Mainstream School vs Deaf School
There’s been a lot of chatter lately regarding whether deaf and hard of hearing kids should go to a hearing school or a deaf school. Of course, this is by no means a new topic, but parents and guardians are now more aware of their options and need help deciding.
I can only imagine how difficult it must be to make such a big decision, which will almost certainly have a big impact on your child’s present and future personal and educational growth.
As a parent, you want to make the right choice, especially if you and most of your family is hearing. I did some research on the subject and followed the more prominent social media discussions currently taking place. Here’s what I found.
Educational options for deaf and hard of hearing children
When hearing loss is identified, early intervention is key and while deciding on your child’s education is a very personal decision, knowing your options is a good place to start.
Within a deaf school, hard of hearing children often find it easier to socialise with peers and interact with their specially trained teachers of the deaf, as facilitation through an interpreter is unnecessary. They don’t have to worry about coaches benching them during sports events or having to remind the staff of their communication needs.
However, many parents are concerned that sending their child to a deaf school might hinder their ability to adapt to a hearing world. They’re also worried that a deaf school might not offer the same level of academia that a hearing school does.
It’s also important for you to recognise the difference between mainstreaming and inclusion. Mainstreaming usually refers to enrolling your child in a school with students who reflect the majority of society, while inclusion is when your child is enrolled in a deaf-specific programme where they feel more part of the academic and social interactions.
I attended a PHU (Partial Hearing Unit) class from 3 to 11 years old and from age 9, I was gradually included in more lessons with hearing students. I really loved the support and friendships I had in the PHU, and still maintain those friendships today. At 11, I was offered a place at a deaf school, the Mary Hare in Newbury England, but my parents decided to send me to a mainstream (all-hearing) school for this very reason and I went to a boarding school in Ireland. I felt this was the point when my educational life ‘fractured’ as I lost the social and emotional support that is also important to a deaf child and was bullied by some students. I had a peripatetic teacher visit to give me occasional support but I still had to find my own way through managing a school life, and so I gained better coping skills for the hearing world. Then I moved to Gibraltar where they taught in English but the students replied in Spanish. By being able to lipread and being comfortable communicating with strangers, and having a good education behind me, I feel I coped better at university and found more career opportunities.
Carefully review the below lists of pros and cons to familiarise yourself with the possible outcomes your child might experience when attending school.
Universal communication is best
While supporters of both deaf and hearing schools make excellent arguments, it seems to me the overall consensus is that a total communication program is best. Meaning, the kids get to focus on literacy skills, speech, lipreading and sign language.
After a few years, you might want to consider transferring your child to a blended deaf and hearing school, so they will be ready to embark on the challenges of higher education.
Too many deaf children are still being let down by vital services and they still don’t have the same opportunities as hearing children.
– Susan Daniels, CEO, National Deaf Children’s Society
What to consider before choosing a school
When visiting possible schools, it’s vital you check that the school meets your child’s needs or if they at least have the resources and equipment to support your child’s learning. Examples of resources might include: Post-lesson tutor or peripatetic teacher, interpreter, specialised computer software, flashing fire alarms, FM systems and radio aids. Also, make sure that the staff and pupils are deaf aware.
Other considerations to keep in mind:
- Do the deaf schools have the same educational standard as hearing schools?
- Will they sign or speak or both?
- Are the teachers in deaf schools fluent in both sign language and the subject matter they’re teaching?
- What is the language level of peers in each type of school?
- Review the school curriculum.
- Can you afford it?
- What is the driving distance to the school?
Helping your child choose between attending a deaf or mainstream school all depends on their specific wants and needs. Some parents send their kids to a deaf school for part of their education and then transfer them to a hearing school so they can have a fair chance at doing well in both environments.
Whatever choice you make, it’s important to remember that as long as your child knows he is supported and loved, there is no wrong choice.
If you would like to know more about the resources available to students, have a look at our services for education.
Further advice and support can be obtained from the National Deaf Children’s Society.
What have been your experiences in mainstream or deaf education?
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I am profoundly deaf, I went to mainstream school and I think I benefited from it a lot. I learned how to read lips, and how to overcome obstacles, nothing can stop me.
Deaf and mainstreamed. Thought the same as you until I went to Gallaudet University. I realized how much I missed out. So deaf school is my choice.
Ditto. Mainstreamed then transferred to a Deaf school. I wish I had went to a Deaf school, the opportunities there amazing.
Main school deaf children mix with hearing children make new friends school outside, hearings like learning sign languages with a friend deaf.
Board deaf school children to adults likely children like negative bullies and like problems their ways.
I think mainstream is best if other deaf children are also there or at least the child is able to interact with deaf society outside of school. Most of the public in the outside world is hearing and its a shame to be so isolated that you can only function well in the deaf world. Education should be more stressed for the deaf student too. I worked in the school system for over a decade. I saw many instances of teachers allowing the deaf students to get away without doing their homework or having to do oral reports, book reports etc….they were graded much easier too. Doesn’t help them when they become adults on their own.
I am deaf. I graduated from GA School for the Deaf. I love deaf social at Deaf school better than Hearing students at school. I hate to see deaf students to go to Mainstream schools. That is really sad for them to be nothing to learn with deaf culture. I love Deaf Culture and ASL (America Sign Language) is beautiful. Oh, one thing is about Cochlear Implant. You know that I disagree with it. Few deaf students have CI and they said the are not successful. CI sucks.
Did you attend any mainstreamed schools? If not, how do you know deaf students would benefit nothing about the deaf culture while attending mainstreamed schools?
My deaf son with bilateral cochlear implants has been mainstreamed since age 3 and is in 7th grade now with no delays and doing amazing!
Samantha, you sound very much like my mother. Your child and his challenges often seem like the center of your whole life. However, you are competing with other hearing parents of deaf children and their challenges and responsibilities.
You know, all parents their deaf children to be “stars.” However too often they forget that deaf children are individuals–you’ve probably heard that over and over–each developing at his or her own pace. Intellectually, most of them accept that.
Emotionally it’s harder to accept.
Your comparison triggers other parents’ feelings of envy and anxiety. Alliance easily becomes fragile and frayed under the best circumstances. However, when a friend tells you her fourteen-year-old Deaf is the highest-ranking student in a graduating class, you may silently feel like a failure and wonder why your same-age child isn’t is the top.
Your comment started to negatively impact parents’ mental state, and result in behaviors that begin to affect their deaf children. And, also, you have frustrated the deaf community.
That’s not fair.
I’m praying your son won’t find your comment here and realized you were such a very bad liar.
Wow James. It’s amazing you can know the heart, motives of this and ALL hearing mothers! And it is incredible that you can know how she impacts the WHOLE deaf community! You must have super human powers! Of course, I’m being sarcastic.
Or perhaps you don’t know everything and are extremely judgemental, rude and insulting!!!
James your comment is bluntly straightforward honest. I can understand how you feel about being emotional to accept harder that your child is deaf and goes to a deaf school.
I went to mainstream school with a deaf unit and there I was benefitted from the deaf and hearing worlds. Unfortunately I was moved to a local mainstream school after a few years and there I struggled to mix with hearing children. Eventually I got through with support and help…
it seems to me that many mainstream schools has only handful of deaf kids often less than 20 or so.. , I think mainstream schools should be more regional which may mean that families of deaf kids need to move closer to regional mainstream schools . Each regional school should have more than 100 deaf students to enhance diversity as well as increase visibility in hearing schools.
My son has been the only deaf child in our school system since 2002.
I think this is a bad thing.. would you be willing to relocate to a bigger mainstream school to be with many more deaf kids?
No. He loves his school and fits right in. We moved to the city for our amazing school system.
Both…And CSD Fremont should reclaim the Clark Kerr Campus at UC Berkeley. Take it back. Then we’d be back in the mainstream, with a School by, for the Deaf and HH, within a University perimeter-a chance to go to UCB or hi-tail it to Gallaudet…(instead many deaf schools are situated out in the country with the cows.)
Should be both that will help to learn a better future following by their parent or child so they can share and undertanding in the near future
Different strokes for different folks. Hearing loss takes away ones major avenue of learning. Deaf kids need to be placed in an environment that compensates for that loss.
Well, it would be depend on school, if school well known how to teach deaf children in mainstream, it would be ok. If not, then children should be in Deaf school I was in Public School that one class that teacher didn’t understand about my situation of hearing problem, at the time but follow year I had different teacher, she lmew how to teach which i could handle it. I ended up in Deaf School. So, I really had had bad timing in old days compare nowdays. I guess it is hard to say cuz now we have interpreters that I didn’t have. Big different. There are pros and cons.
Big problem…too few “Deaf Job” We need to learned to do well in “Mainstream Job”
For me i prefer deaf school over than public school from my experience.
I went to mainstream and it took a while to get used to it but I passed all grades just fine. I’ve never used sign language, but I am profoundly almost deaf and can speak and understand very well. I am a rare kind. My audiologist even says so.
Same here! I’m part of a very small % of people who have my hearing loss.
My daughter is 12 and had mod to severe unilateral hearing loss. She is extremely smart and has straight As in her private school but she doesn’t know any deaf or HOH kids her age. She also only has 1 friend at the school and that child’s mom is deaf. I live within 15 min of a major deaf k-12 school. My only concern is that most of their teachers are deaf and it will take years for my daughter to comprehend ASL and be able to communicateffectively. Also, most of the kids are profoundly deaf at the deaf school. I am so torn. I want my child to have friends but I also want her to have the best education.
This isn’t USA based. There are differences according to where you live. Also, in the USA the Deaf schools have an agreement with a local mainstream school in order to provide a diverse academic curriculum for the students-AP classes and other things and still allowing for the social learning/supportive environment of the Deaf school.
I went to mainstream which I’m very thankful because i dont get treated differently and treated as same as other students
I am myself deaf since child birth.
I prefer deaf school over than public school.
Why one many reason are social with students and staff easygoing and aslo easy for me to talk to teacher than depending on interper and u know my experience in public school are worse experience and it sucks!! Practically I learned nothing in class cuz depending on day by day if interper show??
So… answer to ur question is .. all hoh and deaf belong to deaf school!!!! Plain and simple.
What if deaf students turn out to be better in mainstreamed schools? That would render your answer invalid.
Seek the better fit if you can’t perform well in one other.
I went mainstream since 2nd grade to 12 with honor rolls and awards. I work hard to get where I am and grad colleges in business management. Interpretation with me all the way. Now my 3 kiddos is mainstream too Good grades Into school activities.
I did public school from beginning to end. I hated it because I was “different” and was treated differently. My mom also had me take speech therapy for several years so I speak VERY well for someone with my severe hearing loss. I learned how to read lips as well.
How did you cope with feeling and being treated different? My child is in mainstream school and is in the 1st grade and I’m trying to teach her how to advocate for herself and deal with those feelings. Trying to decided if keeping her mainstream is the best option for her.
I mostly attended mainstream classes, with some special ed classes. I liked mainstream because then I felt like I was normal (sort of). I disliked it because I had difficulty understanding others & being treated differently (Like having to sit in the front row. even though I didn’t have an interpreter). Otherwise, I turned out just fine. Had decent grades & made few hearing friends.
Later into my jr & sr years I started hanging out more with otters that were HOH. This is when I started to learn sign language. In the beginning it’s a bit difficult since they go so fast. I’m sure they hated it when I signed slow. But eventually I picked up speed. But since graduation we all went our separate ways. My dept at work just hired a deaf girl so now I get to relearn it all again. Only it’s ASL now.
To answer your question.. I would say it depends what level their hearing is. If they can communicate without using sign language & doesn’t need interpreter. Choose mainstream with special ed. Not mainstream alone.
If they are deaf enough to the point they require an interpreter at all times, then send them to the deaf school.
I went to mainstream schools. Unfortunately until I went to secondary school the support I got was absolutely minimal & lacking.
I managed to catch up a bit due to better support & help in my secondary school but the damaged done by minimal & no support was done.
Personally & unfortunately I’m a little black & white in my thinking here but I would only accept a mainstream school for my children should they be Deaf if 1) 100% the right support & help & 2) communication needs are met, the support & help both Oral and BSL
I took my son out of mainstream. He wasn’t deaf enough to get the help he needed (although had moderate to severe loss)!
He has been home educated for over 2 years now and doing amazing. Best thing I ever did.
Mainstream best tool for deaf and hoh because deaf school education grade level between 4 to 6 grades all the way to senior because ASL is more likely pictionary to weak it’s english structure and grammatical.
Unfortunately, schools for deaf/HoH are few and far between up here. For instance, in my area, the closest one is over an hour away and is a French school for both deaf/HoH and learning disabled so it’s not even a true deaf school. There are only about a dozen deaf students that attend the school. The province is constantly trying to close the specialty schools in order to integrate programs in the mainstream schools. I think it would be great if every school offered ASL as a second language – it would go far to help develop understanding for the deaf community and hopefully would stick with the kids for life. As for which is best, that’s a decision that each family must make on their own. There is no right answer for everyone.
My daughter is a mainstreame pre k through 12. She graduates this year. She is the only hearing impaired – deaf student in our whole county wide school system. All her friends are hearing. Our school system started a asl sign language class as a credit for individuals who wanted to take it. Most of her peers from 9th grade to 12th grade sign now. She has never been bullied or even talked about ,they have grown up knowing she is deaf and was giving the option to learn to communicate with her. I’m so proud of our little school. They went above and beyond to make sure Shelby was accepted and loved.
there was a start of hard of hearing speacial ed in elementry school before transfering the bulk of the kids to another school where both deaf and hard of hearing where combine. i ended up staying behind. Mainstream. but mostly on my own for the classrooms durning normal school year and summer school. wasn’t till middle school when i was with the other students again. so the system where i am is strange in that sense. but each county bit different in cali. for the deaf and hard of hearing. for k- 12. I do find most the kids who do stay in speacial ed struggle to keep up with the main stream. with the help of a lot tutuoring they do catch up.
If hearing parents use asl to communicate with kids then they go mainstream if hearing parents do not know sign language… learn asl NOWand send kid to state school of the deaf ( sports , club, deaf communication )
I went to a deaf school. Best decision my parents ever made. I learned to lip read, speak (later sign), use my hearing aids, etc. I had developed the appropriate language needed at the correct stages, advanced even. When I mainstreamed in 7th grade it was very difficult to keep up with the work as there were no services provided. Finally I moved to Florida and attended a high school that had a combination of both Deaf and hearing students. I loved it! I was home ❤️❤️
Try it out public school Are you failing? If yes transfer to deaf school don’t give up
My hearing-loss is genetic and I went to a mainstream school. Mostly survived. Thankfully my hearing loss only emerged as an adult, despite the school audiologist recalling me every year for six years. Funnily enough, no-one thought to write to my parents or even my GP…
This is a very interesting article and debate …..I personally went to a mainstream school with PHU where I spent mornings in PHU and afternoons in mainstream. Secondary school was much harder as it went to PHU support and more mainstreamed. I did ok as I also got fantastic support from my family too. Making a decision is never easy and it is different for each and every hearing loss situation. I think for mainstreamed children they are often the minority and therefore the deaf awareness and options to develop language without the pace being quickened is the downfall. I still feel that PHU is needed for oral families and BSL interpreters for BSL families.Deaf school is good for those that are isolated hugely in society and need to learn language at a much more in-depth programme however they need to integrate in patnership with hearing mainstream schools to raise awareness and develop social skills. There is room for improvement everywhere and I have also met some very happy homeschool children too!
PHU is an abbreviation without showing the words what it stands for.
I went to both. Mainstream until I was 14, special school for sensory impaired children until 16 and then a college for the visually impaired (I have dual sensory loss) for A levels. Mainstream was ok at primary level, mainly because the only person we really needed to hear to succeed academically was the teacher. the other kids were generally pretty good with me, had friends & joined some afternoon school clubs. That was local. However my parents decided to send me to an inner city grammar next and that was hell. the other kids were so cruel & I was sat by myself all day every day. I was Bullied, had no friends and struggled as I couldn’t hear in groups or work fast enough. It was such a relief to transfer to special, but we would often have 2 or 3 classes per day with little or no work (just sat chatting) and anything we did do was 3 years behind grammar, at a much simpler level. It gave me a much needed break from the misery of my previous school and a supportive environment when my mum died, however I would not send my child to special unless they were severely disabled and mainstream could not accommodate them. I want them to have every opportunity for a bright future and from what I have seen amongst the disability community generally, special ed doesn’t offer that.
That’s very sad and your school failed you by not giving you the opportunities you should have had. I work In special ed and our kids are given the chance to get pass the exams that are sat in mainstream
I am now profoundly deaf. My parents sent me to a regular school and did well. I had a speech therapist who was awesome and I had great teachers who helped me tremendously. You decide what is best for your child. Downfall of regular school is that your child will be teased and bullied.
Mainstream thanks to my mum as the deaf school children were not allowed to wear HA and had to learn sign language. Thankfully grew up in a hearing world and treated as a normal pupil so would depend on how much hearing you have
I grew up in mainstreamed school before i enrolled into deaf idiot school. Truth I wish I had went thru HS in my hometown instead of deaf insitute because I was able to keep up with hearing level in education went to deaf school they teach three levels behind actual hearing grade level. “DUMBING DEAF KIDS DOWN” The teachers did NOT give hoot about teaching kids proper english grammar etc or how to survive out in hearing world. Yes sign language is the main key i learned ees signs in mainstreamed school but struggled to understand asl for couple yrs. ( mixed up language took me a while to figure out what they are saying) teachers at deaf insitute needs to chabge the way they teach deaf kids. My opition thru my experience.
Deaf school (with parental involvement)
I EXTREMELY STRONGLY PREFER DEAF SCHOOLS…NOT MAINSTREAM SCHOOL…HELL NO WAY (PERIOD)!!!!!!!!!! The mainstream schools destructed Deaf Club, ASL, Deaf Culture, etc…
One minute !! I got 2 profoundly deaf kids and one hoh kid. They grew up mainstream and all kids were unhappy. We fed up and moved in Wisconsin because of deaf school. Result is they loved it so much!
Mainstream. All the way. Profoundly deaf.
I prefer go deaf school easy to have deaf around
I was mainstreamed and not sure it was the best thing in the world for me. Maybe if there were more kids like me mainstreamed at the time, it would have been ok. Also, sign language should be an optional class in mainstreaming.
Tracey Willard It’s very individual and a personal decision. It comes down to two things–how the education fits the personality of this child.
Going to Deaf School. Deaf School is the best for deaf students to learn to communicate with each other better than mainstream school. I love deaf school. You know that I am proud to be DEAF of myself.
Deaf of myself. I love that!
Harry Potter felt more comfort at the sorcerer school instead of normal world.
Interesting article. As a parent of two hard of hearing children I find myself constantly worrying over making the right choices. My oldest is in mainstream school and doing geat, he has an FM that his teacher wears and we have been fortunate that teachers and staff pass it along during assemblies and field trips with ease.. I am constantly monitoring and checking in though. Kids can compensate so easily so as a parent I think it’s our job to really watch our kids. We were lucky to have a listening and spoken language preschool that he went to before starting K. He learned about his FM, self advocacy, how to respond to questions about his hearing aids, and overall to be proud of who he is. When he mainstreamed he already knew how to handle most things and went in with confidence. Reading the comments I’m curious about why some felt that mainstream schools weren’t good? Do you think that better preparedness with self advocacy would have helped more? Or going to a listening and spoken language pre K program?
I am Deaf/”hard of hearing” since age ten and taught at a mainstream school for ten years and a Deaf school for three years. What I learned from all this is that mainstream schools can be incredibly dangerous psychologically and incredibly bad educationally for hard of hearing students as well as Deaf ones.
I learned that hard of hearing kids often suffer loneliness and confusion and lack of real access yet pass as “normal.” I learned that a good Deaf school can “normalize” a child and give them invaluable tools no matter what their hearing is. They can talk with family on the weekends and evenings. They can sign at school where access is more important than anything else in order to get a good education.
I do NOT agree after everything I saw as a teacher that mainstream schools are beneficial. For the rare child they can be but more often they are not.
Mainstream is definitely beneficial for my son.
the best deaf school without oral/abuse
Observing the variance in grammar and writing skills while reading comments is interesting.
Munson was successfully mainstreamed until 7th grade and then asked to transfer to a school for the Deaf. He is a much happy whole person who has a ton of friends and can communicate easily with everyone around him. Best choice for him. Other kids need different things though.
I was mainstreamed in a very small town, meaning small class sizes. I did do speech therapy up until middle school (I was pulled out during class time). I didn’t do well until high school when I was given the choice to not use the FM system. My grades were significantly better, and was on honor roll. It’s all about do they provide what your child needs and to not ignore what they tell you.
I was mainstreamed and it was difficult, besides the bullying , fitting in was difficult.
I experienced both mainstreaming and Deaf schools. Mainstreaming did have more class choices, but Deaf schools provided a far richer and inclusive environment. I believe that Deaf schools can take advantage of technology to offer more electives and advanced level courses.
Currently, about 85% of Deaf and hard of hearing students are in mainstream programs but their academic performance is not on par with students at Deaf schools. New Deaf schools need to be built because population has grown and demographics have changed since most of them were built in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Funny that you ask.I attended a private hearing school before I lost my hearing at age 7. When the principal found out about my hearing loss, they say that I can’t be in the private school because I am deaf. So they recommend me to attend a deaf school. So my parents took me to St. Francis School for the Deaf and the nun said that I couldn’t be in this school because I can talk. Sigh… So I end up in a mainstream school (the ONLY HH student) from elementary to HS. I took speech therapist for 5 years.
To answer your questions, it is up to the parents to give the best education for their child. I am from NYC, FYI.
It’s really kind of sad a child can’t say what they need. How can they know? I didn’t know, that’s for sure.
That is why I urge parents to look into at least a dhh program
Problem is, I have found, you really have to dig for information. No one sits and tells you what options are. Thank god for WWW, otherwise, I might as well be blind, too
I got mainstreamed in the 3rd grade where we Hard of Hearing had our own class room and were expected to mingle on the playground with hearing kids. Didn’t happen. By 8th grade, I was sick and tired of the politics between Federally Paid Teachers for the Hard of Hearing and the State paid teachers (delayed classes each semester till Federal Money kicked in. Not allowed to join any ex-circular activities only required classes, etc.) I suffered greatly from bully issues. My parents put me in a parochial school (Catholic) who never had a deaf person before and I taught them what I needed. Best schooling ever and helped me with getting to college which educational specialist said I never would be able to do because I was so late in getting help. Often wonder what I would have experience in School for the Deaf. I learned ASL in College. I attended NTID, RIT and later Santa Clara University fully mainstreamed.
I so much wish all these options were available when my deaf children were born!!! I had to fight the “systems” to the point of legal actions and my kids were the victims of the system (or lack of) 40 years ago. They turned out great no thanks to the educational system at the time. THANK GOD!!!
I just removed both my children from a mainstream program and placed them in a Deaf school. It was the best decision we have ever made. Their personality have changed and they have become more confident and happy. While I think making Deaf students try to handle the hearing world, we are forgetting the most important thing for schools and that is socialization and incidental learning. I think most parents shy away because we are told we are isolating but I think for students to try Deaf school you will see a huge difference. I just asked parents go see for themselves.
I wish I had gone to a deaf school. The regular school never understood my needs thus affecting m whole life.
I think parents need to be automaticly referred to a deaf school or a dhh program. If possible, kids should be able to go to the deaf school/program for early childhood and at least part time. Obviously try to minimize VERY young kids in the dorms. But I think parents and the DOE need to take a “many different pieces of the puzzle approach. There should be NO STIGMA about going to a deaf school.
U see why 4 states provided k to 5 law
I was HOH I did go to a mainstream school all the way to college. Now I only worry about my future without rest of my hearing. Mainstream is good but recommend to learn ASL
I was mainstreamed from 8th grade to hs without interpreters (have profound hearing loss) and i wouldnt do it again. There were 2 other deaf kids there but we each had our own groups.
I am hard of hearing. Went to deaf schools, mainstream schools & regular schools. One of two deaf schools required total communication, which means English in sign language in the classrooms & dorms. ASL could be used when we weren’t in the classrooms, dorms and out of sight supervisors.
I had a regular school teacher who knows sign language, bc his parents were deaf. Took most of classes with him with other deaf girl, when I was 6-7 yrs old.
The cons in deaf schools, were that the house masters did not teach kids the rules of society outside the schools, appropriate behaviors, and understand how hearing world works, because almost everyone who worked with me for 50 years, were hearing. The best way, is if I had a deaf child, I would send the child to deaf schools for educations, sports and come home after schools, so that s/he could learn the social rules in hearing world, appropriate behaviors and have better chances in life when s/he knows how to mingle with hearing people and able to hold down a job. To keep deaf cultures are good, but they should know the hearing cultures, as well.
I am Deaf – grew up attending deaf school. Mainstream during high school years. Very happy with this method. Now I’m curious and I hope any of you can answer this question. Even though your mainstream to hearing school, are you basically ” enrolled ” into that school or just using their program because your enrolled in Deaf school ? I hope this makes sense. Thanks.
I’m deaf and go to a deaf school, I love ASL (American Sign Language). People need to respect people who are deaf or HOH because it’s their culture by ASL, Deaf schools, how they used to communicate with others, and so many things they can use or have. I would be really happy if people learned more about deaf cultures and are learning ASL to communicate with deaf/ HOH people.