I need advice

I guess a question would be What can I use for my kids to not be mainstreemed and if they are can I demand that the Interpretor teach the other children ASL?
 
AandEMomma said:
Thanks again, I have looked into MSD for answers and out of state tuition has to be paid by West Virginia, tuition is $100,000 dollars, I looked into the price because i was thinking I will pay it but it is expensive and I cannot afford that. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the country. (go figure) when i went to the school to set up an IEP for the kids to go to school I told them that they needed to go to a deaf school and that MSD is closer then West Virginia school for the deaf and blind and they said that they have a school for their needs and another mother boards her 4 year old son at the school. I disagree with boarding my kids they are too young and have little communication much less can understand why they cant go home to mommy and daddy. IF my children were maybe 8 or 9 I would consider it but I feel elementry school kids need to be home with their parents.

Speaking of differences of mainstreeming and deaf schools what benifits will my kids get from a deaf school?

Sorry I went to a mainstreem school I know little ASL from my kids but I am learning with Signing Time videos and books. I had no education on the deaf culture but my kids need to know that there are other children with Hearing problems, and how amazing it is that they created their own language using their hands my son needs it its the only thing he has to communicate.
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Your home school district is responsible for paying the tuition. They then receive money from the state, and the state receives money from the federal dept. of education. Don't let them try to manipulate you by crying "broke". They all try it.

Your kids will actually be attending school with their peers at a deaf school. They will have deaf adults to serve as mentors. They will be able to have friends and communicate with those friends without having to go through an interpreter. They will receive an education that is specific to meet the deaf child's needs and address the way a deaf child processes information. They will not be the odd man out as the only deaf student in a mainstream school.

It is wonderful to see a parent that is so willing to recognize and address her children's needs from their perpsective. Keep up the good work. :wave:
 
AandEMomma said:
I guess a question would be What can I use for my kids to not be mainstreemed and if they are can I demand that the Interpretor teach the other children ASL?
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Unfortunately, no you can't ask that the terp do that.

When you attend the IEP meeting, make sure you let them know that the LRE (least restrictive environment) for your ASL using children is a deaf school where they are not limited in their ability to communicate one on one with teachers, peers ,and staff. They will not be restricted in their access to the academic curriculum in a deaf school. Therefore, the deaf school is, in reality, the LRE, not the mainstream home school as so many hearing educators assume. These decision often come down to the way that least restrictive environment is interpreted.
 
Hi..I tried contacting my friends who live in West VA...no reply. I hadnt talked to them in years so maybe they changed email addys. I wish I could be mroe of help regarding to the Deaf Education system in W. Va.

If MSD is out of the question, what about Kendall in Washington, D.C.? They accept out of state students.
 
Ive never heard of Kendell. I am still going to bring it up and be compleately annoying and keep calling IEP meetings until I get what I want D.C is a bit further than Fredrick but i will def look into it Im doing all I can do so my kids do not have to take that ride or board I was even thinking berkeley county can pay for the bus ride to a bus stop the school for the deaf of WV stops at and take them from there but i have no idea my mind is so cluttered with idea's I almost need to get a book I wish I knew a really good deaf advicote around here
 
If you're only 45 mintues from MSD, I think you definitly SHOULD insist on placement there. I have heard of kids attending Deaf Schools/regional programs when they are closer to another state's Deaf School. You do have the arguement that if MSD is only a bit away, then your kids DO NOT need to board. This isn't the 1950's or 60's.....And yes, West Virgina is a poor state, but your kids have a right to a FAPE. An Appropreate Education does not generally mean boarding very small kids.
I think it rocks that you reconize that your kids need a Deaf program. And I do add to jillo's comment about your daughter......Deaf ed overall is becoming a LOT more hoh friendly. Be child centered. She might spend early childhood at Deaf School, and then mainstream, or attend a mainstream dhh program......I wonder actually if maybe a good idea might be to have her evaluted at a school for the deaf to see what a good placement would be, and what the available options are. Like she does sound like a perfect canidate for a sizable mainstream program....but if a deaf school option is available, I would definitly take advantage of that.Even the really bad Deaf Schools tend to be decent with early childhood/early grades....and MSD is an amazing amazing deaf school.
 
My daughter Emma-Leigh is my first child I put in a deaf school I fought Washington County Maryland to have my son go to MSD and won but I was evicted from my home and Had to sell my car the only place affordable I found was where I am right now so my son did not get his chance to attend a deaf school But I really do belive they both need to be in the same school and both have the education with children like them. MSD told me Austin needed a Enhanced Services program for his multiple disablities. As far as who gets in to deaf schools any one that has a hearing loss can be in a deaf school I wish I went to a deaf school it wouldnt of had me so nieeve of the community and ASL I think its cruicial for anyone hoh or deaf to have that education about the culture and have the option to turn it away but still be educated about it.
 
There is another thing to consider but I am not familiar with deaf education in WV. There could be a mainstream program where a bunch of DHH students come together from different towns and take classes of their own with a DHH teacher. Sometimes they will take regular ed classes with hearing peers but with interpreters there.

If you have certain skills, maybe you could look into working for a deaf school so then you could move closer to the school and work there as well. But not having a car could be problematic unless a friend could loan one until you can buy one yourself.
 
AandEMomma said:
My daughter Emma-Leigh is my first child I put in a deaf school I fought Washington County Maryland to have my son go to MSD and won but I was evicted from my home and Had to sell my car the only place affordable I found was where I am right now so my son did not get his chance to attend a deaf school But I really do belive they both need to be in the same school and both have the education with children like them. MSD told me Austin needed a Enhanced Services program for his multiple disablities. As far as who gets in to deaf schools any one that has a hearing loss can be in a deaf school I wish I went to a deaf school it wouldnt of had me so nieeve of the community and ASL I think its cruicial for anyone hoh or deaf to have that education about the culture and have the option to turn it away but still be educated about it.
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Hmmmmm............ I wonder. Are there any laws in your state regarding homeless families? In my state if a family becomes homeless, they can keep their kid in the same school. I wonder if you could argue that angle?
Is Austin obviously multiply handicapped? That is another argument. Most dhh programs won't have a lot of kids with secondary disabilties.....and it would be really horrible to send a little kid with multiple issues off to the dorms.
 
AandEMomma said:
Ive never heard of Kendell. I am still going to bring it up and be compleately annoying and keep calling IEP meetings until I get what I want D.C is a bit further than Fredrick but i will def look into it Im doing all I can do so my kids do not have to take that ride or board I was even thinking berkeley county can pay for the bus ride to a bus stop the school for the deaf of WV stops at and take them from there but i have no idea my mind is so cluttered with idea's I almost need to get a book I wish I knew a really good deaf advicote around here
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The more annoying you are to the school system, the quicker you will get results.:P
 
AandEMomma said:
My daughter Emma-Leigh is my first child I put in a deaf school I fought Washington County Maryland to have my son go to MSD and won but I was evicted from my home and Had to sell my car the only place affordable I found was where I am right now so my son did not get his chance to attend a deaf school But I really do belive they both need to be in the same school and both have the education with children like them. MSD told me Austin needed a Enhanced Services program for his multiple disablities. As far as who gets in to deaf schools any one that has a hearing loss can be in a deaf school I wish I went to a deaf school it wouldnt of had me so nieeve of the community and ASL I think its cruicial for anyone hoh or deaf to have that education about the culture and have the option to turn it away but still be educated about it.
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I hope you still have all the paperwork from the decision to place your son at a deaf school. That will create precedent, and will help you get him placed this time.
 
I do have all of the paper work and I only have one vehicle which my fiance' takes to work in the am but driving an hr away with a 8cylinder suv is alot on gas i cannot afford that. I am not homeless... so I do not understand where you are going with that. I will look in to the mainstreem programs as long as the teacher has knowlege of the dhh children Austins last school couldnt tell me how to put a battery in his hearing aide which i found quite ignorent. But I taught them alot but knowlege of dhh children is a must for me when working with children. I have reports from a place called Kennedy Kreiger Insitue in Baltimore for Austin but they are almost 3 years old so I dont know if they will over rule that But I do need to get him retested for Autism which they ruled out due to lack of communication. It took 3 years to find communication for him. Working at a school I do not know if I could do that because I barely know ASL just certin words like please thank you share No yes sorry and ect.. I know some animals and colors but not enough to have a converstion with someone Only sentences I know are How are you? Nice to meet you. and what is your name? so still niieve to the language but learning. Thanks all for helping cuz IM making a list of everything your saying for angles around this so that way I can get what is best for them.
 
Another thing I wanted to add was that people are so ignorent to dhh children they blame lack of communication on the disablity which to me is not true they say all deaf children have violent behaviors shows how niieve psychologist can be to dhh children. ITs def. hard getting opinions on what is going on with your child
 
deafdyke is on to something here. The federal statute is the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Look at state policies law implementing the statute. Contact an attorney in your jurisdiction for assistance.
 
Would that even work if Ive been here since May 2011 Austin got to compleate his school year off with his school( mainstreem school Robinwood) but Emma-Leigh's school (MSD)kicked her out the day we was booted from our home which I always thought they had to give you 30 days til its a permenent place of living. I will def. check into it anything helps really.
 
AandEMomma said:
Would that even work if Ive been here since May 2011 Austin got to compleate his school year off with his school( mainstreem school Robinwood) but Emma-Leigh's school (MSD)kicked her out the day we was booted from our home which I always thought they had to give you 30 days til its a permenent place of living. I will def. check into it anything helps really.
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I wonder how the school would even know you were/are being kicked out. I suspect there is more going on here. Personally I think you need to find an advocate that can help you jump through the legal hurdles in your area. Preferably someone that has gone through something similar (or helped someone with a similar story). Sorry I could not be more helpful.
 
AandEMomma said:
I do have all of the paper work and I only have one vehicle which my fiance' takes to work in the am but driving an hr away with a 8cylinder suv is alot on gas i cannot afford that. I am not homeless... so I do not understand where you are going with that. I will look in to the mainstreem programs as long as the teacher has knowlege of the dhh children Austins last school couldnt tell me how to put a battery in his hearing aide which i found quite ignorent. But I taught them alot but knowlege of dhh children is a must for me when working with children. I have reports from a place called Kennedy Kreiger Insitue in Baltimore for Austin but they are almost 3 years old so I dont know if they will over rule that But I do need to get him retested for Autism which they ruled out due to lack of communication. It took 3 years to find communication for him. Working at a school I do not know if I could do that because I barely know ASL just certin words like please thank you share No yes sorry and ect.. I know some animals and colors but not enough to have a converstion with someone Only sentences I know are How are you? Nice to meet you. and what is your name? so still niieve to the language but learning. Thanks all for helping cuz IM making a list of everything your saying for angles around this so that way I can get what is best for them.
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I agree that knowledge of a deaf/hoh child is something that needs to be addressed in the mainstream. I have known of deaf kids that would be disciplined for misbehaving when, if the teacher had only known more about the kid she was dealing with, it wouldn't have been seen as misbehavior at all.

The school system has to have him tested every 3 years at their expense to keep him on an IEP. That will be true even if he does get placed at a deaf school.

Just don't be afraid to ask questions. I think everyone here has a concern for the educational problems for deaf kids. I'm pulling for you and your beautiful kids!
 
AandEMomma said:
Another thing I wanted to add was that people are so ignorent to dhh children they blame lack of communication on the disablity which to me is not true they say all deaf children have violent behaviors shows how niieve psychologist can be to dhh children. ITs def. hard getting opinions on what is going on with your child
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Insist that whoever evaluates your kids have experience in kids with hearing loss. Even if they have to bring someone in from another state, this is very important. Those evaluations require a great deal of interpretation by the person administering the test. They will be likely to misinterpret if they do not know which responses are dependent upon deafness or language and culture differences.
 
I am not homeless... so I do not understand where you are going with that. I will look in to the mainstreem programs as long as the teacher has knowlege of the dhh children Austins last school couldnt tell me how to put a battery in his hearing aide which i found quite ignorent. But I taught them alot but knowlege of dhh children is a must for me when working with children. I have reports from a place called Kennedy Kreiger Insitue in Baltimore for Austin but they are almost 3 years old so I dont know if they will over rule that But I do need to get him retested for Autism which they ruled out due to lack of communication. It took 3 years to find communication for him
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You're not on the streets/in a shelter homeless, but b/c you were evicted you might still qualify as homeless, and thus take advantage of that law. Another argument is that your son needs a special needs program. They don't have that at WVSDB. They DO have it at MSD.
 
UPDATE:

I called an advocate today someone will reach me in a few days for further info (so they say)

I emailed some of the gov officials the same letter I wrote to Michelle Obama (if anyone wants to read my letter I can post it) but I email the Governor, A Delegate, the Cabinet secretary for Dept. of Education and the State Superintendant.

Can anyone think of anyone else??
 
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