Mental Health needs for the youth

Yes, that is sad.

What worked for you? A special program or something else?
 
Reba said:
Yes, that is sad.

What worked for you? A special program or something else?
Click to expand...

A combination of things. Firstly, because I had lost my signing by being in a mainstreamed school for 10 years, I had to re-learn how to sign again, no easy task. Then they had to find the right combination meds, which they did, and for the most part, it's been largely unchanged, except for a hiccup in 2003. Otherwise, I've managed to stay out of the hospital. Then I needed to be introduced into the Deaf community, so DCFS placed me at a program in Northbrook, IL to get my high school education and learn how to survive.
 
Dreamer03 said:
Wow...
Click to expand...

Yeah. It took me 4+ years to become fluent in ASL after being so dormant for so long. Thanks to the DCFS, I have found both my home and comfort zone. Southern Illinois does NOT have any of the resources this area has, which is essential to my survival. That, and deaf people are far and few down there.
 
Last edited:
I find it hard to believe that you didnt use ASL at all even being in mainstream school? Did you not use it outside of school, with friends/family? Make friends wanting to learn to communicate with you?
I got a good friend who never realized I couldnt hear well till just a few years ago (we went to grade and high school together but didnt hang out) now he wants to learn ASL so he can talk to me better, well, Im not fluent in ASL just yet as Im still learning myself but I do show him bits and pieces along the way.
 
sonocativo said:
I find it hard to believe that you didnt use ASL at all even being in mainstream school? Did you not use it outside of school, with friends/family? Make friends wanting to learn to communicate with you?
I got a good friend who never realized I couldnt hear well till just a few years ago (we went to grade and high school together but didnt hang out) now he wants to learn ASL so he can talk to me better, well, Im not fluent in ASL just yet as Im still learning myself but I do show him bits and pieces along the way.
Click to expand...

Nope. I had nobody to use it with. I was basically the only deaf guy in town. And my parents don't sign, which didn't help matters. And the district refused to hire an interpreter.
 
Im surprised, I have been in several local shops here, some for the first time and the workers know ASL....wow
I was asking for stuff I couldnt find and them seeing I was having difficulty understanding them started signing ( can you sign in ASL) I would sign back ( a little, still learning) so they would do the best they could do with me and fingerspell if i didnt know the sign, really cool to run into that here and they are all hearies. the lady that did our countertops at HOODS, her as well as her 2 young daughters sign as they have a family friend who is Deaf... I know about 6 people who sign that works at the local stores (Hoods, HomeDepot, Meat Market, WalMart) and some of the stores post pictures of the employee who signs or speaks other languages...how cool is that?
 
sonocativo said:
Im surprised, I have been in several local shops here, some for the first time and the workers know ASL....wow
I was asking for stuff I couldnt find and them seeing I was having difficulty understanding them started signing ( can you sign in ASL) I would sign back ( a little, still learning) so they would do the best they could do with me and fingerspell if i didnt know the sign, really cool to run into that here and they are all hearies. the lady that did our countertops at HOODS, her as well as her 2 young daughters sign as they have a family friend who is Deaf... I know about 6 people who sign that works at the local stores (Hoods, HomeDepot, Meat Market, WalMart) and some of the stores post pictures of the employee who signs or speaks other languages...how cool is that?
Click to expand...

If I had a choice for maintaining my ASL back then, I would have moved to Jacksonville, IL, but my parents refused to send me there. That's one of the main reasons my ASL skills declined to the point of being next to nothing. That's why I had to re-learn the language, beginning in October 2000 and successfully getting the hang of it at the end of 2004, so yeah, it was a long road. I should add that I was hospitalized in October 2000, and spent nearly 4 months there. I was finally discharged in February 2001, after they determined I would need more ASL learning.
 
Last edited:
ChicagoBlue2 said:
If I had a choice for maintaining my ASL back then, I would have moved to Jacksonville, IL, but my parents refused to send me there. That's one of the main reasons my ASL skills declined to the point of being next to nothing. That's why I had to re-learn the language, beginning in October 2000 and successfully getting the hang of it at the end of 2004, so yeah, it was a long road. I should add that I was hospitalized in October 2000, and spent nearly 4 months there. I was finally discharged in February 2001, after they determined I would need more ASL learning.
Click to expand...

Surprised they didn't send you to a Deaf school with an ED program, like Walden School (part of TLC)
 
Id tell you straight off......it is Media that needs to be restrained.......
 
ChicagoBlue2 said:
A combination of things. Firstly, because I had lost my signing by being in a mainstreamed school for 10 years, I had to re-learn how to sign again, no easy task. Then they had to find the right combination meds, which they did, and for the most part, it's been largely unchanged, except for a hiccup in 2003. Otherwise, I've managed to stay out of the hospital. Then I needed to be introduced into the Deaf community, so DCFS placed me at a program in Northbrook, IL to get my high school education and learn how to survive.
Click to expand...

i know and i KNOW its not an easy task and bugger some mean deafies....stay strong...... bnut be kind at the same time, bloody unbelievably difficult but keep trying....most of ALL, BE true to YOURSEF , no one ELse, just YOU be YOU OK !?!
cheers
 
Back
Top