meaning schools and formal programs, is that the private oral P-8 schools (like Clarke, CID, St. Joseph's) are dying? I just spent a while looking at the Clarke Alum facebook site, and a lot of the alums are super sad that Clarke is turning into basicly an early childhood education center, rather then a boarding school.... I just gotta say that I do think there is still a need for Clarke. Some kids may not cotton to ASL and Deaf ed, and we all know what a headache it is trying to get decent accomondations in the mainstream. Maybe too, its that a lot of parents are unaware of the Clarke option....seperate schools really haven't been the norm for years now. It really is amazing how fast the population dwindled at Clarke. I remember when I was still in college (get audi services through there) there were still quite a few school age kids there, and there were still articles in Volta Voices" Send your kid to Clarke for Middle School!" It really is weird....the ONLY oral deaf school that has a huge population is Sunshine Cottage.....
It does seem that a lot of the kids who are being orally educated and mainstreamed, basicly have parents who are basicly like my parents were........they think that Deaf Ed is just for voice off kids, or they might not even be aware that Deaf Ed even exists....or they think that Deaf Schools are really crappy
It's not nessarily a bunch of the type of hardcore oral parents who are all " MY KID WON"T learn ASL! It's teh EVIL!"
Also, it does seem like a lot of the state schools for the deaf, have become CI/hoh friendly......
It does seem that a lot of the kids who are being orally educated and mainstreamed, basicly have parents who are basicly like my parents were........they think that Deaf Ed is just for voice off kids, or they might not even be aware that Deaf Ed even exists....or they think that Deaf Schools are really crappy
It's not nessarily a bunch of the type of hardcore oral parents who are all " MY KID WON"T learn ASL! It's teh EVIL!"
Also, it does seem like a lot of the state schools for the deaf, have become CI/hoh friendly......