Best Deaf School?
- Thread starter Cousin Vinny
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You means all deaf school? STRONGLY DISAGREE with you...
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LOL! I agree with u about the good deaf schools. I know many alumni who graduated many of those "shitty" deaf schools who have great careers.
Sure Deaf Schools don't have really advanced academics, which sucks.......but I mean at least they're really good for early intervention.
Ugh.........but then again.........a lot of inner city high schools are probaly like this.
Judge Terror
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Then why are you on a deaf forum if you hate the deaf community? That strikes me as sort of ironic.
Snazzystyle, he meant that not all deaf schools are bad. There are some which are bad, and have really crappy academic programs.
But just b/c there are some which are bad, doesn't mean ALL of them are bad. I mean there's MSSD, TLC, Austine, WPSD, Florida School for the deaf and Blind, the California Schools for the Deaf etc.
One thing that I think might improve deaf and classicly disabled education in general, is maybe requiring that the MR and low functioning LD kids, be educated in a seperate program from the higher functioning kids. Also create an "academy" for the high functioning kids who may need the Deaf school b/c the resources and things where they live aren't very good.
Also another good idear would be to encourage mainstreaming in the local high schools..........
But just b/c there are some which are bad, doesn't mean ALL of them are bad. I mean there's MSSD, TLC, Austine, WPSD, Florida School for the deaf and Blind, the California Schools for the Deaf etc.
One thing that I think might improve deaf and classicly disabled education in general, is maybe requiring that the MR and low functioning LD kids, be educated in a seperate program from the higher functioning kids. Also create an "academy" for the high functioning kids who may need the Deaf school b/c the resources and things where they live aren't very good.
Also another good idear would be to encourage mainstreaming in the local high schools..........
Casperman
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I noticed yall talkin abouit best deaf schools etc... I was sittin and thinkin...My deaf sons have autsic and adhd- i rather go and research if THEY DO Have good austic program.. I found out many good deaf schools DONT have those... alliknow is Kentucky,Texas do have those and Clerc Center just started.. I rather stay in KY for while for my boys sake and my older son just improving and than movin and got him in a mess and start allover again..
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Maryland School for the Deaf has a program for deaf kids with special needs. We have several deaf students with austism. What we need is more workshops to train staff how to meet those students' needs. Hopefully, in the next school year so I agree with u. It takes special kind of training to work with children with austism.
Cousin Vinny
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I continue to believe, admittedly based on anecdotal and subjective evidence, that Maryland School for the Deaf - Frederick is THE top rated Deaf school in North America. Want proof? Check out a representative byproduct of that school;
Exhibit #A
Exhibit #A
OK--I have more to report about my daughter and her educational needs. Our family is probably going to be moving to Orlando, Florida--job situations and other reasons. So we took a trip last week to check it all out. First stop, the deaf/hard of hearing program in Orange County schools. Very nice people--loved the teachers, speech therapist, interpreter,etc. Very nice students--met about 6 girls and 6 boys--this is middle school. My daughter explained to everyone that she wants to learn sign but is nervous about learning (worried that she will have a hard time learning)--almost everyone SPOKE to her and said that THEY also did not learn sign until middle school and that they are also learning and they learned fast. One very sweet girl, same age as my daughter, is hard of hearing and her mother is deaf so she grew up with both speech and ASL--she really put my daughter at ease by talking to her and telling her that she would love for her to come to school there because she wants the girls to outnumber the boys! --and she also said that she would help my daughter learn sign and would intrepret for her to help her learn. My daughter felt pretty much at ease as we toured the school--she went on and on about how much she LOVED Orlando and wanted to move there. So this would be a step in a direction away from mainstreaming--my daughter has always been mainstreamed and the only deaf student--but the handful of deaf/hofh kids are at a mainstream school and they seem to spend a lot of time away form each other as they mainstream with the regular ed kids. I think they do have lunch together and some may spend more time in the deaf/hofh class together, but they all have spearate schedules (like all middle school students) and all kind of go their own individual ways most of the day. I don't know how much time my daughter would really be with the other deaf/hofh kids--enough to really bond and build close friendships?--maybe--I saw some possible potential for that. However, I think my daughter will still shy away from extracurricular activities because she does not feel confident trying out for things if she is the "deaf kid" competing about "regular kids"--know what I mean? She is not confident enough to jump in and assert herself--she is a follower, not a leader. So, probably no sports, band, plays, etc. if she goes there. She just does not feel confident in that environment and doesn't want to stand out in any way.
Now--we decided to drive the 2 hours northeast to St. Augustine to check out the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. My feelings before the visit: let's look at it as a possible high school plan, but that is two years into the future. The high school deaf/hofh program in Orlando has about 30 students and could also be a possibility for the future--but that would still put her in a mainstream school and she still may not feel comfortable doing sports or other competitive things against the regular ed. students. So my mindset was to look at it, but I just could not fathom the possibility of my daughter living away from home during the week. It killed me to think about it.
My daughter and I arrived on the FSDB campus, and she began talking about how much she liked it. They showed us around by driving us in a golf cart--she went on and on as we rode, talking to the tour guide about how much she liked the place. We visited the middle school classrooms and met the teachers and students--very impressive!!! Each class was divided by grade level and subject--we saw about 5 to 8 kids in each room--my daughter saw LOTS of kids with hearing aids!!--MANY of the teachers and students TALKED to her and asked the tour guide about her--MANY of them assured her that they didn't know sign when they first started there and they learned quickly--and the curriculum and teaching materials were VERY impressive!--when I described some of it to my son who is in regular middle school, he was impressed and said that he wished he had that stuff at HIS middle school--I could go on and on, but the point is this: teachers and students were VERY open to oralism and beginning signers (they SPOKE to us and told my daughter that they would help her learn ASL), there were MANY kids like my daughter (oral deaf, learning ASL) (I think about 125 middle school students and 200 high school students) (not all are oral, but MANY are), and I was very impressed with the academics as we watched the classes "in action." So, my impression was: WOW! This is great! My daughter's impression: I would say that she was "in heaven"!!--she talked to the teachers and adults, she talked the the students, she opened up more and more as the tour went on--she LOVED it!!!
Then we continued to tour the campus and the subject of sports/music/extracurriculars came up. My daughter assertively said, "I LOVE volleyball and basketball!" So we went to the gym to meet the coaches--and she talked to them and they talked to her--they told her that she is very tall and would probably be able to be on the JV team and sometimes play Varsity, too, while still in middle school. My daughter saw and Auburn University sticker and talked to one of the coaches about that (she likes Auburn--other coach tried to persuade my daughter to be a UF Gator fan!)--I saw my daughter come completely out of her shell! It was such a good feeling to see her feel so comfortable and at ease---she was "in her element." She talked on and on to everyone about everything, and they continued to talk to her and assure her that she would do fine learning ASL.
Then we checked out things like the cafeteria and dorms--this is where I reminded her about the week-long boarding and weekends at home. We learned that about 55 students ride the Orlando bus home every weekend. We saw their suitcases packed and ready to go. We saw the same posters on the walls as my daughter has at home in her room (JoJo, Beyonce, Hilary Duff, etc.). We saw how it all works--the living there and riding the bus home each weekend. We saw the meals and the menus. We saw the snacks. We saw the lifestyle she would lead if she boarded there. My daughter commented that it was a lot like a sleepover--they said that with permission from both students' parents, students can even ride buses to other cities and have sleepovers in their friend's hometowns on the weekends. So, my daughter could have "sleepovers" every night at the dorms, then she could have them at home on the weekends with her Orlando friends, AND she could have them at home and in other cities with her friends from other places. Just add that to more positives for her!--she RARELY goes to ANY sleepovers right now--she essentially gets left out by the kids at her mainstream school.
As the tour was winding down, she said this--"My mom said I might could go to high school here, but I REALLY want to go to middle school here, too." I said something about having a hard time letting her go--how hard it would be to let her live away from me during the week. Her response--"Mom! I'm not a little child anymore! I'll be fine! I really want to go to school here now, not two years from now!" Those words hit hard--she is right, she is growing up and not a child anymore--but letting my daughter go to boarding school, not seeing her EVERY DAY like I have all of her life--OUCH!! That hurts so bad!! But I guess that is more about me than her, huh? I know she would miss me, but she is convinced that she wants to do this. OMG--I NEVER thought I would have to deal with this kind of separation so soon---BTW, I have always been a stay-at-home mother, so I have always been with my kids. I took her to all of her speech therapy/AVT sessions. We bonded tightly. It is KILLING me to let go this much and this soon!!
BUT--I am thinking about this from this perspective. Would the Orlando program be good for her? Maybe. Should I insist that she try it first before going away to boarding school? Maybe. OR--Am I that much more impressed with what FSDB has to offer my daughter? YES! Does FSDB seem like a better fit for her? YES! So now, as much as I wish I could have her with me EVERY DAY like she has been all of her life, I have to admit: SHE likes FSDB better, SHE wants to go there for BOTH middle AND high school, SHE is ok with the boarding and coming home for the weekends (at least she says she is--reality may be different), and we BOTH seem to agree that FSDB is the better place for her. SO I guess I have to get over my separation issues--I think I will have a much harder time than she will!!
The good part is: I will receive my Masters Degree in a few months and I am planning to start working full-time when we move to Orlando--hopefully this will keep my mind busy so I won't sit around the house in misery pining for her every day. She will do school all week and I will work all week--then we will reunite every weekend and do lots of fun things in Orlando! That could be a good thing! And I won't have the worry of trying to start a new job and figuring out what to do with my daughter during after school hours--my son has that all figured out since he will be in high school, but middle school is more difficult to figure out sometimes. One thing I was nervous about when going back to work: sibling rivalry at home after school--teenage son home alone is fine, add his sister to the mix and things don't always go so well. Maybe this will work out good in many ways. But still--I WILL MISS HER TERRIBLY!!!!!
We haven't made the final decision, but it is looking more and more like we will be moving to Orlando and my daughter will commute to FSDB during the week and come home to Orlando on the weekends. We checked out many things around Orlando--we KNOW we will like living there. Jobs for husband and me look promising, high school for son looks great, housing looks good in the area we are focusing on. Trying to find the best school for my daughter, and it looks like FSDB. Oh my--THAT is the hardest part. Well, if she doesn't like it as much as she thinks she will, she can always come back to the original plan of public school deaf/hofh program. But I don't think she is going to change her mind--she has said several times that she no longer wants to go to the Orlando school--that she wants to go to the school in St. Augustine. I hope we can handle this change--she is growing up and soon will truly be leaving home for a life of her own. I guess this is just a step toward that direction--a BIG step and a step taken MUCH earler than I was planning--but I guess my job is to begin letting those apron strings loose on her. I love her SO much and I HATE letting go, but I DO want her to be a productive, independent adult and I think this is the best way for her to achieve that goal. Wish us luck!!
--and she also said that she would help my daughter learn sign and would intrepret for her to help her learn. My daughter felt pretty much at ease as we toured the school--she went on and on about how much she LOVED Orlando and wanted to move there. So this would be a step in a direction away from mainstreaming--my daughter has always been mainstreamed and the only deaf student--but the handful of deaf/hofh kids are at a mainstream school and they seem to spend a lot of time away form each other as they mainstream with the regular ed kids. I think they do have lunch together and some may spend more time in the deaf/hofh class together, but they all have spearate schedules (like all middle school students) and all kind of go their own individual ways most of the day. I don't know how much time my daughter would really be with the other deaf/hofh kids--enough to really bond and build close friendships?--maybe--I saw some possible potential for that. However, I think my daughter will still shy away from extracurricular activities because she does not feel confident trying out for things if she is the "deaf kid" competing about "regular kids"--know what I mean? She is not confident enough to jump in and assert herself--she is a follower, not a leader. So, probably no sports, band, plays, etc. if she goes there. She just does not feel confident in that environment and doesn't want to stand out in any way.Now--we decided to drive the 2 hours northeast to St. Augustine to check out the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. My feelings before the visit: let's look at it as a possible high school plan, but that is two years into the future. The high school deaf/hofh program in Orlando has about 30 students and could also be a possibility for the future--but that would still put her in a mainstream school and she still may not feel comfortable doing sports or other competitive things against the regular ed. students. So my mindset was to look at it, but I just could not fathom the possibility of my daughter living away from home during the week. It killed me to think about it.
My daughter and I arrived on the FSDB campus, and she began talking about how much she liked it. They showed us around by driving us in a golf cart--she went on and on as we rode, talking to the tour guide about how much she liked the place. We visited the middle school classrooms and met the teachers and students--very impressive!!! Each class was divided by grade level and subject--we saw about 5 to 8 kids in each room--my daughter saw LOTS of kids with hearing aids!!--MANY of the teachers and students TALKED to her and asked the tour guide about her--MANY of them assured her that they didn't know sign when they first started there and they learned quickly--and the curriculum and teaching materials were VERY impressive!--when I described some of it to my son who is in regular middle school, he was impressed and said that he wished he had that stuff at HIS middle school--I could go on and on, but the point is this: teachers and students were VERY open to oralism and beginning signers (they SPOKE to us and told my daughter that they would help her learn ASL), there were MANY kids like my daughter (oral deaf, learning ASL) (I think about 125 middle school students and 200 high school students) (not all are oral, but MANY are), and I was very impressed with the academics as we watched the classes "in action." So, my impression was: WOW! This is great! My daughter's impression: I would say that she was "in heaven"!!--she talked to the teachers and adults, she talked the the students, she opened up more and more as the tour went on--she LOVED it!!!
Then we continued to tour the campus and the subject of sports/music/extracurriculars came up. My daughter assertively said, "I LOVE volleyball and basketball!" So we went to the gym to meet the coaches--and she talked to them and they talked to her--they told her that she is very tall and would probably be able to be on the JV team and sometimes play Varsity, too, while still in middle school. My daughter saw and Auburn University sticker and talked to one of the coaches about that (she likes Auburn--other coach tried to persuade my daughter to be a UF Gator fan!
)--I saw my daughter come completely out of her shell! It was such a good feeling to see her feel so comfortable and at ease---she was "in her element." She talked on and on to everyone about everything, and they continued to talk to her and assure her that she would do fine learning ASL. Then we checked out things like the cafeteria and dorms--this is where I reminded her about the week-long boarding and weekends at home. We learned that about 55 students ride the Orlando bus home every weekend. We saw their suitcases packed and ready to go. We saw the same posters on the walls as my daughter has at home in her room (JoJo, Beyonce, Hilary Duff, etc.). We saw how it all works--the living there and riding the bus home each weekend. We saw the meals and the menus. We saw the snacks. We saw the lifestyle she would lead if she boarded there. My daughter commented that it was a lot like a sleepover--they said that with permission from both students' parents, students can even ride buses to other cities and have sleepovers in their friend's hometowns on the weekends. So, my daughter could have "sleepovers" every night at the dorms, then she could have them at home on the weekends with her Orlando friends, AND she could have them at home and in other cities with her friends from other places. Just add that to more positives for her!--she RARELY goes to ANY sleepovers right now--she essentially gets left out by the kids at her mainstream school.
As the tour was winding down, she said this--"My mom said I might could go to high school here, but I REALLY want to go to middle school here, too." I said something about having a hard time letting her go--how hard it would be to let her live away from me during the week. Her response--"Mom! I'm not a little child anymore! I'll be fine! I really want to go to school here now, not two years from now!" Those words hit hard--she is right, she is growing up and not a child anymore--but letting my daughter go to boarding school, not seeing her EVERY DAY like I have all of her life--OUCH!! That hurts so bad!! But I guess that is more about me than her, huh? I know she would miss me, but she is convinced that she wants to do this. OMG--I NEVER thought I would have to deal with this kind of separation so soon---BTW, I have always been a stay-at-home mother, so I have always been with my kids. I took her to all of her speech therapy/AVT sessions. We bonded tightly. It is KILLING me to let go this much and this soon!!
BUT--I am thinking about this from this perspective. Would the Orlando program be good for her? Maybe. Should I insist that she try it first before going away to boarding school? Maybe. OR--Am I that much more impressed with what FSDB has to offer my daughter? YES! Does FSDB seem like a better fit for her? YES! So now, as much as I wish I could have her with me EVERY DAY like she has been all of her life, I have to admit: SHE likes FSDB better, SHE wants to go there for BOTH middle AND high school, SHE is ok with the boarding and coming home for the weekends (at least she says she is--reality may be different), and we BOTH seem to agree that FSDB is the better place for her. SO I guess I have to get over my separation issues--I think I will have a much harder time than she will!!
The good part is: I will receive my Masters Degree in a few months and I am planning to start working full-time when we move to Orlando--hopefully this will keep my mind busy so I won't sit around the house in misery pining for her every day. She will do school all week and I will work all week--then we will reunite every weekend and do lots of fun things in Orlando! That could be a good thing! And I won't have the worry of trying to start a new job and figuring out what to do with my daughter during after school hours--my son has that all figured out since he will be in high school, but middle school is more difficult to figure out sometimes. One thing I was nervous about when going back to work: sibling rivalry at home after school--teenage son home alone is fine, add his sister to the mix and things don't always go so well. Maybe this will work out good in many ways. But still--I WILL MISS HER TERRIBLY!!!!!
We haven't made the final decision, but it is looking more and more like we will be moving to Orlando and my daughter will commute to FSDB during the week and come home to Orlando on the weekends. We checked out many things around Orlando--we KNOW we will like living there. Jobs for husband and me look promising, high school for son looks great, housing looks good in the area we are focusing on. Trying to find the best school for my daughter, and it looks like FSDB. Oh my--THAT is the hardest part. Well, if she doesn't like it as much as she thinks she will, she can always come back to the original plan of public school deaf/hofh program. But I don't think she is going to change her mind--she has said several times that she no longer wants to go to the Orlando school--that she wants to go to the school in St. Augustine. I hope we can handle this change--she is growing up and soon will truly be leaving home for a life of her own. I guess this is just a step toward that direction--a BIG step and a step taken MUCH earler than I was planning--but I guess my job is to begin letting those apron strings loose on her. I love her SO much and I HATE letting go, but I DO want her to be a productive, independent adult and I think this is the best way for her to achieve that goal. Wish us luck!!
Cousin Vinny
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Wise move, there! FSD is somewhat a reasonably good school with a good slate of educational and extracurricular offerings. It isn't a 'top' school like MdSD, but is still very decent, nonetheless. Last I've heard, FSD offer AP classes in H.S., via partnering with other H.S. in the area!
The main advantage of a Deaf institution is that it allows Deaf children to flourish in all aspects of daily school life, from in the classroom, to the cafeteria, to club and sporting activities, and finally, dorm life. The biggest downside, as you can naturally guess, is that it may 'disconnect' Deaf children from their hearing families, unless they move into the same city. Thankfully, FSD sends their students home every weekend, so that this phenomenon is greatly reduced or eliminated.
Let me stress this; You really can't go wrong either way. She can stay at a mainstream program in Orlando for two more years before going onto FSD, or just cutting that part out and going to FSD directly from now on. However, before you know it, your child grows quickly and becomes an adult seemingly in a blink of an eye. You may want to spend the next two years with your daughter at home, cherishing those memories, good and bad, along the way.
BTW, there'll be a DeafNation Expo in the Orlando area on March 17. If you are in the area, I suggest you and your daughter attend. I, myself, plan on attending as well. (Orlando DeafNation Expo)
BTW, I'm an FSD alumni myself.
However, I graduated long time ago, and pretty much have lost all contact and knowledge about the school. I'll try to answer questions about FSD, if you want.Cousin Vinny
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BTW, this event happened sometime last week, and understandably, I'm quite proud of my alma mater, finishing 1st Place!
2007 Southeast Regional Academic Bowl
Let's hope the team will go onto the nationals and win the whole shebang.
ZiDaReNGeNiUS
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Deaf Schools SUCKS!!
I completely agree with you because I was in your same shoes too!
I completely agree with you because I was in your same shoes too!
Silentwolfdog
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SnAzZyStyLe2002 I can totally relate to you man...Deaf school treated me like a shit. It's like I don't exist at all and was hated by my peers because I actually...wanted to learn or was too smart (dunno which one). For frak's sake I wanted to go to college because I knew that's the only way I can escape the cycle that occurs at deaf school. Most students there can't really go to 4 yr college.
Hearing people treat me even better than deaf people did. I often wish that I transferred to public school sooner instead of wasting all those years at deaf school.
But...BUT I knew not all deaf school are like that though. Not every deaf person is like that either. I am just unlucky one that had to go through all those stuff, that's all. It's all in the past, nothing I do will change the past.
I wonder if those schools you guys mentioned that were good were mostly like located in strong deaf community? I wonder if it made a big difference? I think it does. Support is a big factor in whether the deaf school would flourish or not.
Remember for every good deaf school, there's got to be one that sucks too. Same with public school, home schooling, private school, and etc.
Hearing people treat me even better than deaf people did. I often wish that I transferred to public school sooner instead of wasting all those years at deaf school.
But...BUT I knew not all deaf school are like that though. Not every deaf person is like that either. I am just unlucky one that had to go through all those stuff, that's all. It's all in the past, nothing I do will change the past.
I wonder if those schools you guys mentioned that were good were mostly like located in strong deaf community? I wonder if it made a big difference? I think it does. Support is a big factor in whether the deaf school would flourish or not.
Remember for every good deaf school, there's got to be one that sucks too. Same with public school, home schooling, private school, and etc.