited about like when he gets home from school, he will have a friends live address thing so this Im sure gives him something to communicate about with other boys at school. The music teacher called last week and said that having Alex in class has been such an experience...he is catching on better than most of the hearing kids...Heck Alex learned to read the music notes and is playing the piano!!!!!!! He is killer on the drums too!!! THEN, got a call from the principal that the newspaper had called and wanted to know if they had a kid that just shined...ALEX WAS chosen!!! So last week they went and interviewed him and took his pic!!! So this should be featured maybe tomorrow..There are soo many teachers and staff that have just praised him and said the school wouldnt be the same without him. All that is awesome, but!!! I know his social interaction is limited. and I hate that for him. He likes to ride and do tricks with his bike and skateboard, so he has made several friends at the skatepark...but I still see where he feels left out, when others are having conversations around him and he dont know what they are saying, but yet he wants to join in...I dont know i deffffff am checkin out a deaf camp for him. That will let him meet some friends, maybe close to us that he can interact with.
Thank you for your reply!!!

 

[Amy&Alex]

Deaf school here.

I'll be honest... we were pretty mean to the kids that had CIs back in the day. I'm sure things are different now but just saying how it was. He's got a struggle in front of him for sure. FYI, I'm PRO-Deaf school. Even for him. I would rather us all stick together and get that language fully developed.

I have heard that a lot of deaf kids at the school frown on the CI, so would he still be taught to speak with going to a deaf school? Or would he be an outcast there???

 

[Amy&Alex]

It will take a lot of training for him to learn the hearing spoken language that he hasnt known and programming mappings on the processor. Thats my humble opinion. By time he masters enough and ready to roll in the hearing teen life he may be 20 years old. Gosh....AGAIN...IM JUST GUESSING HERE. Why not let him try deaf school for week and let him decide what he is comfortable with. He may like being with kids he can freely communicate with and not feel like he is a freak among them....oh i just saw now where he did go deaf school but not work out. Maybe move like deafdyke suggested and let him attend deaf camp.

I know right! My daughter is a few grades ahead of him and in her Middle school, there was 1 asl book and it was soo old, so a lot of her friends that met Alex would want to learn sign to communicate, so I direct a lot of kids that wanna learn to • ASL • American Sign Language this is a great tool, I have it up all the time on mine, I by no means know as much as Alex, but I do learn something new everyday, and this site is wonderful. We really want to push for the ASL at the High school as an elective or language class. Any advise for my daughter at what she may need to do there?
Richmond,IN isnt a huge city..maybe 40,000...but I just wanna promote the language, its just soo beautiful. I had gotten an As., degree in Business (like over 6yrs ago), and had done my Business plan on a "Baby Sign" business...where mothers could bring their babies/toddlers (HEARING OR NOT!!!) and learn a few sign a session..and work on this weekly..Now I KNOW these are alll over the place now, BUT you would think with all that more hearing parents would stick with it as the kids get older. Oh well, I', trying to do my part. Thank you for your reply...I just ABSOLUTELY love that I found this site. I just love all the different view points that I am getting that I can support my son in whatever he wants to do!!!

 

[deafdyke]

I have heard that a lot of deaf kids at the school frown on the CI, so would he still be taught to speak with going to a deaf school? Or would he be an outcast there???

It depends on what Deaf School you're talking about. There are a lot of HOH friendly Deaf Schools now a days. I would say that the majority of Deaf Schools offer HOH style auxilarary services.

 

[deafdyke]

Interesting on the private residential oral schools. I didn't know there were any outside of a couple in faraway places.

I think that's always been the norm everywhere and is no different today. All elementary classes are generally smaller at residential schools. It is not until the kids get older before they get sent there. In fact, I am actually originally from Houston but begrudgingly moved to Austin only to send my kid to TSD. It's no doubt the best place for him but not many other parents are willing or have the capability to relocate in order to send him to the best place. Nobody wants to ship their babies off.

Yeah, it's been a few generations (to put it mildly) since little kids were sent off to live at school. I thought that most of the time, the little dorm kids were either hardcore DODAs or foster kids or Deaf Special Needs (b/c they tend not to be well served by local small Deaf Ed programs)
Also, the thing is, hearing parents aren't generally told about Schools for the Deaf. There ARE some who move near them, which is good...but even the parents who know about them, think that they are just for profound voice off kids ....really sad. I know some parents of HOH kids who have sent them to schools for the deaf, and they RAVE about them!

 

[supersloane]

hearing parents aren't generally told about Schools for the Deaf.

Here in Texas, it is required by law to inform parents about TSD at every single annual ARD meeting for the DHH student, even if they've been in that district 10 years, they still have to be offered the brochure and informed that there is a school for the deaf in Austin. Not sure how it is every where else, but just wanted to throw that out there.

 

[deafdyke]

Here in Texas, it is required by law to inform parents about TSD at every single annual ARD meeting for the DHH student, even if they've been in that district 10 years, they still have to be offered the brochure and informed that there is a school for the deaf in Austin. Not sure how it is every where else, but just wanted to throw that out there.

What about regional dhh programs as well? Do they make it clear that ALL dhh kids can go (ie orally trained etc)
I know they do it in Texas.....wish they did in other states. Even now parents aren't told about them...then they discover them and rave about how good they are!

 

[CSign]

What about regional dhh programs as well? Do they make it clear that ALL dhh kids can go (ie orally trained etc)
I know they do it in Texas.....wish they did in other states. Even now parents aren't told about them...then they discover them and rave about how good they are!

Not quite accurate, DeafDyke.

It is federally mandated that all districts provide the student with a continuum of placement options.

And a significant majority of the time, students who are audiologically hard of hearing are not admitted to state schools for the Deaf (even if they use ASL).

 

[lovezebras]

Not quite accurate, DeafDyke.

It is federally mandated that all districts provide the student with a continuum of placement options.

And a significant majority of the time, students who are audiologically hard of hearing are not admitted to state schools for the Deaf (even if they use ASL).

Ya the closest Deaf school to me is Sir James Whitney and they, and every other Deaf School in my province, state that a student has to have a sensorineural loss of 55 dB or greater. Obviously there are some exceptions but it has to be approved and if I know my province well it better be a good reason for an exception since the gov't pays for education.

 

[deafdyke]

Not quite accurate, DeafDyke.

It is federally mandated that all districts provide the student with a continuum of placement options.

And a significant majority of the time, students who are audiologically hard of hearing are not admitted to state schools for the Deaf (even if they use ASL).

The local school district doesn't always inform parents of the continuum of placements unfortunately. They also like to let stand myths like Deaf schools are only for voice off kids, or only for kids with multiple issues.
And that actually is changing drasticly, since many deaf kids can be functionally HOH with CIs or aids now. Heck, I know a LOT of HOH kids who were admitted to state schools b/c of exteninatating circumstances.....They can be pretty flexiable with admission for HOH kids....many state schools now do. Of course you'll be more likely to see hoh kids in public school dhh programs, just as you're more likely to see voice off Deaf at Deaf Schools....even at the smaller Deaf schools (like Montana School for the Deaf and Blind) you'll see HOH kids.
About the only HOH kids that aren't generally admitted are unilateral kids. Heck, did you know sometimes HEARING kids (with other disabilities) attend Schools for the Deaf?

 

[deafdyke]

Ya the closest Deaf school to me is Sir James Whitney and they, and every other Deaf School in my province, state that a student has to have a sensorineural loss of 55 dB or greater. Obviously there are some exceptions but it has to be approved and if I know my province well it better be a good reason for an exception since the gov't pays for education.

Yes, but you're in another country. I really think that Deaf Schools need to serve ALL kids with bilateral losses. Granted HOH kids can significantly benefit from dhh day programs or magnet school types of set ups. But there are always exceptions.....there might be mild loss kids from really bad areas or who are in the foster care system or whatever.. Then again, did you know that HOH kids who are mainstreamed in Canada, can get dumped in "life skills" classes in high school?!?!?! Meaning the type of classes for mentally disabled children!?!?!?

 

[CSign]

The local school district doesn't always inform parents of the continuum of placements unfortunately. They also like to let stand myths like Deaf schools are only for voice off kids, or only for kids with multiple issues.
And that actually is changing drasticly, since many deaf kids can be functionally HOH with CIs or aids now. Heck, I know a LOT of HOH kids who were admitted to state schools b/c of exteninatating circumstances.....They can be pretty flexiable with admission for HOH kids....many state schools now do. Of course you'll be more likely to see hoh kids in public school dhh programs, just as you're more likely to see voice off Deaf at Deaf Schools....even at the smaller Deaf schools (like Montana School for the Deaf and Blind) you'll see HOH kids.
About the only HOH kids that aren't generally admitted are unilateral kids. Heck, did you know sometimes HEARING kids (with other disabilities) attend Schools for the Deaf?

Actually, most of the schools for the deaf are in fact voice off. And no, not many bilateral audiologically HH students attend because majority of the time they don't meet the criterion.

I'd love to see anything that supports your assertion that hearing kids get admitted to schools for the deaf because to be frank, that sounds like a whole bunch of malarkey.

When was the last time you were a part of the IEP process, or worked directly with a family with a DHH child? I don't mean on an anonymous Internet forum- I mean truly provided direct support for, and advocated (in real life) for a deaf child...

Things are not at all as you perceive them to be.

 

[deafdyke]

Csign, just did quite a bit of research on which state schools admit HOH kids.
Florida School for the Deaf and Blind: http://www.fsdb.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/enrollment_criteria.pdf

A hearing impairment of thirty (30) decibels or greater within the range for hearing
normal speech (

New Mexico School: New Mexico School for the Deaf: Enrollment

•Permanent hearing loss as determined by an audiological evaluation

South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind: Eligibility / Overview

Have some hearing and/or vision loss of educational significance

Washington School for the Deaf. In this report it says that 11% of the students are HOH. http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/WSD.pdf
Oregon School for the Deaf: Admission Criteria and Process | Oregon School for the Deaf

Any child who is eligible for special education in Oregon because of a hearing impairment (see Oregon Administrative Rule 581-015-0051 for specific criteria) is potentially eligible to receive services at OSD. It is a common misunderstanding that a child must be profoundly deaf in order to attend OSD. OSD has many students who are hard of hearing

Mississippi School for the Deaf. MS School for the Deaf

The Mississippi state statute requires candidates for admission to Mississippi School for the Deaf to have a documented hearing loss (no specified level of loss) as the primary disabity

Colarado School for the Deaf and Blind....

Students enrolled at CSDB must have a documented hearing and/or vision loss as defined by Colorado eligibility guidelines.

Austine School for the Deaf...Admissions
servicing children and young adults from the ages of 3 through 21 who have an educationally

significant degree of hearing loss or use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary expressive language.

The Maryland Schools admit HOH kids. I know of some students there who are HOH.(friend works there)
Arizona State Schools mentions serving HOH kids
Hawaii School doesn't mention any criteria but the student pages identifiy themselves as HOH.
Eastern North Carolina mentions HOH
Indy School mentions HOH
Kansas State admits HOH kids (I personally know HOH kids who have gone there)
Lousinana School
Kendall Demonstration
Kentucky School
Western PA School for the Deaf, not only admits HOH kids it admits hearing kids with non hearing related disabilities
West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind admits HOH kids (and again it admits hearing kids with other disabilities)
Minnisota School.......
Model Secondary School admits HOH kids
Montana School for the Deaf and Blind admits HOH kids
There are also many others that don't mention if they serve HOH kids or not.
However the ONLY schools that I could find that specified a level of loss were
North Dakota School:
North Dakota School for the Deaf/Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing | About •

The school is an educational institution for the education of persons of all ages with severe to profound hearing loss

Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind. VSDB - Department for the Deaf

views as its fundamental responsibility the provision of long term sequential educational services leading to self-dependence for children with severe to profound hearing impairments

and of course the New York Schools for the Deaf which admit severe and profound kids.
So it's not true that Schools for the Deaf do not admit HOH kids. Many state governments recognize that dhh kids can't always get a good education/services at their neighborhood schools.....I mean there are still tons of kids from places like Indian Reservations, really rural and poor communitees and so on. Not everyone lives in a really good suburban area with lots and lots of services.

 

[shel90]

Csign, just did quite a bit of research on which state schools admit HOH kids.
Florida School for the Deaf and Blind: http://www.fsdb.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/enrollment_criteria.pdf

New Mexico School: New Mexico School for the Deaf: Enrollment

South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind: Eligibility / Overview

Washington School for the Deaf. In this report it says that 11% of the students are HOH. http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/WSD.pdf
Oregon School for the Deaf: Admission Criteria and Process | Oregon School for the Deaf

Mississippi School for the Deaf. MS School for the Deaf

Colarado School for the Deaf and Blind....
Austine School for the Deaf...Admissions
servicing children and young adults from the ages of 3 through 21 who have an educationally

The Maryland Schools admit HOH kids. I know of some students there who are HOH.(friend works there)
Arizona State Schools mentions serving HOH kids
Hawaii School doesn't mention any criteria but the student pages identifiy themselves as HOH.
Eastern North Carolina mentions HOH
Indy School mentions HOH
Kansas State admits HOH kids (I personally know HOH kids who have gone there)
Lousinana School
Kendall Demonstration
Kentucky School
Western PA School for the Deaf, not only admits HOH kids it admits hearing kids with non hearing related disabilities
West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind admits HOH kids (and again it admits hearing kids with other disabilities)
Minnisota School.......
Model Secondary School admits HOH kids
Montana School for the Deaf and Blind admits HOH kids
There are also many others that don't mention if they serve HOH kids or not.
However the ONLY schools that I could find that specified a level of loss were
North Dakota School:
North Dakota School for the Deaf/Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing | About •
Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind. VSDB - Department for the Deaf

and of course the New York Schools for the Deaf which admit severe and profound kids.
So it's not true that Schools for the Deaf do not admit HOH kids. Many state governments recognize that dhh kids can't always get a good education/services at their neighborhood schools.....I mean there are still tons of kids from places like Indian Reservations, really rural and poor communitees and so on. Not everyone lives in a really good suburban area with lots and lots of services.

Speaking of Deaf schools having HOH kids there, my brother went to Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and several of his peers at the school had mild hearing loss. Many of them were able to carry on phone conversations with their hearing aides.

 

[deafdyke]

Speaking of Deaf schools having HOH kids there, my brother went to Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and several of his peers at the school had mild hearing loss. Many of them were able to carry on phone conversations with their hearing aides.

and your brother went there quite a few years ago right? Even HOH kids may have issues or delays simlair to kids with more severe losses. Plus some parents might actually realize the benefits of ASL for HOH kids.
ASL and Deaf ed is NOT just for severe/profound kids.
It is for ALL dhh kids.