I'm sure this has been asked before, but has anyone attended BOTH mainstream and Deaf schools? What were the advantages and disadvantages? I'm trying to get my students to realize that it's not a "one's good, the other evil" debate, but rather a measure of pros and cons.
Thanks
My son attended mainstream schools until the 4th grade, at which time he was transfered to St. Rita School for the Deaf. The problem with the school system I dealt with was consistency in service, and teachers who had never encountered a deaf student prior. He did well academically, as long as his terp was present. However, he began to develop socialization problems as he was only one of 2 deaf students in the school system, and the other one was younger. In addition, the itinerant speech and hearing specialist was very much of the oral philosophy, and my son had been raised thus far in a total communication environment with a great deal of exposure to the Deaf community from a very early age.
The advantages of his being transfered to a school for the Deaf as a day student were many. For one, he was actually in an environment with his peers--other deaf students. This is in contrast to the Least Restrictive Environment clause interpretation of his peer as hearing students. Communicaton between peers and teachers was very natural, as it no longer was necessary to facilitate through an interpreter. He had as role models Deaf adults who had achieved master's degrees in education, and the hearing faculty and staff were all fluent signers and were well educated regarding the methods most successful for deaf students. He was able to play sports (provided he kept his grades up!) without coaches being unaware of his communication needs and therefore, leaving him on the bench. He was able to particpate in the signing choir, theater productions, and as an older student, mentor some of the younger students at the elementary level.
Emersion in the culture of the school for the Deaf, however, did not limit his contact with the hearing world. He came home every evening to a hearing mother. He had contact with other hearing members of his extended family. The Deaf school also had a co-op program with a hearing high school. ASL students joined the students at St. Rita for many extra curricular activities, including planning movie nights, dances, bowling trips, and Silent Dinners.
I personally believe that, had the socialization problems he was experiencing in the mainstream been allowed to continue, his education would have suffered as a result. He would have become disillusioned and disinterested in school, and not been motivated to keep up with his studies beyond just what he had to do to get by. It is unfortunate that many mainstreamed deaf students are permitted to do just that because the educators are unfamiliar with deaf students and therefore have lowered expectations for their capabilites. At St. Rita, many of the teachers were Deaf, and the hearing teachers had years of experience in working with deaf students. They kept their expectations high, and encouraged him to achieve. And he was able to do so, as he was not distracted by the constant effort to fit in in the mainstream.
My son today is a 21 year old college student. He attends a hearing university, and rooms with one of his friends from high school. He has a terp for classes, is doing well, and is happy and well adjusted. He is comfortable with his deafness, and with his identity as a Deaf individual.
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