Yes, even functionally hoh students have difficulty in the mainstream. I think too many hearing parents idealize the mainstream and think it's absolutly perfect...a utopia if you will. The education available at a mainstream school might be better then at a deaf school, but on the other hand, it is damn difficult to get services in the mainstream! Most of the special ed services are just token services...b/c the mainstream wants MONEY and they want to expend the least possible amount of effort to give you an education. Trust me I know. The mainstream ain't all cake and roses sugar!instead of consider how hard it can be for a deaf person to be mainstreamed
Banjo, I wouldn't say that. There are hearing schools which are even worse then deaf schools (inner city high schools, for example) Besides, the reason why kids at schools for the deaf don't receive a good education is: most students at schools for the deaf are oral failures...as a result they are VERY behind on academics and have to spend time aquirring language skills. Also, many kids at schools for the deaf, did not get appropreaite services in early intervention. Many of them may have only had access to the basic public EI system, instead of an EI system for dhh kids, so again they have to expend tons of energy to catching up.It may be easier to just use ASL and send her to a school for the deaf. But think about it, the majority of schools for the deaf are among the lowest rated schools in the USA and Canada.
It is better to place a deaf child in a public school instead of a deaf school
Personally, I think that initally, all dhh kids should be sent to a school for the deaf, so they don't fall through the cracks...and in public schools they very often DO fall through the cracks. (especially seeing as most public school sped programs are targeted for kids with learning disabilties, rather then classic(eg deafness, blindness, mobilty etc) disabilties)