Pre-school teacher to deaf, mute and hard of hearing

I want to become a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing as well! But I wish to teach higher education such highschool and I also want to teach English!
 
I ran into someone today and they made me a little frustrated. I don't know how to feel since I am not personally deaf. This person I spoke to today is hearing and they specialise in deaf education and they were telling me how 85% of deaf children are born to hearing families and how it's important for them to have or hearing aids because knowing sign language won't help them in the real world and that it limits them. I said but isn't the implant invasive and they said no I have been doing this for 50 years maybe you should do more research. I am learning but honestly this experience has made me nervous about looking into it I don't want to feel like I am being spoken down too just because I am asking questions. Is it always like this?
 
Littlest_luna said:
I ran into someone today and they made me a little frustrated. I don't know how to feel since I am not personally deaf. This person I spoke to today is hearing and they specialise in deaf education and they were telling me how 85% of deaf children are born to hearing families and how it's important for them to have or hearing aids because knowing sign language won't help them in the real world and that it limits them. I said but isn't the implant invasive and they said no I have been doing this for 50 years maybe you should do more research. I am learning but honestly this experience has made me nervous about looking into it I don't want to feel like I am being spoken down too just because I am asking questions. Is it always like this?
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Was this person in one of our threads here? Hahahahaha @deafdyke ;-)
 
Littlest_luna said:
what programs/majors do you suggest I take? do you think 23 is to old to go back to school for this profession? How do you feel about the pre-3 initiative?
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I realize I'm a little late to the party but...

Please don't listen to anything this person has to say. We believe she's inflating her credentials at best, really condescending to DHH kids at the worst. She's the one who believe DHH kids need to be taught to listen and hear to be as successful as their hearing peers.

I'm HoH and was a special needs liaison for our Head Start preschool program (rural school district whose SPED program is centralized with a few other counties in the area) until I went back to school for counseling. I'd be glad to answer any questions you have in a pro DHH pro ASL kind of way :)
 
zeefour said:
I realize I'm a little late to the party but...

Please don't listen to anything this person has to say. We believe she's inflating her credentials at best, really condescending to DHH kids at the worst. She's the one who believe DHH kids need to be taught to listen and hear to be as successful as their hearing peers.

I'm HoH and was a special needs liaison for our Head Start preschool program (rural school district whose SPED program is centralized with a few other counties in the area) until I went back to school for counseling. I'd be glad to answer any questions you have in a pro DHH pro ASL kind of way :)
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Thank you I felt really bad because I felt uneducated. I had a feeling something was off with them they were older but came off so rud it was completely unnecessary on there part
 
Littlest_luna said:
I ran into someone today and they made me a little frustrated. I don't know how to feel since I am not personally deaf. This person I spoke to today is hearing and they specialise in deaf education and they were telling me how 85% of deaf children are born to hearing families and how it's important for them to have or hearing aids because knowing sign language won't help them in the real world and that it limits them. I said but isn't the implant invasive and they said no I have been doing this for 50 years maybe you should do more research. I am learning but honestly this experience has made me nervous about looking into it I don't want to feel like I am being spoken down too just because I am asking questions. Is it always like this?
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The number is closer to 95% of deaf children are born to hearing parents, but no, that person should not have been nasty and they certainly shouldn't have bad mouthed ASL.
ASL is a complete language that is 100% accessible to children with all levels hearing. There are some children with hearing loss that absolutely must use ASL as their first and native language with written English as their second language. There are some whose families choose ASL as their first language, written English as their second language, and no hearing technology at all. There are even more families who choose hearing aids and cochlear implants as well as a signed language and spoken English to be learned concurrently. And then there is a final group who choose listening and spoken language alone and their children are given access to spoken language through appropriate hearing technology.
No single choice is right for every child or family, so it is important that there are skilled professionals and excellent programs for all those options. Again, I am sorry that you ran into a nasty and bitter professional, she was certainly not speaking for all of us!
 
Thank you I like being able to get real answers from real people who actually care about deaf education
 
So I have a new question on my journey for deaf and sign language enlightenment. So for babies do they teach ASL or BSL everyone I try to find teaching material for ASL for this 14 month old I care for all I find is BSL. What is your suggestion for teaching a child so young?
 
It is a matter of location. ASL is American Sign Language and BSL is British Sign Language.
 
Littlest_luna said:
So I have a new question on my journey for deaf and sign language enlightenment. So for babies do they teach ASL or BSL everyone I try to find teaching material for ASL for this 14 month old I care for all I find is BSL. What is your suggestion for teaching a child so young?
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The best way to "teach" a child any language is by having fluent users around them. There is no need for direct instruction that way. You just use it in routines and they acquire the language naturally.
 
Littlest_luna said:
But what's better babySL or ASL for a child this age?
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If the baby is deaf- ASL. If you go the "babySL" route you'll have to undo all that anyway. If the baby is hearing I suppose you could get away with the 'baby SL' but to me personally, preferable to just do straight ASL (or BSL as the case may be).

As jane said- BSL is more prevalent in the UK while ASL is in the United States (and a little in Canada though I know for a fact they do have some variations).
 
So after working with her for a couple of months she is really starting to pick up signs I have been keeping up with the consistency and using sign language for almost everything and it's really been helping me get better and her understand thank you everyone I would have been able to get this far with put your support
 
Hello and Welcome!

I think sign language is very important for pre school children who are Deaf, HOH, or speech impaired for other reasons.
 
Jane B. said:
I think maybe the idea is to work as a paraprofessional while completing a higher degree by taking part time classes.
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I honestly didn't see this comment and in re reading the thread your suggestion maybe what I am trying to do but I couldn't word it better.
 
Littlest_luna said:
hello my name is Luna.
My goal is to be a Pre-school teacher to children who are deaf, mute and hard of hearing. I have been studying ASL for over 1.5 years now. and have worked with children who are differently abled since the age of 11. My speech impediments, learning disabilities and mental illnesses made it hard for me growing up. I fell threw a lot of cracks in our educational system. I wasn't given a voice and had no one to turn too. I want make sure students are given a voice and a safe space.
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Sounds like what you're missing in the voice you've got added to your heart. You sound like a wonderful person. Your disposition really touched me as I have to non-verbal sons with Autism. I'm an old fart who is just starting ASL, but I'd love to sign with you whenever you like. I work 7/7 so it takes me a little time to get to my messages occasionally, but I should be off the next few days. I hope to hear from you.

Good luck.

Angelo
 
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