Re: lost FM

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/11/2006 2:47:32 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

lisak555@... writes:

So does he use the FM when he's in regular gym class?

,

No, Ian has never really used the FM during regular gym classes. Here in NY

they are trying to make gym a bit more content driven, not just playing games.

So when they start a new unit, the teacher reviews all the rules of the

games. The kids take notes and those notes, along with learning the rules

during

class, is the basis for their mid-terms and final exams. During the lecture

segments, Ian uses the FM. Other than that, he doesn't use the FMs at all in

gym.

And, yes, it seems to make sense that the FM would be especially useful

because the acoustics in gyms are absolutely horrible -- probably the worst in

the school setting. But the truth is that when the FM is used, all Ian hears is

the gym teacher screaming at kids across the gym. What the other kids hear is

the distant voice of the teacher/coach over the din of a basketball game.

What Ian hears is a coach SCREAMING directions at the other kids -- beamed

directly into his ears via the FM.

By the end of a class like that, Ian has the headache from hell. So, Ian

told me about it, and then we both talked with the TOD about it and tried to

come up with a way that the FM could be useful effectively during gym. We tried

a few things, but the truth is, the gym teachers do not remember to turn it

on only when talking to Ian, and even when the one did do the

switch-on-switch-off routine, he wasn't talking to Ian, he was screaming just

like he does

for all the other kids.

The only viable solution we could come up with was to have an aid wearing

the FM and repeating/speaking any of the gym teacher's directions to Ian. That

seemed to be completely silly since most of what is said is directions to

OTHER kids in the course of the games. Ian isn't really missing all that much

in

content, and he catches on well by watching what is happening around him.

(The coping skill that got him through life until age 7 when we learned of his

hearing loss.)

Ian decided he preferred to follow visual leads in gym instead of verbal

ones via the FM. He relies on his aids and his visual coping skills in order to

get along in gym. The teachers and kids have been great about it. The other

students will tap Ian when the teacher is talking to him, and then Ian pays

attention and lip reads -- or another kid tells him what was said. So far the

gym teachers have been wonderful about it all.

The really big challenge comes in the pool, where Ian is deaf. Between the

noise of the water and splashing, the incredible echoing of the room and his

unaided status, the boy can't hear a thing. He may as well have a total hearing

loss in that setting.

But Ian swims like a fish and lip reads well. He is polite and asks the

teacher for instructions prior to getting into the water, or will come up and

ask

what's next during the course of the class. That teacher is very

approachable and works well with Ian, so Ian feels comfortable being proactive.

So far

we haven't had any issues with gym... unless we count the theft of the FM mike.

So, like I said, it seems illogical to not use the FM in gym, but practice

has shown that it is far less useful than we expected. And this is for Ian./

There are kids who use their FMs playing baseball and other sports and they do

so very effectively.

Ian has never liked team sports -- too much happening at once and he feels

stressed, not pumped-up, by the activity all around him. So, this is the

solution that works for Ian.

Hope that answers your question -- Jill