Re: hearing class discussions

June 14, 2006

In a message dated 6/14/2006 6:53:22 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

janajama@... writes:

What do y'all do about your child hearing other classmates during class

discussions/What do y'all do about your child hearing other classmates during

class discussions/ readings? Maggie's teachers feel she tunes out of

discussions because she can't hear them well enough. When others are reading

the fm

mic is often passed around. However, the discussions that bounce from one

student to another seem difficult for her to follow and she is missing a lot of

assimilation of material because of it. Next year

Thanks,

,

This is very issue with which we are currently struggling. I wish I could

hand you an easy solution, but from our experience, this particular issue really

does get harder to handle as they move up through the grades. Passing the

mike around worked well when they were reading aloud in the younger grades,

but now in high school, that's just not feasible.

Ian is now finishing up his sophomore year and this very issue is our

biggest current concern. This year's English class was run as a discussion, as

are

many upper level HS and college classes, where the contextual learning is

being pulled from the kids during the discussions. The kids read the plays or

stories or novels and then the discussion is run and the notes should be taken

from the things that come up within the discussions. For instance: give me

three examples of rising action ... and the kids provide the answers which are

the source of their notes. Except, of the three examples, Ian is lucky to have

heard two.

To help with this, for next year, we have requested a note taker and Ian be

given the teacher's notes as well. He is also to be given copies of the plays

(or whatever) to be read in advance of the class presentations. Another

application of pre-teaching. But this really only addresses what's been

planned

to be covered in class so that Ian can review it (well, actually learn it)

later on. This solution does not allow him to actually participate in the

discussions themselves. We don't have a solution for this just yet.

The one most difficult thing he's encountered is when they read plays aloud

and then discuss them. Different kids play different parts and there is no

way that a mike can be passed around while enacting a play. And there is no way

that the school will be buying a collection of mikes (not at $800 per mike)

to use in these classes.

In the past, small discussion groups have used the mike by propping it up in

the middle of the table and then simply running the discussions. This only

works in very small groups, never for full class discussions because the range

of the mike is limited.

Ian is doing his best, but honestly, we've found this is the point where he

is " not deaf enough. " Or perhaps the phrase is now " too deaf. " If he were

more deaf, then he would possibly been able to use an interpreter. But Ian

doesn't use ASL or any other form of sign as part of school, he's always been

completely oral. And now apparently, he's not quite oral enough.

We had not requested note taking supports in the past because we've always

encouraged and supported Ian in developing skills that make him responsible

for his own education and will follow him into " real life. " Since the real

world doesn't give you a note taker, we've gone this far without one. He has a

laptop (Dana) so that he can type his notes while watching the speaker for lip

cues. But that is not useful during class discussions ... he can't possibly

see/watch everyone's faces in order to get the lip cues.

Next year he is taking a course on law ... that one is going to prove to be

very interesting since much of it will be discussions/debate based on the

topic of ethics.

So, since I am not at all convinced that our current solution is going to be

a viable one (but it is the one Ian prefers). I'm looking into CART and other

professional note-taking solutions. I'm pretty sure I'll be asking for a

new IAP meeting in the fall once school starts and we get a feel for how things

are going with these note taking supports. These are more of a stop-gap

measure than a solution that provides actual access to the class. Ian will

still

be missing the discussions ... and playing catch-up on his own time after

school.

The more I think about this issue, the more I see an interpreter as the best

solution. If your daughter has the ability to use an interpreter, then I'd

favor that solution. Real time translation of everything that is being said in

the room -- but Ian doesn't sign well enough for this to be a viable

solution.

When I consider CART and how it works, it doesn't seem like a reasonable

solution either. The teacher still wears the mike, it then transmits the voice

(over the internet) to a captioner who types what is being said. That is then

relayed to the laptop on Ian's desk for him to read. So, now his attention

will be on reading the content of the teacher's running commentary -- which is

again not really providing the ability to participate in a classroom

discussion. So, we'd need an on-site captioner/stenographer to input everything

that

is being said in the classroom. Which is more expensive and I'm not sure I

can win on this one without another battle with our school district.

Sorry to ramble on, but we're really trying to come up with a viable

solution to this issue.

Do any of you " older " parents with kids already off to college have

suggestions? Was there a solution that worked for your kids? I'm all ears.

Best -- Jill

June 14, 2006

In a message dated 6/14/2006 6:45:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

janajama@... writes:

Do you have good tactics for really helping all the various teachers " get

it " when it comes to making small adjustments in their teaching - checking for

comprehension, repeating what was said in discussion, being prepared with

notes for vocab/pre-teaching concepts, etc! I think I'm also a bit frustrated

because aside from trying to teach Maggie how to be an advocate for her

learning situations, I see that the teachers don't remember to implement some

things they've been asked to and that only inflates the problems Maggie

encounters.

-- I wish I had a magic trick that made teachers (and friends and

family members) just " get it " and then life would be so much easier! We don't

have anything like that but we've figured out what seems to work the best with

school. (Now if only I could get my family to " get it " as well, LOL) For us,

the secret weapon is our TOD. We simply adore her.

Each fall, just before school starts, our TOD goes in and spends an

afternoon with Ian's teachers. She has done this since 6th grade, before that

her

predecessor handled that task. I have always had this in Ian's IAP/IEP -- ever

since the school gave in and agreed to his having a TOD (second half of 4th

grade). She teaches them classroom strategies for having a D/HOH kid in their

room. She also has demonstrations so that they can experience what it's like

to listen with a hearing loss. (ear plugs in the ears and then taking a

spelling test is apparently a classic.) They come away knowing more and

feeling

prepared for Ian. This year, each of his teachers made it a point to tell me

they'd never been so well prepared for a child's needs. I was/am so thrilled!

Part of our perception of a TOD's job is to support the teachers and because

of that, I've insisted that she be made available to them as well. I fought

the IEP team in order to get this included, no matter how much they poo-poo'd

me and told me it wasn't needed. It IS needed.

(In elementary school we found it a 50/50 shot as to whether the teachers

were receptive or considered the TOD a threat to their domain. Those were

tougher times.)

Our TOD asks for testing and assignment schedules ahead of time so that she

knows what is coming before Ian does. When it's appropriate, she will begin

with pre-teaching strategies. Other times, she will allow Ian to learn of

assignments along with the other students and uses that in order to teach him

to

manage his time and workload. He has been getting less and less pre-teaching

in the past few years. But this year we learned that when it comes to English,

Ian needs to read things ahead of time if they are to be presented orally

and then discussed in class. Otherwise he has a hard time following the reading

as well as the subsequent discussions.

In middle school there was far more pre-teaching of vocabulary and concepts.

Sometimes the TOD would work on that during her time with Ian, other times

she would send home the list for us to do as homework. It was very flexible

and involved consistent communication between us and the TOD. We use to write

notes back and forth in his assignment book. It's still very flexible and we

still exchange notes, just not as many. (I suppose it also helps that we're a

family of teachers.)

The TOD is there every day working with Ian for one period. But she makes a

point to get to know and to check in with his individual teachers. Also in

the IAP (a 504 version of an IEP) is time for her to consult and support the

teachers to work effectively with Ian. If she discerns any difficulty, she will

initiate a conversation with the individual teacher in order to discuss

whatever is happening. If Ian brings up some difficulty and she has an idea as

to

how to remedy things, again, she will set up time to meet with the teacher.

And of course if the teacher approaches her, she makes time to address the

issues. She'll often just touch base even when there are no concerns.

I have to give the middle and high school teachers a lot of credit because

they have been very open about learning how to help/support Ian. He is usually

the first D/HOH person they have ever met (and he is constantly disproving

their preconceptions). And there have always been a couple who are less

cooperative. Like the shop teacher who was convinced he'd be dragged into the

woodworking equipment and die, even though the mike's dangling antennae comes

off

with the slightest tug -- and then he complained that Ian didn't follow

directions. (oy! sigh) But those are the exception not the rule.

And when there is a big issue -- like this year's English class, the TOD and

the 504 officer have worked together to create solutions without making the

teacher feel like he/she was being ganged up on. I've been very impressed

with how they've handled things.

Ian's TOD is truly our link to Ian's classroom teachers and his greatest

ally and support within the school. The teachers are very receptive to her

input. Each of them at some point this year has sought her out to help them with

some problem. And their comments about her at our 504 meeting, before she

arrived, were so complimentary that I was delightedly stunned. I've always felt

she was the one person he sees each day that understands how hard it is for a

D/HOH kid to get along in the mainstream setting. It was nice to hear others

appreciating her the way we do. (But she's no push-over and is as demanding

of Ian as we are.)

Even this year's English teacher, who was rather resistant in the beginning,

was on-board and supportive once she came to understand. At first she just

didn't get it at all -- she would always respond with " but Ian speak so well,

so clearly " or " but Ian is so bright, he gets good grades -- why does he need

to be coddled? "

It's really hard to get the concept through to some people. Like so many

people we meet, she equated being able to speak with being able to hear. Or

getting good grades and being bright with not needing any special

accommodations.

So, the TOD had meetings with her to discuss some new teaching strategies.

Then I called and asked for a parent/teacher conference to see if we could

" figure out what is going on with Ian " since his grade had taken a sudden dive.

(They'd just done " 12 Angry Men " as an oral presentation and discussion in

class and he got something like a 67 on the unit final. ouch!) I knew what the

problem was, but couldn't exactly walk in and say her teaching strategy was

the worst thing in the world for a D/HOH kid. Instead I asked for her help in

addressing his needs and explained them again, from a different perspective.

I explained about how we learned of Ian's hearing loss and how good he'd

been at fooling everyone including doctors. That it takes an alert person to

realize when this kid is faking his way through a class. He needs help to

access

classroom discussions and we needed to come up with some new strategies that

could help him. Open debate and discussion is a great way to learn -- I love

a good debate and we use it all the time at home. But for Ian there is that

little hearing/listening issue. (grin) The problem is he doesn't always know

when he's missing things. With the help of the TOD and 504 officer, the

English teacher became an ally not the enemy. But it was touchy and I didn't

want

to offend her because she is a really good teacher. (And now she's even

better.)

Ian is a good kid, a bright kid who works very hard. And I'd do him a

disservice if I pretended that he's the next Einstein. It doesn't come

effortlessly

to him, not the way it does for our daughter. He gets the grades he does

because he works very hard for them, far harder than his hearing peers. He has

always done more homework, more prep work. He re-reads chapters in the evening

and then discusses them with us parents over dinner or as we drive places.

His essays are written, critiqued by me and/or his TOD and then he goes back

and revises them. That's how he managed to catch up to his peers and how he

continues to hold his own. We've told him that if he learns good study skills

now, he'll have an easier time of it later on. Good old fashioned sweat

equity.

Also, with the teachers, we (parents) are very clear that we expect Ian to

carry his own weight and be responsible for his workload. One of the best

compliments we've ever gotten was from last year's Earth Science teacher. At

the

end of the year he told us that Ian had never once used his hearing loss as

an excuse. If his homework wasn't done or his labs were late, he simply said

he'd blown it and would have it the next day. His teacher was sure that there

were more than a few times when Ian hadn't heard him give the due date. Still

the teacher was impressed -- so were we.

When I asked him about it, Ian was surprised because it never dawned on him

to use his hearing loss like that. He teased and told me I'd given him new

ideas for the future. LOL

Anyway ... that's how we've been dealing with the teachers. I'm just plain

honest about what's happening and try to make them partners in Ian's education.

I remind myself often of my husband's problems with certain parents who make

tons of excuses and won't hold the kids responsible for their work/actions.

I've sworn not to be one of those. For the most part, Ian's teachers are

good people who care about kids and are willing to work with us and Ian as long

as Ian is willing to work for them.

Best -- Jill.

June 14, 2006

In a message dated 6/14/2006 6:45:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

janajama@... writes:

I think we can do better on some of the previewing/pre-I think we can do

better on some of the previewing/pre- teaching and see how that helps her

get more of a handle on the material. Right now, she often tunes out instead

of fully engaging and it's hard to tell if it's an ove

I forgot to ask, does Maggie work with a TOD? Is there any training given to

her classroom teachers about having a D/HOH in their classes?

Just writing the requirements into the IEP/IAP should be enough, but teacher

are taught to teach hearing kids, not deaf ones. I'm sure my experiences are

similar to most teachers. We be taped in the classroom and then get

critiqued on how we moved around the room, how we engaged the kids. A lot had to

do

with techniques that took us away from the board, away from standing in one

place at the front of the room.

Great for hearing kids, lousy for a D/HOH one. So, Ian's teachers need to

learn how their actions affect his ability to follow what they're saying and

doing. That is what his TOD teaches them at the beginning of the year. And they

do forget and fall back into their usual routines. But we now expect Ian to

speak up when this happens, to let them know he can't see/hear them. And the

TOD is there to help give them viable things to do that don't involve

completely relearning how to each.

Simple things like putting their assignment list onto the board or onto

their webpage on the school's website are helpful for a lot of kids, not just

D/HOH ones.

In the beginning, the TOD would visit classes to see how Ian was functioning

in the classroom setting. That also gave the TOD a chance to see the

teachers in action and to remind them of things they were forgetting. But that's

not

done anymore. It hasn't really been needed.

Plus the TOD was/is in charge of getting the information for the

pre-teaching and previewing. Before that, it was always me asking for the

promised items

and I rarely if ever got a complete packet. The TOD carried more weight than

I did and it was always more successful when she was the one orchestrating

all that.

Sorry if I'm asking you to repeat stuff, I am old and senile. (grin)

-- Jill

PS ... others with kids this age, please do jump in! The more info and

opinions the better!

June 14, 2006

Jill -

Thanks for the discussion. I am very concerned as Maggie is already pretty

exhausted after a full day of school and I can't imagine her doing much more

than the regular homework to finish off her day. I think we can do better on

some of the previewing/pre-teaching and see how that helps her get more of a

handle on the material. Right now, she often tunes out instead of fully

engaging and it's hard to tell if it's an overload of concepts and vocabulary

vs. truly not hearing....

Note takers and CART might be the route we need in HS, but I can foresee the

same problems as you describe for Ian. I think that Maggie has a bit more

hearing than Ian, but she doesn't really lip read or use ASL....Perhaps we

should work on that before High School and then a translator might be an option

as well. Ian sounds like an incredibly energetic, bright, and motivated kid to

face the challenges you described.

Do you have good tactics for really helping all the various teachers " get it "

when it comes to making small adjustments in their teaching - checking for

comprehension, repeating what was said in discussion, being prepared with notes

for vocab/pre-teaching concepts, etc! I think I'm also a bit frustrated because

aside from trying to teach Maggie how to be an advocate for her learning

situations, I see that the teachers don't remember to implement some things

thay've been asked to and that only inflates the problems Maggie encounters.

Perhaps others with Middle/High Schoolers will be able to chime in here too!

Thanks!!

June 15, 2006

In a message dated 6/14/2006 11:38:53 A.M. Central Daylight Time,

JillcWood@... writes:

When I consider CART and how it works, it doesn't seem like a reasonable

solution either. The teacher still wears the mike, it then transmits the

voice

(over the internet) to a captioner who types what is being said. That is

then

relayed to the laptop on Ian's desk for him to read. So, now his attention

will be on reading the content of the teacher's running commentary -- which

is

again not really providing the ability to participate in a classroom

discussion. So, we'd need an on-site captioner/stenograpdiscussion. So, we'd

need an

is being said in the classroom. Which is more expensive and I'm not sure I

can win on this one without another battle with our school district

Hi Jill and all,

My daughter uses C-print in the classroom. It is very

similar to CART. The captioner sits in the class and types what the teacher and

students are saying in real time and it then in real time is displayed on

's laptop. It has been the best accommodation that she has. It was

developed

at RIT. They believe is the youngest person to ever get it. She was

in the middle of 4th grade at the time she started with it. At that time she

had no hearing in one ear (was never aided), and was very quickly loosing the

hearing in her other ear. She was in the process of getting a cochlear

implant, did not know sign language and is a horrible lip reader- so really if

we

did not want her (hate to say it this way) occupying space in the classroom it

was our only option.

She is now finishing up 7th grade. Is at an honors level

with all A's and B's - including in Latin, and may be put in advanced level.

Last year she had an implant failure and went 3 months without her implant -

again it would have been nearly impossible without the c-print.

Some people say that C-print is not verbatim like cart, but

most captionists do type everything, and then just edit the notes that the

child brings home. In the class the child is able to read what the other

students

are saying, participate in discussions, and read and answer teachers

question. If the kids are telling jokes and things like that in class the

captionist

will type it so knows what is going on and is included.

Also the best part is she has the notes to bring home and study with.

tries to take notes in school, but there is no way she can hear

everything and write it all down while the teacher continues to talk.

Just thought I would pass along our experience. I am sure there is probably

information on RIT's website.

Cathy

June 15, 2006

has had CART since he was 11. The CART reporter sits next to him and types

what the class says and he reads it on her laptop...it can be placed up on a TV

The CART reporter does NOT have the receiver for the mic. has his fm

receiver and hears what the teacher says and there is a slight time lag while

the CART reporter types nearly verbatim what she hears. You need a CART

reporter who is really good and who has a computer well programmed with the

vocabulary that is being used. tried Cprint and HATED it because it is a

summary of what is being said, not a verbatim translation. It is up to the

Cprint operator to comprehend and summarize what was said by the teacher and

then type it. Considering the fact that I have a Masters from Duke, and

advanced math and science coursework and I am now lost by some of what I read in

's math/science notes in 9th grade, I don't see how a CPrint operator, who

doesn't even need a degree, can comprehend, summarize and type in

formation necessary to perform at this level. We tried this with a

College-level Cprint operator at our local university when ALex was in 5th grade

and she couldn't even summarize what was necessary then. CART is incredible.

It is also VERY expensive which is why you'll have to battle for it. Cprint

operators get around $15/hr here while CART reporters get around $135 to $150

per hour. What's better yet, is that our CART reporter sends a copy of each

day's transcription home to both and me via email. It is great for

studying. CART has actually helped develop his comprehension skills as he

has learned to " read " what he is hearing and that has helped him to learn what

he is hearing. This skill is actually why he has been denied a Cochlear Implant

so it's a double edged sword.

Well...I've got more to say but no more time. Hope this info helps.

-------------- Original message --------------

From: soccrnurz1@...

In a message dated 6/14/2006 11:38:53 A.M. Central Daylight Time,

JillcWood@... writes:

When I consider CART and how it works, it doesn't seem like a reasonable

solution either. The teacher still wears the mike, it then transmits the

voice

(over the internet) to a captioner who types what is being said. That is

then

relayed to the laptop on Ian's desk for him to read. So, now his attention

will be on reading the content of the teacher's running commentary -- which

is

again not really providing the ability to participate in a classroom

discussion. So, we'd need an on-site captioner/stenograpdiscussion. So, we'd

need an

is being said in the classroom. Which is more expensive and I'm not sure I

can win on this one without another battle with our school district

Hi Jill and all,

My daughter uses C-print in the classroom. It is very

similar to CART. The captioner sits in the class and types what the teacher and

students are saying in real time and it then in real time is displayed on

's laptop. It has been the best accommodation that she has. It was

developed

at RIT. They believe is the youngest person to ever get it. She was

in the middle of 4th grade at the time she started with it. At that time she

had no hearing in one ear (was never aided), and was very quickly loosing the

hearing in her other ear. She was in the process of getting a cochlear

implant, did not know sign language and is a horrible lip reader- so really if

we

did not want her (hate to say it this way) occupying space in the classroom it

was our only option.

She is now finishing up 7th grade. Is at an honors level

with all A's and B's - including in Latin, and may be put in advanced level.

Last year she had an implant failure and went 3 months without her implant -

again it would have been nearly impossible without the c-print.

Some people say that C-print is not verbatim like cart, but

most captionists do type everything, and then just edit the notes that the

child brings home. In the class the child is able to read what the other

students

are saying, participate in discussions, and read and answer teachers

question. If the kids are telling jokes and things like that in class the

captionist

will type it so knows what is going on and is included.

Also the best part is she has the notes to bring home and study with.

tries to take notes in school, but there is no way she can hear

everything and write it all down while the teacher continues to talk.

Just thought I would pass along our experience. I am sure there is probably

information on RIT's website.

Cathy

June 15, 2006

Thanks to all who have been piping up about C-print, CART, and other experiences

with their children hearing (and not hearing!) class discussions.

We left the public school over issues of accomodations because we didn't feel we

had time to argue while our daughter got more and more frustrated and failed

because of poor support. We will have to go back - either after next year or

for HIgh School...which will be fine if we have our ducks in a row!

Jill - Today I spoke with the TOD that Maggie has seen for an hour a week. She

mentioned that one of her students has a microphone that sort of looks like a

cell phone. It sits on her desk and she just turns it towards the desk of the

classmate in the class that is speaking and she is able to hear most of the

discussion that is being thrown around the room. The TOD said she didn't know

the name of the device but would let me know (told me I should wait on getting

something like that as the technology is always improving and Maggie probably

doesn't need one just yet - but she does as our school uses lots of discussion

in lessons!) I'll pass it along as soon as I get the info.

June 16, 2006

In a message dated 6/14/2006 5:45:24 P.M. Central Standard Time,

janajama@... writes:

Do you have good tactics for really helping all the various teachers " get

it " when it comes to making small adjustments in their teaching - checking for

comprehension, repeating what was said in discussion, being prepared with

notes for vocab/pre-teaching concepts, etc!

I did a teacher training earlier this spring and one of the things I did was

make up a story and then when I read it to the audience, I deliberately

mumbled over some key words. Then I did a quiz afterwards that involved those

key words, and of course, they couldn't answer. From the responses that I got

on the evaluation afterwards, that was the thing that was mentioned as being

" eye opening " and helpful.

Putz

Illinois Families for Hands & Voices

_www.handsandvoices.org_ (http://www.handsandvoices.org/)

_www.ilhandsandvoices.org_ (http://www.ilhandsandvoices.org/)

Email: support@...

June 16, 2006

In a message dated 6/14/2006 5:45:24 P.M. Central Standard Time,

janajama@... writes:

Do you have good tactics for really helping all the various teachers " get

it " when it comes to making small adjustments in their teaching - checking for

comprehension, repeating what was said in discussion, being prepared with

notes for vocab/pre-teaching concepts, etc!

I did a teacher training earlier this spring and one of the things I did was

make up a story and then when I read it to the audience, I deliberately

mumbled over some key words. Then I did a quiz afterwards that involved those

key words, and of course, they couldn't answer. From the responses that I got

on the evaluation afterwards, that was the thing that was mentioned as being

" eye opening " and helpful.

Putz

Illinois Families for Hands & Voices

_www.handsandvoices.org_ (http://www.handsandvoices.org/)

_www.ilhandsandvoices.org_ (http://www.ilhandsandvoices.org/)

Email: support@...

June 16, 2006

In a message dated 6/16/2006 12:05:54 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

sfreitasi@... writes:

What is a 504 officer?

Sherry,

It's what our school district calls the person who is in charge of

overseeing the IAP (504) plans for each individual school. Someone has to be in

charge

of " holding and managing " the 504 plans, and that's the title they've given

her/him. (we have a " her " this time)

For an IEP (plan for children classified under IDEA) the person in charge of

overseeing the IEP is usually the Special Ed teacher in charge of that

child. The SpecEd teacher does the quarterly assessments (one per marking

period)

and writes up the new plan each year for that child, hopefully with the input

of the parents, TOD and anyone else who should be involved. That teacher

then answers to his/her principal as well as the CSE chairperson.

For a 504 plan, things are a bit different because of the nature of the

plan. For most kids with a 504, there is are physical accommodations that can

include anything from wheelchair access to elevator use to OT and PT. Ian is a

bit different in that his physical disability is somewhat invisible. His

accommodations take the form of academic support (TOD) as well as the FM system

and Dana (laptop). Our 504 officer has also tried to coordinate him into

classroom with smart boards, but that has not really worked well because they

don't

always work well. (We prefer not to depend on them.)

So, the lady at the high school who oversees the 504 plans and needs of all

the 504 kids is called a " 504 officer " and she answers to the district's 504

chairman who is overseen by the Assistant Superintendent in charge of Pupil

Services. This is the same Assistant Superintendent in charge of the CSE

(Committee for Special Education) that takes care of IDEA/IEPs.

This Assistant Superintendent oversees all classifications, funding and

services provided to all classified students within the district. She (we have

a

" she " this time around) is the person who gets copies of all my communication

with the district when we have a problem, the person I have to go to/through

in order to fight for something.

However, since our district cleaned up its act (at the end of Ian's 5th

grade year), I have not had to make any appeals to that level. The 504 officers

have been in Ian's corner and very supportive of whatever he needs. (We'll see

if that's still the case when I ask for CART or C-print next year. grin)

The high's school 504 person is a really competent professional as well as a

nice and caring person. We really like her.

For kids with IEPs, kids classified under IDEA, the person in charge for

them is the CSE Chairman. She handles the IDEA/IEP issues for the district. Both

of these chairpersons (504 and CSE) answer to the Assistant Superintendent

for Pupil Services.

So, there you have the basic structure for classified kids in school

districts. There are different titles in different states and the hierarchy will

change based on your state and size of the district. Our CSE is referred to as

the " IEP team " in some places. In some schools the CSE chairman also oversees

504 plans. It really depends on the district's size, as well as which state

you live in.

Hope I haven't confused you too much ... Jill

June 16, 2006

,

This is a difficult situation. In theory, the FM microphone could be

passed around, but in reality, it doesn't work because the discussion

gets too fast, and many non-HOH kids won't talk with a mike from

shyness, for example, and the class becomes something else than a

discussion. Also, often the HOH kid doesn't want such a big deal made.

MY HOH son will be an 11th grader in the fall. What worked for him was

for his teachers to be aware of his difficulties and do things like

insist that only one person speak at a time, point to the speaker and

restate the points that have been made. I have often been told by them

that they don't feel that this is so much an accomodation for my son as

good teaching practice.

hearing class discussions

What do y'all do about your child hearing other classmates

during class discussions/readings? Maggie's teachers feel she tunes out

of discussions because she can't hear them well enough. When others are

reading the fm mic is often passed around. However, the discussions

that bounce from one student to another seem difficult for her to

follow and she is missing a lot of assimilation of material because of

it. Next year she will be in 6th grade and I am very concerned how this

is only going to get worse.

Thanks,

June 16, 2006