I finally got my "official" visit to the school that we're planning on sending Connor to when he turns 3 in March. It is FANTASTIC!!!!! It's an integrated public school preschool class, but there is a full time interpreter in the room and 3 other hard of hearing kids (2 who use sign, one who is verbal). There's also a full time parapro and the head teacher. The parapro and teacher sign some (pretty decently!) and so does every other kid in the class (just because they're around so much sign)! I met the speech therapist and she also signs, AND she was familiar with Connor's syndrome even!
I got a really good vibe from everyone, they were all fantastic, very friendly and open to me. The room was big and open, there were pictures of people signing everywhere. The interpreter really got the HoH kids going during music time, she was signing and singing and dancing and the kids were, too.
It is everything Connor needs...a verbal environment where his signs will be acknowledged, where everything will be offered to him both verbally and in sign, where the other kids will understand his signs...where he won't be the "weird" kid that can't talk right!
I'm sold.
BUT...the school is out of district. SO, we have to convince our local school to send him there. Which I think we can do easily enough, the local school has no interpreter, and no other HoH kids. Connor is very introverted when around fully verbal kids, but he's right in the thick of things when he's around kids that know even a little sign. So not only will his access to communication be lower at our local school, but his social/emotional development will be greatly hindered.
I already broached the topic during our first transition meeting, so the school knows that I'm requesting that he be sent out of district. They seemed to agree easily enough, but I'm very nervous that they're just dragging their feet and will drop a bomb on me at the last minute and say he can't go out of district. We'll see I guess.
But man, to see that environment...it is MADE for Connor!!!
I got a really good vibe from everyone, they were all fantastic, very friendly and open to me. The room was big and open, there were pictures of people signing everywhere. The interpreter really got the HoH kids going during music time, she was signing and singing and dancing and the kids were, too.
It is everything Connor needs...a verbal environment where his signs will be acknowledged, where everything will be offered to him both verbally and in sign, where the other kids will understand his signs...where he won't be the "weird" kid that can't talk right!
I'm sold.
BUT...the school is out of district. SO, we have to convince our local school to send him there. Which I think we can do easily enough, the local school has no interpreter, and no other HoH kids. Connor is very introverted when around fully verbal kids, but he's right in the thick of things when he's around kids that know even a little sign. So not only will his access to communication be lower at our local school, but his social/emotional development will be greatly hindered.
I already broached the topic during our first transition meeting, so the school knows that I'm requesting that he be sent out of district. They seemed to agree easily enough, but I'm very nervous that they're just dragging their feet and will drop a bomb on me at the last minute and say he can't go out of district. We'll see I guess.
But man, to see that environment...it is MADE for Connor!!!
