How To Explain Importance of Deaf Peers For Deaf Child?

That is great! I'm just reading this thread for the first time so I'm glad to read MTDC's latest post. I know I was mainstreamed with support services (interpreters, notetakers, HAs, phonic ear, etc.) but with only 2 other deaf kids in a school of some 2,500. Needless to say, I was "lost" in there and had serious self-esteem issues back then.
 
YAY!!!!! WTG Mom2DeafChild! So happy that she's staying at her current placement! Hopefully she'll remain in the program for a few years. Maybe res school might be an option for middle or high school....Just throwing it out there. High school can be misrable for any kid. You know....I am so pleased that you've discovered the difference between mainstream special ed and dhh ed. It really does seem like unless your kid is a superstar or you're a disabilty rights lawyer, you tend to get the short end of the stick. You really should advocate for parents rights to know about non "regular classes regular school" placements....I really think more parents would be interested in that sort of placement for their kids. I think many parents of mainstreamed to the max kids are so sick of dealing with special ed "experts" who don't know how to teach kids like us. Heck....even my friends who are special ed teachers say they hardley get much training on how to teach kids like us.
What part of PA are you from? Maybe a good idea might be to join a local Dhh support group or contact Western PA School for the Deaf for any good resources for dhh kids in PA.
 
I think it should be up to your child whether she wants deaf peers or not. However, if she does return to her home school, I think it is imperative that she have deaf peers because she will be the only deaf child in a school whose knowledge of Deaf Culture is severely limited. Through interaction with deaf peers, she will gain awareness of services being used by deaf mainstream students in general education and new technological advances being made currently in the deaf community. Such interaction will foster your child's pride in being a member of the deaf community. If she goes through her school years without awareness of Deaf Culture, it is very likely that she will be isolated from the deaf community and may feel lonely as a result. If your child was integrated in a mainstream program in a school with a program for deaf children, the necessity for deaf peers would not be as great. This is just one of my opinions, anyway...
 
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