Is mainstream good for deaf?

Well ...

First oral school> K to 4
Second deaf school >5 to 8
Last mainstream >8 to 12 grade
then graduated..
...
...
Now part time college :D
 
"Mainstream" or "general" education (the state-preferred term) in the local public schools of my area usually consist of 1-4 deaf/hoh students with interpreters for all their classes. Usually one period per day the deaf/hoh students go to a "resource" room for one-on-one "tutoring." They have no contact with deaf adults or the local deaf community.
 
I was mainstreamed, there were two HOH students including me. I graduated with honors, the second dropped out. My accomodations constisted of two hours a week of speech therapy until the day I graduated. I had no reason to go to a deaf school. I never learned ASL, I live in a rural area on a farm. It was never an option for me. I live with a family where excuses (including being HOH) were not acceptable reasons for lack of sucess. I used my voice and requested accomadations in small ways. For example, my test were based out of the book. If I memorize the book, I pass the test. I taught myself how to learn alone. Unfortunately, for some, their voices are not heard. Going through a mainstream school HOH has prepared me well for college. I feel lucky for this forum has clearly shown me that many have not have such a great experience. I was lonely and felt left out, but I saw it as necessary. Perhaps because of the desire to meet my parents expectations.

Because of my sucess at most areas of my life-ie academically, I have accepted that I will be mainstreamed in all areas of my life. Which makes me sad sometimes. Sometimes not. One year from now, I am graduating and looking at grad schools, I question if I am happy, or if I am lonely. Or if I have the potential of greater happiness becoming a part of this culture and devoloping better social skills. I don't know what I will do.

People have different goals, different needs, different turning points and different life experiences. I don't know if this answers your question.
 
mainstream all of my life except for Fsdb in 6th grade. I didn't like it.
 
Yes. FSDB. I didn't like it at FSDB. I hated there. I was homesick. My body wasn't strong.
 
paperclip said:
I was mainstreamed, there were two HOH students including me. I graduated with honors, the second dropped out. My accomodations constisted of two hours a week of speech therapy until the day I graduated. I had no reason to go to a deaf school. I never learned ASL, I live in a rural area on a farm. It was never an option for me. I live with a family where excuses (including being HOH) were not acceptable reasons for lack of sucess. I used my voice and requested accomadations in small ways. For example, my test were based out of the book. If I memorize the book, I pass the test. I taught myself how to learn alone. Unfortunately, for some, their voices are not heard. Going through a mainstream school HOH has prepared me well for college. I feel lucky for this forum has clearly shown me that many have not have such a great experience. I was lonely and felt left out, but I saw it as necessary. Perhaps because of the desire to meet my parents expectations.

Because of my sucess at most areas of my life-ie academically, I have accepted that I will be mainstreamed in all areas of my life. Which makes me sad sometimes. Sometimes not. One year from now, I am graduating and looking at grad schools, I question if I am happy, or if I am lonely. Or if I have the potential of greater happiness becoming a part of this culture and devoloping better social skills. I don't know what I will do.

People have different goals, different needs, different turning points and different life experiences. I don't know if this answers your question.
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My experience was almost similar to yours.

I started out in oral school where sign language wasn't used. I didn't start using sign language until I moved to another state and entered mainstream elementary school with a deaf program and interpreters. I did well and was placed in mainstream class with hearing kids, but the one thing holding me back a bit was the way the directors of the deaf departments treated me.

In elementary school, I had 3 teachers who really taught me a lot and were very positive towards my development.

In junior high school, I had one teacher who was extremely negative with everything. If I made a mistake, she wouldn't explain how I could do better... she simply degraded me and called me stupid for making that mistake.

In high school, the director of the deaf department would always degrade me and was extremely pessimistic with everything. She never explained what I should expect as a deaf person in a hearing world. She would simply say things like, "You will never get anywhere. No one is going to hire you. She/He (referring to another student) will always be better than you and will succeed while you won't!" (Of course, everyone she said was better than me ended up never getting a college degree.)

When I went to college, I was totally unprepared for what I was offered. I never knew that I could easily get interpreters if I requested them in advance. I never knew that I could request interpreters for any class if necessary. I was always taught that nothing will go my way and that I have to pick classes that deaf departments assign me. I felt that my life was maintained by the deaf department. I'm glad that the deaf department at my college was more open and honest with me than my high school. :)
 
Meggie2 said:
I use to have academic ability to function with regular classes without any accodomations until 3rd grade. I got held back.
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Perhaps you wouldn't have been held back if you had proper accommodations from the beginning.
 
Meggie2 said:
Not in California
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I'm sorry, sweetie, but you are wrong. It is a federal mandate and it applies to all states in the U.S. Income is never an issue. The only deciding factor is if the student has a need for accommodation.
 
jillio said:
I'm sorry, sweetie, but you are wrong. It is a federal mandate and it applies to all states in the U.S. Income is never an issue. The only deciding factor is if the student has a need for accommodation.
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It seems like the school screwed her and her family over. If that was so, that is so typical of so many mainstreaming programs.
 
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