Deaf School ?

[foxsmama]

DS is 21 months old has genetic hearing loss. He hears at about 50 percent right now, but is losing more hearing as time goes on.  I'm looking for input from others parents of hard of hearing and deaf children. Do you send you children to a Deaf School, or a mainstream school ? What did you do for preschool? Is anyone willing to share their experiances with me, either of Deaf Schools, or deaf children in a mainstream classrom ?

Thank you!

[journeywooz]

that depends on your and your child's situation.  what state are you living in?  

i grew up in a deaf family, went to a deaf school from pre-school to the second grade, and then ended up mainstreamed at a local school.  the reason my mother took me out was because the program was somewhat dwindling and i didn't have many peers at school.  there was no other deaf children at the school i went to.  elementary school was great, but middle school and high school was tough on me.  it mostly had to do with jealous and snarky girls, rather than my deafness.  it was a huge school.  i got along fine, was a honors student, the captain of the volleyball team, and ran track.  what was missing was the level of understanding and acceptance.  many people knew sign language, but i didn't realize it until graduation day.  but i felt like my upbringing and challenges in a mainstreamed setting gave me more confidence and self-efficacy.  

my dear partner also grew up in a deaf family, but his situation is different. he went to a deaf school and his school was fantastic, and had the exact same curriculum as the local public school.  there were plenty of advocacy.  he was actively involved in clubs, groups, and sports.  he could interact with his peers and go through developmental stages without being judged for his deafness.  he is one of the most intelligent people i know, and interacts wonderfully with others.  he had a few challenges being mainstreamed at graduate school level, but adapted well.

but that's just our stories.  not every deaf school is the same, and i suggest that you look into all the programs in your area and see what the best fit will be for your child and family.  it's also important that he feels included and validated.  

our DD is a few months older than your DS and we're still thinking about her academic options.  the local deaf school's program is falling apart, and i want DD to have a strong foundation of communication and understanding before we decide on anything.  she is well on her way now linguistically and socially, but i don't feel comfortable putting her into a public school, having her education rely on an interpreter at an early age.  we haven't decided, but i'm thinking of either homeschooling her until the right opportunity comes.. or finding a small, alternative school where DD won't be left out.  keep us updated! 

[~cassie]

My 4 yr old was born deaf but uses cochlear implants to hear.  He is in a mainstreamed preschool and has been there since he was 3(was in spec ed section at 3).  Our closest deaf school is several hours away so it really wasn't an option unless we moved and we didn't want to move away from finanical security(dh's job) and my school and our family.  He has done so well in the regular ed preschool.  They don't get many deaf kids around here but they are intent on setting the bar high for my son and other deaf children that may come behind him.  They are very accomodating and make whatever changes they need to make and it has been very positive.  But it also helps that my son is fully oral and now only about 6 mths behind his peers and catching up everyday.  I worry about what elementary school will bring for us though.

[foxsmama]

  We live in Oregon. There is a deaf preschool and kindergarten here in Eugene, but if we wanted more than that, we would have to move or send DS to the school in Salem. We went to an open house at the preschool, but there didn't seem to be any children like DS there. It almost seemed more of a warehouse for little ones with autism and severe emotional issues as well as deafness. It was pretty chaotic. DS isn't autistic, he is pretty NT, he just has hearing problems. I worry about sending him somewhere like that, where the emphesis seems to be on controlling the childrens behaviours instead of learning, but I also have concerns about putting him in a classroom with language barriers. 

[journeywooz]

I understand about Oregon School for the Deaf.  Their program isn't quite as solid and the inside politics are pretty scattered now.  We just moved out here from Oregon--sorry to have missed you!!!  I would not have sent DD to OSD.  Eugene is awesome, and we love Ashland!

In this case, it seems like you could find a school that would be a best match for your child.. smaller classrooms, perhaps?  The real foundation for education and confidence starts at home so I doubt you'd have much to worry about.  It helps to establish a solid communication system with your child, and the rest will take care of itself.

[fairejour]

My daughter is now 8 and had a progressive hearing loss. We have had her both in an ASL, bi-bi Deaf school, and now, in a highly regarded oral school. 

It is all about goals. Is it your goal to raise a Deaf adult who uses ASL as their primary language and uses written English as a second language. These adults have language access from a very early age, express great pride in their deafness and their cultural identity as a member of the Deaf community. Using ASL, your child would develop excellent communication and language skills. If this is your goal, I would HIGHLY recommend a Deaf school. They would interact with peers who completely understand them, have great role models who are just like them, and they would be a part of a great and loving community.

If it is your goal to raise an oral deaf adult who uses technology to understand the spoken language of others, a Deaf school would probably not meet your needs. The pros for this method include the ability to teach your child your native language, being excellent language models at all times. The goal would be for the child to develop appropriate spoken language skills that would transfer to an understanding of phonics and the ability to read English. The cons would be that it takes tremendous time and involvement and reliance on technology. Also, many children will have language delays, that can be tremendous and can result in negatives such as behavior issues, struggles with literacy and even long term family issues. These cons can be avoided (for many) by constant awareness of the amount of progress the child is making, and great services.