In November, after October's successful classes, university presentations, radio interview and constructivist teachers' conference paper, I worked closer to home. After a workshop with some enthusiastic participants at Pixar's University, I volunteered as a roaming ASL interpreter for the Green Festival in San Francisco. I was thrilled to see so many interpreters for formal speeches and for Deaf participants who want to survey the hundreds of booths along with the hearing crowd. The greater joy was in seeing Deaf people come, join in and take advantage of the volunteer resources. Like when traffic flows smoothly and everyone is taking advantage of the rules of right away, traffic lights and planned lanes, it's wonderful when the system works, because people are using it.
Toward the end of the month, I was asked to evaluate an almost deaf boy (it is possible that the parents want him to be more hearing than he is - could be the misdiagnosis: Potentially Hearing) to see if he signed. Indeed, he signs more than his parents, and better than his parents. I could tell he was rusty, stuck at a beginning level, and reverted to "hearing" signs, for the sake of his parents. I submitted my report and reccommendation: GET A DEAF AIDE, A DEAF PLAYMATE, A DEAF BABYSITTER, AND SIGN, SIGN, SIGN in order to improve his language and communication, because speech and hearing are limiting this boy, and he is not progressing linguistically, educationally or socially. Of course, a Deaf teacher would be the best, but I knew the district didn't have one. If inclusion were really a goal, wouldn't that mean included Deaf people at every level- students, aides, teaachers and administrators?
I was sad for the boy; I used yet another reminder that I must work harder to prevent deaf children from growing up with little or no shared language.
I have a radical suggestion: let us (teachers, professionals, parents, administrators - all of us) try solutions that are the easiest and work best for the child. Give me your ideas, suggestions and comments - check out www.susanschaller.com
Thank you for all who showed up at CSD's Open House - another great November event.
