and the thing is, one of the biggest reasons why I think there's value in a deaf school/program is b/c far too many kids in the mainstream fall through the cracks. Yes, there are some kids who have very little issues and can coast through an inclusion set up ala the auditory-oral Dream Kid. Meaning they really thrive with a minimal accomondations approach, and might not even have the social issues that are so common. Other kids........*shakes head* Before I really did think that "heck at least the A/O/mainstreamed kids have basic literacy and academic abilty" I assumed that based on my own experience, and that the school system was good enough to "catch" the kids who were struggling......Had an interaction with an A/O mainstreamed 25 year old girl, where I had to explain the difference between past and present/future tense?!?!?!?! She thought I had written that I was boycottING something, when I had written that I had boycottED something.....and yes I was horrified. My friend who is very involved with the Deaf community in Rochester NY, told me about a couple of mainstreamed oral deaf kids (otherwise, bright and smart) who did not know how to alphabetize stuff and who couldn't count by 2,3, and 4s......I was horrified as well.
We need to set up a system so that kids DON"T fall through the cracks.
We also need to stop assuming that the best/least restrictive environment is the neighborhood school.....that really does assume that the neighborhood school is one of those suburban well equipted schools with all the resources available. I mean would people push for inclusion at an inner city school or a school in a super rural area? Even suburban schools aren't all that great.....Back around 1974 everyone thought that "YAY. Our dhh, blind/low vision, wheelchair, kids have thrown off the shackles of the low expectations of the state schools. Our kids are gonna do SO WELL!" Yes, we got rid of the wheelchair schools...(which is good b/c except for kids with severe orthopedic issues separate wheelchair schools aren't generally needed)