Auditory Training

Most regular education teachers have not had sufficient training on how to differentiate instructions, to follow accommodations, and to adjust teaching.
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Hell yes. That is why mainstreaming has never really worked for most kids with disabilties.
And Grendel, I am SO glad you actually have personal experiance with how screwed up special ed can be in the mainstream, and that in turn influenced your decision to keep your daughter at a Deaf School! It's not just us "bashing the system" b/c it's not "deaf school or a deaf program"
My husband teaches high school in a public school, and currently has 45 kids with IEPs across his classes, and he may have upwards of 15 kids each with different IEPs in a 25-30 person class, sometimes with very different accommodations, different types of aids for some. Tailoring those classes for such varied learning needs and styles, meeting the IEP reqs is pretty challenging.
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Good point. Mainstream special ed is also very much "one size fits all" and can range from someone who has Asperger's to someone with severe behavorial issues to god......anything...and most of the time kids with classic disabilties aren't really served well since it's usually about LD or behavorial issues with "Resource Room" kids. Even Resource Room teachers don't get a lot of training on how to teach kids like us.
 
Jillo, The kids were back today too, but it went very well. Got 3 folders to read and I met the kid, the kid is lovely and have good sense of humour and easy to read (body lang etc). I think I will survive. One of folder was the kid's IEP and it was pretty much clear on it's needs/targets and up until end of spring term. (phew...)
 
overthepond said:
Jillo, The kids were back today too, but it went very well. Got 3 folders to read and I met the kid, the kid is lovely and have good sense of humour and easy to read (body lang etc). I think I will survive. One of folder was the kid's IEP and it was pretty much clear on it's needs/targets and up until end of spring term. (phew...)
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That is good to hear. I'm glad that things look like they are going to work out well for you. Administration sure didn't assist with that, though.:P I'm sure this will be an enjoyable learning situation for your student and yourself.
 
shel90 said:
At my school, nobody has heard of differentiating the lessons. I just recently learned about it from a class I recently finished taking. I will have to go through my files when I am not busy and get them to you. How soon do you need them?
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Whenever you can...no worries if you can't. And I'll be happy to share what I have as well...I actually gave a presentation on it last summer. And there's an AWESOME resource book I own...I still have shit in boxes that haven't been unpacked lol - but when I find that book, I'll mail it to you to look at. You might already heard of it.

The biggest key (and challenge) to making differentiated instruction work is wise use of classroom time...that's tricky...and to think out of the box in terms of grouping, etc. I have spent a good week on one mini-lesson sometimes. But it's all worth it in the end...it really is.
 
overthepond said:
Jillo, The kids were back today too, but it went very well. Got 3 folders to read and I met the kid, the kid is lovely and have good sense of humour and easy to read (body lang etc). I think I will survive. One of folder was the kid's IEP and it was pretty much clear on it's needs/targets and up until end of spring term. (phew...)
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I'm curious...what is your job, exactly?
 
deafdyke said:
Hell yes. That is why mainstreaming has never really worked for most kids with disabilties.
And Grendel, I am SO glad you actually have personal experiance with how screwed up special ed can be in the mainstream, and that in turn influenced your decision to keep your daughter at a Deaf School! It's not just us "bashing the system" b/c it's not "deaf school or a deaf program"
Good point. Mainstream special ed is also very much "one size fits all" and can range from someone who has Asperger's to someone with severe behavorial issues to god......anything...and most of the time kids with classic disabilties aren't really served well since it's usually about LD or behavorial issues with "Resource Room" kids. Even Resource Room teachers don't get a lot of training on how to teach kids like us.
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I truly believe in my heart that any teacher with the appropriate support, resources, and training can teach a classroom with a diverse learning population. I truly do believe that self-contained classrooms for students with any kind of disabilities are debilitating to the students' progress and success. I also believe by combining the two populations, that it is really the regular education students who end up benefiting more in some ways. They learn compassion, patience, and diversity. The students in special education witness true peer modeling of what are the norms in communication, language, and behavior (social skills, etc.).

But for many deaf students, it's not that simple. By placing a deaf child in the mainstreamed classroom, it is in many ways, more restrictive than if you placed the in a the self-contained classroom.

You're right. Teachers usually don't get the right support and training to carry out the philosophy of 94-142. And there's NO sense in it.
 
I truly believe in my heart that any teacher with the appropriate support, resources, and training can teach a classroom with a diverse learning population. I truly do believe that self-contained classrooms for students with any kind of disabilities are debilitating to the students' progress and success. I also believe by combining the two populations, that it is really the regular education students who end up benefiting more in some ways. They learn compassion, patience, and diversity. The students in special education witness true peer modeling of what are the norms in communication, language, and behavior (social skills, etc.).

But for many deaf students, it's not that simple. By placing a deaf child in the mainstreamed classroom, it is in many ways, more restrictive than if you placed the in a the self-contained classroom.
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It can happen yes, but how often does it happen? I mean I do think that mainstreaming needs to be an option 100% ....BUT I also think that as with dhh kids, we need to offer a continum of placement options for kids with more "classic" disablties. That's really what I'm talking about. What I mean by that are the type of kids you'd see in an Early Intervention preschool.
Especially around jr high/high school. That is an period of time when things go haywire with social stuff. Also kids who aren't exactly going to be attending college might fall through the cracks. I don't really agree with self contained programs except maybe for intelelctucally disabled students. ...But I do think that maybe creating "regional classic disablities" resource rooms might help kids with classic disablites really acheive, more then a "solotaire" mainstreaming movement, like the way it is now.
Heck, they still have behavorial classrooms.
I know of what I speak. I've actually got multiple issues (besides hearing loss) I am LD, low muscle tone (pretty much like someone with mild CP) some behavorial issues (mostly due to my dhh needs not being met in the mainstream) seizures and other stuff I'm prolly not even remembering. I did get OK LD services in the mainstream.. I will give them that. BUT I had crappy fine motor and I didn't even get a notetaker until I was sophmore in high school!!!! :shock:
 
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