Answers for raising Deaf kids are anything but common

My wife and I recently attended a seminar for parents of D/HoH kids. Having been HoH my entire life and now late-Deaf, I found this seminar more like a rehash of all my worst experiences as a school-age kid. This is actually a compliment to the presenters, since they clearly understand the challenges present when D/HoH kids are mainstreamed.

One thing, though. I asked what I believe to be a very important question: "when classroom/curriculum modifications are made to accommodate a functionally deaf child who uses amplification, what happens when he loses the aids, they break, whatever, for one, two, three weeks???"

My question was met with very disconcerting answers. Basically, he's screwed for a few weeks and will learn nothing. This is anything but a comforting feeling. DBC, are you listening? This is what real parents are facing. Can anyone give me a better answer?

Comments

Shirley said…
DBC need to do more but people like Barry Sewell, Candy, White Ghost, Mike McConnell and their cronies are suppressing DBC's promotion for all Deaf babies to start bilingualism: ASL/English at the beginning and the results is that more parents are regretting of their informed decisions from biased groups for their Deaf babies.

It takes a Deaf/Hearing village to work together and stop these suppressors.
November 23, 2010 at 9:49 AM
(e said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
November 23, 2010 at 10:35 AM
(e said…
Oh, Shirley (rolling eyes). What does this have to do with his question?

To answer your question:

If one of my student's hearing aid, CI, or amplification device stopped working or breaks, we have many amplification devices they can choose from that we can loan to them until their device is working. Or if it is one of the school's devices that is not working, we quickly replace it with another working piece and send off the other for repairs. (On days like this I am literally running around rushing to get the devices to the child who needs one).

If the child has to take a test and we do not have the proper amplification device for him or her, sometimes I have to fight to make sure that they postpone the test until their device works.

Sometimes the student will be without their amplification device for a day or two, and we just do our best to accommodate the child even more diligently, especially those without interpreters (copies of notes, preferential seating, placing of teacher, rephrasing questions, all of which they are supposed to do when their devices are working).

Basically, the student is not screwed, we all just have to work harder than usual.

(e
November 23, 2010 at 10:36 AM
Anonymous said…
To (e,

Do you support bilingualism: ASL/English for Deaf babies and children in schools?

Bilingualism: ASL/English education assures that no deaf child will be left behind in any situation on any day in schools
November 23, 2010 at 10:51 AM
Aaron said…
Here's the thing I think about. I am trying my best to make sure my kid is bilingual, but in the case that his normal mode of operation at school is "oral with accommodations", it seems like an unbelievable amount of trouble to change those accommodations on a moment's notice if he loses his amplification. Example: one day he just needs to sit up front, notes, etc, and the next day he needs an ASL interpreter for 2 weeks.
November 23, 2010 at 11:26 AM
Shirley said…
See this blogger's post,

http://deafecho.com/2010/11/the-great-argument/
November 23, 2010 at 11:57 AM
(e said…
Of course I support Bilingualism-if it works for the child and his or her family, awesome! It depends on the family and how involved they are in continuing to use ASL with their child at home. I have liked what I have seen at some bi-bi programs.

But, I thought the first comment, about how Mike McConnell, White Ghost, Candy, Barry Sewell, and their "cronies" are out to destroy bilingualism and DBC's promotion for it, was way off topic and unnecessary. They are not the reason why DBC did not do a good job with providing certain information.

(e
November 23, 2010 at 4:35 PM
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