Ilyangel wrote:
Well, here is a website of links of all the schools for the Deaf here in the U. S. You can click on the link of each one to get information.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/InfoToGo/schools-usa.html
Here are some other links that might help:
www.oraldeafed.org/schools
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/InfoToGo/096.html
Throw3 replied:
I do know from what has been told me by people who deal with the deaf at a deaf private school, that if a deaf child has been mainstreamed, they were happier once they got into a deaf school. At least that has been the experiences of the children at this particular deaf school.
deafgrrl chimed in:
Several of my friends are special ed majors, and I myself am a product of the special ed system, so I know quite a bit about this. I think that the majority of deaf and hard of hearing kids should be required by law to attend a school for the deaf for at least their early childhood years. Partial inclusion can and should be an option. I don't think that the purpose of special ed should be segregation. However, part of the reason why schools for the deaf are so bad, is b/c most of the students there, didn't get the appropreaite early intervention. Most of us dhh students cannot get appropreaite EI services at mainstream schools. Also most special ed at mainstream schools is targeted towards learning disabled or "ADD" slacker kids. As a result, anyone receiving mainstream sped services is targeted as a future slacker who is just going to spend their entire lives on disabilty, and not accomplish much.
bostonmumadded:
This is secondhand "hearsay" info but... a good friend of mine who is deaf and was mainstreamed was shocked by the low expectations/levels of achievement when he substitute taught at a school for the deaf. I am hearing and just starting to open my eyes to Deaf culture, but his experience was that it was better to compete with hearing children than to be in an environment where the expectations were lower. Of course, each school is different, but I think kids (all kids) need to be challenged in an age appropriate way and prepared for that big world out there. If that's not happening (at any school--Deaf or hearing), then the school is failing its students.
Published author GinaOliva stated:
I was mainstreamed as a solitaire (my word for being the only or one of a few deaf/hoh kids in the school) during the 50s and 60s. I am now a professor at Gallaudet University. I recently published a book on this topic; it includes my story and the comments of 60 adults of various ages who were also mainstreamed in the K-12 years. You can order "Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School" from Amazon.com. You can also read a chapter at the Gallaudet University Press website at http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/ Once at the website, click on "Catalogue" and you will find it there.
I wrote this book for parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, etc, of today's mainstreamed hard of hearing and deaf kids. I welcome any comments or questions.
JesKlu exclaimed:
I believe that what you (deafgrrl) said was right. Deaf and hard of hearing kids should attend a school for the deaf in their early childhood years. Then, in my opinion, is mainstreaming them but in self-contained classes for the deaf. This way they are in contact with both deaf and hearing kids. Which, in my opinion, is the best option. Some people think differently, but that's what I think needs to happen.
4my2kids added:
I support mainstreaming because it gives hard of hearing and deaf students more exposure to education. It gives them more options in the future when they finish high school. It helps them become stronger when they are around hearing people, most of the students from the deaf school are not comfortable around hearing people when they are off campus. Parent involvement is very important when their child is mainstreamed in public school. Hard of hearing and deaf students need their parent's support. Hard of hearing and deaf students won't be so isolated if parents be part of the school functions with them and teach them to respect each other. Bullies are everywhere no matter if you're hearing or deaf so we have to be strong and show them we're not afraid. There are even a bully or two in deaf schools. Parents don't realize how much power they have so they can fight to help their child get what their child needs in public school. I agree that public schools need a sign language class. Cochlear Implants can also help mainstreaming deaf children.
