Endeavor Fall 2017

The

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Networking in the Deaf Community as Hearing Parents Page 8

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Page 17

FEATURE

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FEATURE

Fall 2017

A LOOK INSIDE EVERY ISSUE

2 A Message from the President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A Note from the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ASDC Educational and Organizational Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42 Membership Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

FEATURES

5 New ASDC Board Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ASDC Conference Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Proud to Be Me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Networking in the Deaf Community as Hearing Parents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Four Important Considerations for Educating Children with Special Needs. . . . .

14 Growing Up Deaf in a Mainstream World. . . . . 17 A Mother’s Story: Learning, Accepting, and Embracing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

28

Reaching the Summit: Deaf Adults as Essential Partners in Education . . . . . . . . . . . .

32

What Type of Signed Music Should My Deaf Child Listen To?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

38

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American Society for Deaf Children #2047 800 Florida Avenue, NE Washington, D.C. 20002-3695 Fax: (410) 795-0965 Toll-Free Help Line: (800) 942-ASDC (2732) (202) 644-9204 VP asdc@deafchildren.org www.deafchildren.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/ ASDC-American-Society-forDeaf-Children/215538915154965

The Endeavor Staff Editor & Advertising Tami Dominguez asdctami@aol.com Managing Editor Anita Farb Publication Services T.S. Writing Services, LLC www.tswriting.com

ASDC Staff

Director of Advocacy Cheri Dowling asdc@deafchildren.org © 2017 The Endeavor is ASDC’s news magazine published three times a year. Published articles and advertisements are the personal expressions of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ASDC. The Endeavor is distributed free of charge to ASDC members

ASDC is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation.

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Tami Dominguez

Editor’s Note The ASDC conference, hosted by the American School for the Deaf (ASD) this past summer, was a huge success. You will find the highlights of the conference in this issue on pages 8-9. A big thank you to ASD! The Endeavor is proud to promote “Proud to Be Me” (see pages 4-5). This is a wonderful chance for deaf children to have their works published in the next issue of The Endeavor and is a unique way to showcase the many talents of our deaf children. Be sure to have your child submit an entry.

In the last issue, an error was made in the article, “Which Types of Signed Languages Should My Child Listen To?”, written by Jody Cripps and Lisalee Egbert. The acknowledgments were left out, and a photograph was not clearly shown. Our deepest apologies are extended to the authors. The article is being published in its entirety on page 38.

The Endeavor is so thankful to those who contribute to this magazine. We always are on the lookout for articles and events. If you have an article, an event, or an idea you’d like to share, please submit it to me by January 15, 2018 at asdctami@aol.com.

Have a wonderful remainder of the year! www.deafchildren.org

Avonne BrookerRutowski

President’s Message Welcome back to another school year! I hope you enjoyed a summer filled with relaxation, new experiences, and family and friends.

During our vacation in the Ozarks this summer, we were unexpectedly adopted by a lost dog. A Miniature Pinscher mix, Vader has become a great companion for our family dog, Faith, who lost her sister a few months ago. We’ve learned the ropes of taking care of a very tiny dog capable of getting into anything. What a “pawful” puppy Vader is for us — he brings joy to our house!

You may notice a few changes, as well as some new faces, on the ASDC website. Rachel Berman, Heidi Corce, Mark Drolsbaugh, and Rachel Kolb are now part of the ASDC board of directors (see page 6). They bring a wealth of experience and expertise in their respective fields and will be tremendous assets to ASDC. We now have a more geographically diverse board. ASDC’s board is comprised of individuals from the Deaf, education, business, and volunteer communities across the nation. It is our responsibility to provide counsel, guidance, and direction to resources and raise awareness of the support that ASDC lends to the parent communities. Visit www.deafchildren.org to read more.

Much of our work last year revolved around expanding outreach to families. Thanks to the Fall 2017

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL President Avonne Brooker-Rutowski, M.A. Austin, TX MEMBERS AT LARGE Vice President Lisalee Egbert, Ph.D. Parville, MD Treasurer Timothy Frelich, M.A. Jessup, MD Executive Secretary Gina Oliva, Ph.D. Laurel, MD Rachel Berman Denver, CO Heidi Corce Eugene, OR Mark Drolsbaugh Lansdale, MD Alisha Joslyn-Swob Rochester, NY Jacqueline Laldee Olney, MD Rachel Kolb Atlanta, GA Gregory Mendenhall Dublin, OH Tony Ronco La Mesa, CA CED Representatives, Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Beth Benedict, JCIH Chair, and Jodee Crace Past President Beth Benedict, Ph.D. Germantown, MD Parliamentarian Jeff Bravin, M.A. West Hartford, CT asdc@deafchildren.org

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ASDC

consistent and dedicated efforts of the board, we now can bring in an executive director. Our vision is for the executive director to bring ASDC to the next level through numerous venues and functions. We are very excited about this, and we are confident that this position will enable us to reach more families and children, and the professionals who serve them. More information about this position is on the ASDC website and the ASDC Facebook page.

In addition, ASDC is committed to building and providing ASL immersion programs for parents. Currently, we are working with three states to provide weekends filled with ASL and Deaf culture classes for parents, guardians, and family members who want to learn more.

Keep your eyes peeled for announcements via the ASDC website, ASDC Facebook page, and ASDC emails. Please contact me or any of the board members with questions or input about anything related to ASDC. We want to hear from you. It’s as easy as email, a vlog, voice phone, videophone or any way you prefer to communicate. We are here for all our members, present and future.

Finally, I want to thank the board for its confidence in selecting me for another two-year term as president. I am excited to see what we accomplish together this year.

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PERMISSION TO PUBLISH I give permission for my child, _______________________, to participate in The Endeavor Showcase, “Proud to Be Me.” My signature authorizes The Endeavor to publish my child’s work in an upcoming issue.

________________________________ Parent or Guardian Signature

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____________ Date

www.deafchildren.org

CONTEST

PROUD TO BE ME ASDC invites Deaf and hard of hearing students of all ages to submit a short essay or a drawing entitled, “Proud to Be Me.” DEADLINE: December 15, 2017 Essays should be no longer than 300 words.

Submissions must include: • Parent permission form (see page 4) • Photo of student • Name of school and grade SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO: asdctami@aol.com www.deafchildren.org

Fall 2017

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ASDC

New ASDC Board Members Rachel Berman is a native of Las Vegas currently living in Denver.

Deaf since birth, she is a senior lecturer at the University of Northern Colorado. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences from the University of Arizona, a master’s degree in communication sciences from Gallaudet University, and another master’s degree in teaching American Sign Language (ASL) from University of Northern Colorado. An active member of the Deaf community, she has served the community in many capacities.

Most recently, she managed “ASL Slam Denver,” a monthly poetry slam.

Rachel also teaches ASL at several companies and is an ASL stage coach assisting with script translation. In her free time, she enjoys stand-up paddleboarding, traveling, cooking, hiking, skiing, and reading.

Heidi Corce of Eugene, Ore., is a teacher working with Deaf students.

She spent most of her childhood on Whidbey Island, Wash., and attended an oral mainstream program in Seattle. At 6 The Endeavor

12 years of age, she became one of the first recipients in the U.S. to receive a cochlear implant. She later learned ASL, a life-changing experience that shaped her career path. With a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in deaf education from Lewis and Clark College, Heidi spent the next eight years teaching deaf and hard of hearing children in mainstream public schools. In 1999, she went to Kenya to teach deaf children, leading her to Malawi, where she provided teacher training. Heidi became the first deaf person to be awarded a two-year grant from New Voices Foundation to work as a program director for Global Deaf Connection. She developed and implemented educational programs for deaf children and adults in Malawi, Kenya, and Jamaica. She has taught at an elementary school the past seven years, and is actively involved in efforts to pass the LEAD-K bill in Oregon. She also serves as a member of the Advisory Council for Western Oregon University’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Program. An avid runner, Heidi enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two young children.

Mark Drolsbaugh graduated from Gallaudet University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s www.deafchildren.org

ASDC

degree in school counseling and guidance.

He was a columnist for numerous deaf newspapers, and currently writes a blog for HuffPost. He has published numerous books, including Deaf Again, Anything But Silent, On the Fence, and Madness in the Mainstream. For over 20 years, Mark has worked at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf as a school counselor. In 2014, he collaborated with PSD’s Student Development Team to become the first deaf Recognized ASCA Model Program by the American School Counselor Association. Mark and his wife Melanie enjoy traveling and attending their three kids’ baseball and softball games.

Alisha JoslynSwob is an admissions counselor at Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT) National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). She received her bachelor’s degree in professional and technical communication from RIT and is working on a master’s degree in human resource development at RIT. Responsible for the southwest region in the nation, Alisha travels to many schools and meets with families. She and her husband, Tyler Swob are both deaf and proud parents of a one-year-old deaf son. Alisha and her family reside in Rochester, N.Y. Fall 2017

Rachel Kolb has been deaf since birth and grew up using both ASL and English. An Albuquerque, N.M., native, she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature from Stanford University before heading to the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar to study English and higher education. She is now a doctoral student in English literature at Emory University, exploring how ideas about deafness, sound, and communication arise in 19th and 20th century American literature. Rachel has published essays in venues ranging from Stanford Magazine to The New York Times and The Atlantic, and has also presented at several conferences across the country, including TEDx Stanford, the ASDC conference, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention annual meeting, and the Association on Higher Education and Disability national conference.

ASDC would like to thank departing board members Jacqueline Laldee and Susan Searls for their outstanding service to ASDC. We wish them the best in their future endeavors!

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CONFERENCE

2017 ASDC Conference Highlights

Bridging Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow A big thank you to the American School for the Deaf for hosting the 2017 ASDC Conference! The theme, “Bridging Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” focused on celebrating families and empowering them with resources, advocacy, knowledge, and skills.

Lizabeth Katz and Leah Katz-Hernandez opened the conference with a powerful presentation, “Across Generations: From Marginalization to Modern Inclusion of Ideas for Growing Deaf Children.” Lizabeth is the daughter of ASDC’s first president, Lee Katz (see page 10), and Leah is Lee’s granddaughter who also served as the White House receptionist during President Obama’s term.

The Roy Holcomb Distinguished

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Presenter, Tim Albert, had families on the edge of their seats as he discussed empowerment and leadership. Other presentations included: Trauma and Deaf Children: Understanding Its Effect on Behavior and Learning; Sign and Spoken Language Interface — Applied Brain Language Research; What Parents Need to Know About Teaching Grammar; New Hearing Technology: A Parent’s Guide to Technology and Connectivity; Effective Literacy Instruction for Deaf and

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CONFERENCE

Hard of Hearing Students; Secondary Transition at a Glance; Tips for Family Engagement; Effective Partnership in Special Education; Finding and Keeping Balance in Your Life, and many more.

Session presentations can be viewed at www.deafchildren.org.

As the adults were busy learning, younger children enjoyed water activities, arts and crafts, storytelling, and a scavenger hunt. The older children were treated to field trips to Lake Compounce, Connecticut’s oldest amusement park, and ASD’s Camp Isola Bella.

The fun continued into each evening, with a BBQ on Sunday night where children were entertained with face painting, balloon animals, music, and more. Monday evening, families explored the Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library, which hosted a special exhibit, “Language, Culture, Communities: 200 Years of Impact.” The conference ended Tuesday night with a closing ceremony that included a wonderful meal, an interpretive dance, and a DJ who had everyone dancing well into the night.

Fall 2017

ASDC especially appreciates the sponsors and exhibitors of this year’s conference. Sponsors included Gallaudet University, RIT/National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and SVRS. Exhibitors included ASD, Described and Captioned Media Program, Deafroot, Lifebridge Community Services, Signing Basics, Source Interpreting, and the University of Connecticut (Study of Sign Language and Math).

Once again, the 2017 ASDC Conference was a huge success. Gratitude goes to every individual and group involved with the conference, particularly the attendees. See you in 2018!

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CONFERENCE

2017 Lee Katz Award Recipient:

Sheri Romblad

The Lee Katz Award recognizes extraordinary parents in honor of Lee Katz, the first president of the International Association of Parents of the Deaf, the precursor of ASDC. First awarded in 1975, recipients are honored annually at the ASDC conference.

This year, ASDC was honored to have Lee Katz’s daughter Lizabeth Katz and granddaughter Leah Katz-Hernandez present the 2017 Lee Katz Award to Sheri Romblad of Madison, Conn.

Sheri is the mother to two boys aged 13 and 10. Her older son had a late diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss at the age of 8; her younger son has attention deficit disorder. As a leader, mentor, and advocate to families in Connecticut, Sheri assists parents in navigating the state systems and garnering support from local and state legislators on special education.

Lee Katz

Congratulations, Sheri!

DID YOU KNOW?

The International Association of Parents of Deaf was founded in 1967 by concerned parents of deaf and hard of hearing 10 The Endeavor 10

children. The organization changed its name in 1985 to the American Society for Deaf Children.

www.endeavor.org www.deafchildren.orgwww.deafchildren.org

NEWS

Thank You, LinkedIn! LinkedIn hosted a golf outing in the Chicago area, and proceeds were donated to ASDC. A very special THANK YOU to everyone who participated and supported ASDC! To learn more about LinkedIn, visit www.linkedin.com.

Mark your calendars for the 2018 ASDC Conference Salt Lake City, Utah June 21-23, 2018 TODAY:

ASDC is the oldest national organization founded by and governed by parents of Deaf children.

ASDC depends solely on donations, memberships, and proceeds from conferences Fall 2017for operations.

ASDC’s board is a “volunteer” board with members who pay their own travel and lodging expenses for all ASDC events.

Become a part of this innovative organization by joining today!

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Networking in the Deaf Community as Hearing Parents

By Tami Dominguez

Networking is a key component of Deaf culture. Connecting with deaf people widens our understanding of our own deaf children. Simply by clicking a button, the internet allows parents of deaf children today to easily find an amazing amount of informational networks. But when it comes to using that information as a platform for networking with members of the Deaf community, hearing parents sometimes shy away. It might be because we simply don’t know how to take that first step.

Our deaf children, if surrounded by a critical mass of deaf peers, will easily learn networking skills. If they don’t have a deaf circle of friends, then parents should be concerned. An

important part of esteem building and social development comes from being around those who are like us, who get us, who speak our language. In general, people who have good networks quite often have an easier time maneuvering through school, work and life in general. This is rightfully the case for our deaf children.

It is vitally important we learn to use today’s technology to create a circle of support for our deaf children and for ourselves. I’m not talking about cyber-relationships; rather, I mean real, face-to-face people relationships. The deaf world is as diverse as the hearing world. If we look hard enough, we will find our networks in the deaf community and through time will establish friendships and support systems for our children and ourselves.

Did you know ASDC has a hotline that parents of deaf children can call with questions, thoughts, or concerns?

(800) 942-2732 12 The Endeavor

www.deafchildren.org

COVER STORY

Below are some ways to create a network: 1. Take a deep breath and dive in.

2. Don’t let your ASL skills stop you from trying. Gesture, use technology to communicate, write, and do whatever it takes to improve your ASL. 3. Attend Deaf community events or statewide events. This is just as important as making the time to go to the doctor.

4. Deaf schools are a great place to start. Check out their events; attend an athletic event such as a football game.

5. Join family organizations such as ASDC and the National Association of the Deaf (and your state-level chapter). This will add your name to their database, and you will be notified of upcoming events and services.

6. Sign your children up for camps with other deaf children. If money is an issue, ask about their scholarship programs.

7. Find churches or organizations with large deaf memberships.

8. Ask for help when you need it. Not everyone will be willing to help, but there always is someone out there who will.

9. Keep an open mind, and stay positive!

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FEATURE

Four Important Considerations for Educating Children with Special Needs Published in The Good Men Project on July 7, 2017

By Jim Kennedy

Recently, my wife and I were invited to speak at a Family Retreat Weekend in Austin, Texas, an event sponsored by the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD).

Specifically, we were asked to speak to parents about our experiences as the parents of a deaf child who has additional needs. We titled our discussion The Importance of Parent Involvement in Your (Deaf) Child’s Education.

While our talk catered to parents of deaf children, the main points apply to any parent: you must be involved in your child’s education in order for him/her to have the greatest chance of success. We started out by talking about all of our children. My oldest child is deaf and has cerebral palsy. In addition, three years ago, we adopted two additional children who developmentally were well behind their peers. Despite their various challenges, we explained that we expect all of our children to do their best and we demand the same from ourselves as parents and their schools to help them achieve their highest potential. Our talk centered around four key recommendations that we used to gain the maximum educational benefit for our children.

1. Seek Wisdom

Soon after our oldest daughter’s diagnosis, we were told of certain benefits that we were entitled to under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as 14 The Endeavor

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FEATURE

well as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Since we didn’t know anyone who had a child with similar circumstances, we were unfamiliar with our rights under the law. When she started school, we were introduced to a totally new concept (well, new to us) called the Individual Education Plan (IEP), and we were lost.

We didn’t know what the school was responsible for nor did we know the questions to ask. We were fortunate enough to connect with schools, other parents, state legislators, and medical benefits coordinators who were kind enough to explain the purpose of the IEP as well as other avenues of support that were available to us. By doing a little research, we could now be better advocates for our child.

2. Expect the Best

We said that when it comes to education, it is important that all three elements (parents, the school, and the child) work together to achieve success in the classroom. We constantly tell our children that they can achieve anything that they want in life as long as they are willing to work for it but that the foundation for achieving greatness starts with a good education. We ensure that our children go to school and are prepared for class; we expect our children to do their best, and we expect the school to give their best effort and to make resources that are at their disposal available to help our children maximize their potential.

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3. Communicate

We emphasized the importance of communication. We are in constant contact with all of our children’s schools regarding their progress. We not only monitor their assignments and grades but also their overall learning environment. We are not “Helicopter Parents” (where we are always hovering over our kids) but we do monitor their activities and are ready to step in if things start to go astray.

We also take the time to talk with each child to find out directly from them what is going on in their lives.

This may seem like something that would be fairly obvious but based on the feedback that we received, these things are not always obvious. Also, as hearing parents of a deaf child, we explained that it is critical to be able to communicate directly with your child. It may seem small but taking the time to learn sign language has done wonders for our relationship with our oldest child. We are not experts in American Sign Language (ASL) but as a family, we can communicate and that is all that matters.

4. Show Up

Every school year, we make appointments to meet all of our children’s teachers. By establishing that relationship up front at the beginning of each year, the teachers know that we are actively involved in our children’s education. In addition, we also work on special committees and support The Endeavor 15

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funding requests (unlike most school districts, TSD is allocated funding through the Texas State Legislature as part of the state budgeting process) to make the school even more successful. By doing this, each school understands that we are making every effort to help the school and our children in particular so they are more than willing to make an extra effort to help our children maximize their potential. In the end, the winners are our children and that is really what matters.

Our discussion was all about sharing our experiences in order for parents to become better advocates for their children. We shared the benefits not only from our perspective, but from our children as well. Our oldest daughter is preparing for her senior year in high school and is looking forward to attending college while our two younger children are preparing for another year of middle school and we can see that they are capable of achieving great things as well. As a parent, I can receive no greater satisfaction than that.

Jim Kennedy has over 28 years of leadership experience and has served in management positions at various levels with the federal government and in private industry.

He now spends his time as a husband and father as well as a writer and speaker on the topic of leadership development, and as a licensed Realtor/recruiter with Keller Williams Realty.

Access Over 4,000 Media Titles for FREE! Sign up today to take advantage of the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) — at no cost to you!

The DCMP media library has over 4,000 described and captioned media titles available to registered members at no cost to them. Videos may be viewed online, or shipped as a DVD to members. To browse the library or to learn more abut the program, visit www.dcmp.org.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the National Association of the Deaf.

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www.deafchildren.org

Growing Up Deaf in a Mainstream World

By Bryan Lukehart-Yun

Growing up deaf in a hearing world, was for me, a path fraught with many trials and a path that was both high risk and high reward. I grew up oral deaf in a hearing world and that was a path that defined me. But, looking back, it was a path that at times I doubted was the right path for me.

There is no right or wrong path to take; everyone experiences a different path that can and will diverge at times. This is my story of how I followed my path in a hearing-dominated world and how I came to discover American Sign Language (ASL) and the Deaf community.

I was born in Beijing, China on June 12, 1998. When I was a young child, my mother emigrated to Maryland in order to pursue higher education. Meanwhile, I was left with my grandparents in Beijing. My grandparents could not fathom why I was not speaking nor paying attention to them, and so they took me to a doctor. The doctor said I was deaf. When my mother found out that I was deaf, she became Fall 2017

FEATURE

determined to bring me to the United States where she could give me a life with more access and opportunities.

I was three years old when I got my first cochlear implant. Ten years later, this process was repeated on my right side. Looking back, I realize that I spent a total of 15 years in a variety of speech therapies, both in school and private. I received numerous

comments about how my speech was good. But, deep in my thoughts, it was because I spent nearly my entire life trying to act as a hearing person.

I wish I had learned ASL along with speech therapy sooner.

I was mainstreamed in a public The Endeavor 17

FEATURE

shut myself away, for a long time, from a world that I never I resisted because I considered.

Growing up, I experienced thought I wanted to be rampant audism from numerhearing, but I took ASL ous people every day. It was classes and it turned hard dealing with that especially when my only source of out to be one of the best communication was to speak decisions I have made. and hear. That is, to me, the paradox of every deaf person who grows up mainstreamed school with a deaf program designed and communicates orally. To hear, to provide access. One of the program’s access tools was cued speech, which using a tool that is not accurate in was forced upon me. It was a tool that discerning sounds and speech, is a was promoted as beneficial for me paradox that I also experienced growwhile ASL was useless. My mother, ing up. I was confronted daily by my only caregiver at the time, did not people who refused to listen to me. know better and so she signed me up. And many times when asked to repeat For seven long years I had to memo- what they said, they refused.

I cannot deny the fact that by growrize and use cued speech in classes. It ing up orally in a mainstream setting, was a distant and foreign method that I have been shaped by it. I consider felt cumbersome. Yet while I saw ASL used among my peers, I did not regard the past to be over, and now I look to the future as a man who is bridging the language highly.

After seven years, I dropped cued two worlds.

I have started at Rochester Institute speech because I found it useless. I felt the cued speech method attempted to of Technology (RIT) as a mechanical mold me into a hearing person with- engineering student. I realize that out any means to communicate. Life getting a good education is importwent on until one day my father said ant. I chose to go to RIT because I that I needed to start learning ASL. I grew up deaf in a mainstream setting. resisted because I thought I wanted This school is the best option to meet to be hearing, but I took ASL classes my educational needs and social and it turned out to be one of the needs. Deaf people from all over the best decisions I have made. By start- world come to RIT. I realize that after ing to learn ASL, I could keep going all these years of facing mainstream and access a whole new world and a system alone, I need to try and expenew community. I realized that I had rience being among other deaf people.

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FEATURE

Back in School? VPs Rule!

Returning to school can create a span of emotions — exhilaration, anxiety, joy, fear, happiness or relief — just to name a few. Regardless of emotions, having a videophone in your child’s dormitory room provides a means for your child to communicate with parents, siblings, and friends.

VRS providers can install a videophone in school-approved areas as well as help download apps to computers and mobile devices. Sorenson Communications, for example, offers outreach trainers who can install videophones as well as train people, including your child, on its use. Trainers can also answer any questions

your child may have about using the videophone or mobile apps. And now, kids can have more fun communicating with Sorenson’s BuzzStickers, ASL-based emoticons available on SVRS ntouch Mobile.

There is no charge for Sorenson’s ntouch VP2 videophones or service, and installations and trainings are easy to schedule. Help make your child’s transition into the school year smoother by putting communication tools within his or her reach.

To learn more about Sorenson SVRS® and the full suite of ntouch products, visit www.svrs.com.

Apply today! www.svrs.com/apply

© 2017 Sorenson Communications, LLC. If you choose Sorenson as your default provider, you can port your existing 10-digit number to Sorenson from another provider or Sorenson can provide you with one for the geographic area where you live or work. If you later change your default provider, you can port your number to that provider.

When selecting Sorenson, you must provide to Sorenson the physical address (i.e., the Registered Location) from which you are placing the call, so that Sorenson can properly route any 911 calls you may make. If you move or change your location, you must notify Sorenson immediately. You can update your Registered Location from your Sorenson videophone by calling 800-659-4810 or by visiting www.svrs.com/moving. Sorenson will confirm receipt of your Registered Location information. Emergency calls made via internet-based TRS may not function the same as traditional E911 service. For example, you may not be able to dial 911 if there is an internet-service failure or if you lose electrical power, and your 911 call may not be routed correctly if you have not updated your Registered Location. For more information on the process of obtaining 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson’s VRS to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson’s website: www.sorenson.com/ disclaimer. For more information on toll-free numbering, please visit www.svrs.com/tollfree.

Fall 2017

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FEATURE

Factors Contributing to Academic and Professional Success

By Nikki Squire

The Diagnosis

Many people have asked me, “What is it like to live in silence?” This is a difficult yet complex question to answer because there are many factors to one’s understanding of the world they live in. This is especially true for those who may have limitations in one of their five senses, such as hearing loss.

Born deaf, I was adopted at birth by a hearing family. When I hadn’t developed speech or language by the age of two, medical professionals discovered I was born with bilateral congenital aural atresia (CAA). CAA is the malformation of the external auditory canal (EAC) and the ossicles (middle ear bones) in the middle ear, making it difficult for sound waves to make the eardrum vibrate and thus contributing to significant hearing loss.

Childhood Experiences

As a child, I experienced frustrations in expressing my thoughts, feelings, and actions through verbal and non-verbal means of communication.

I also had a hard time relating to others (empathy) and understanding body cues, tone, and emotional expressions. Most of all, I struggled with 20 The Endeavor

making friends. Through the advice of experts, to improve my speech, language, and interpersonal skills, my adopted mother enrolled me at the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and Blind. This was a game-changer for me because there, I excelled academically and socially. Through the help of my preschool teacher, Greta McLeod, I learned a new language (American Sign Language, or ASL) for expressing my thoughts and feelings, and showing appreciation and compassion for others. I made friends, learned a lot about myself, matured, and enjoyed the learning process.

Throughout the late 1980s, I had multiple reconstructive surgeries to treat my CAA, and my right ear improved from profound to severe/ moderate loss, but my left ear had no change. I relied heavily on FM systems and assistive listening device systems www.deafchildren.org

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(ALDs) throughout grade school. In most cases, my teachers wore a microphone/transmitter and their voices was transmitted through a cable wire I wore. In large classrooms with poor room acoustics, ALDs were very useful in reducing background noise, limiting distractions, and toning out echoes.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, I was mainstreamed in the public school system, where I had an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and was provided with an academic tutor and speech therapist. Using ASL was discouraged, so I had to learn how to lipread and decipher from different sounds through pitch and rhythmic discriminations. I struggled to fit in, I had a hard time making friends, and I was performing poorly in all subject areas. Academically, I lagged behind my hearing peers in standardized test scores, IQ tests, and speech and Fall 2017

language development. In addition to the many struggles I faced, I was physically, mentally, and emotionally abused at home and at school by children of all ages, gender, and ethnicity.

The bullying from school lasted until 1994, my freshman year at Apollo High School.

High School and Beyond

At Apollo, I met wonderful teachers and school counselors who believed in me, opened new doors for me, and gave me the confidence to achieve my goals. To motivate and encourage me to attend college, my high school teachers and school counselors nominated me to participate in a youth leadership camp through a non-profit organization known as Anytown Leadership Camp. Anytown Leadership Camp is designed to train teens in leadership skills, such as conflict resolution strategies, increasThe Endeavor 21

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ing motivation and personal responsibility, and developing understanding of other cultures, religions, and backgrounds. My experience at camp was a positive one, where strong, trusting relationships were built. In addition, a boost in my self-esteem gave me the courage to get involved with community outreach programs, extracurricular activities, school clubs, and national and international honor societies. This experience gave me the inspiration, encouragement, and the confidence to attend college and become an educator.

Reaching Success

Despite many obstacles, criticisms, and academic barriers in becoming an educator, this dream became a reality in 2011. I currently teach at a four-year university in the Southwest and I am a doctoral degree candidate. Although my story is not unique, it does show that despite my significant hearing loss, success is still within reach. My passion for helping others reach their full potential is why I enjoy teaching, educating, and sharing my story to inspire others in reaching their dreams.

Sue Galloway, Laurent Clerc Descendant, Passes Away Sue Galloway, the great-great-great granddaughter of Laurent Clerc, passed away on August 23, 2017. She attended the American School for the Deaf’s 200th bicentennial gala last April, much to the delight of gala attendees.

Galloway worked at the Oklahoma School for the Deaf for 25 years, and retired in July 2016. A few months later in October, in recognition of her long service to the school, the school library was dedicated to Galloway.

Contributed by Alice Hagemeyer, FOLDA President 22 The Endeavor

www.deafchildren.org

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SUPPORTERS

Established in 1885, FSDB is a fully accredited state public school and outreach center available tuition-free to eligible Pre-K and K-12 students who are deaf/hard of hearing or blind/visually impaired. Comprehensive educational services at FSDB are designed for the unique communication and accessibility needs of students.

www.fsdb.k12.fl.us 24 The Endeavor

(P) 800.344.3732 • (VP) 904.201.4527 207 N. San Marco Avenue • St. Augustine, FL 32084

FloridaDeafandBlind

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FSDBvideos

Established in 1884, USD provides the highest quality direct and indirect services to Utah students, families and districts from birth to age 22. USD works directly with districts across the State as well as provides selfcontained fully accredited public schools and outreach programs that serve students needing American Sign Language and Listening and Spoken Language approaches Education resources and services are delivered by highly trained and specialized staff who pride themselves on offering individualized and intensive services for deaf and hard of hearing children in a variety of settings and methodologies.

Visit www.USDB.org for information!

NEW Activity Guide

for Early Intervention Professionals

supports Setting Language in Motion The Activity Guide for Professionals: Setting Language in Motion includes over 40 activities supporting the seven modules in the web-based resource Setting Language in Motion developed by the Clerc Center and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program of Boston Children’s Hospital. Those modules share information critical to promoting early language acquisition for young children who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as strategies and resources.

Fall 2017 clerccenter.gallaudet.edu

25 /InsideClercCenterThe Endeavor /ClercCenter

STREAMING VIDEOS

Bring ASL story fun to the whole family!

Now, you can stream all the videos (rent or buy) with English and Spanish voice-over and subtitles on any Internet-capable device!

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Download the activity books from dawnsignkids.com

FREE ACTIVITY BOOK DOWNLOADS! DVDs also available to purchase for your family’s video collection!

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With ASL and English, Your Child Can …

LEARN THRIVE SUCCEED! Save the Date for the 2018 ASDC Conference - June 21-23, 2018 Salt Lake City, UT - Utah School for the Deaf • • • •

ASDC believes that deaf or hard of hearing children are entitled to full communication access in their home, school and community.

ASDC believes that consideration of communication opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing children should be based on facts.

ASDC believes there should be access to identification and intervention by qualified providers, family involvement, and educational opportunities equal to those provided for hearing children ASDC affirms that parents have the right and responsibility to be primary decision-makers and advocates.

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FEATURE

A Mother’s Story: Learning, Accepting, and Embracing

By Sharon Lynn Clark

I was sitting at one of the tables at the YMCA, sharing a hummus and pretzel container with my daughter.

She was having a “six-year-old moment” where she had only feisty, contrary comments to make. As I was looking for a spoon in my purse to eat the rest of our hummus, I realized that I didn’t have one.

She said, “I knew you didn’t have one.” A few minutes later I saw that a few tables away from us sat a woman tutoring a small child. I told my daughter that the woman was teaching the child and that Mommy does that, too. My child responded, “She’s better.” I decided to engage and asked her, “How do you know that she’s better? Maybe I am?”

She said, “No.” Conversation over.

A few minutes later, she walked over to a TV showing the weather forecast, turned to me, and accurately said, “On Thursday, it will rain.”

Do these snippets from our conversation remind you of a child living in your house, who you saw at the playground or at Target, or even on televi28 The Endeavor

sion? Yes? Now let’s play a little game.

Go back over the dialogue between my daughter and me and every time I wrote the words, SAID, TOLD or RESPONDED imagine that the word is SIGNED, and that is our reality. My blonde, brown-eyed daughter debates, discusses, and asserts her opinions (like the lawyer I jokingly say she is), reads above her grade level, writes letters to her family and friends, and decodes compound words as a fun after-dinner activity just because she wants to (her idea). She plays t-ball, www.deafchildren.org

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runs, takes hikes, and does everything that the “typical” child does.

She’s Deaf, and uses American Sign Language (ASL).

That First year

My daughter, SJC, was born on March 22, 2011. Before becoming a mother, I remember hearing people talk about how the love for their child surpassed that of any other relationship. And from the moment I first heard SJC’s heartbeat, I was consumed with an immeasurable love that cannot fully be explained. Everything about her makes me a stronger and more content human being and I would not now, nor would I have ever, changed anything about her.

SJC’s father and I found out that she was Deaf on the first day of her life when an intern informed us that our daughter “failed” her newborn hearing screening test. Failed was the word she used. “It could be the fluids that are still in her ears,” we were told. Three weeks later, an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test confirmed that she had a “severe to profound loss.”

I will never forget the day when the audiologist told us that SJC might not ever hear or speak like other people.

I was 35 when my daughter was born, and I was in shock when I first heard this news. In fact, the word “shock” doesn’t Fall 2017

adequately capture the emotion, but the word in ASL more accurately does.

Take your index finger from one hand and touch it to your temple, then take both hands and quickly open them with your palms down as if you are dropping something suddenly in front of you as if startled.

In that moment, as a brand-new mother, I felt as if her words were an alarm startling me awake and jostling me into our new reality, one that SJC’s father and I never could have expected in any way. We would later learn that SJC was born with a sensioneural hearing loss in her inner ear because her cochleas had not fully formed. She also did not have a functional auditory nerve. There was no specific cause. It just happened.

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That first audiologist gave us information about cochlear implants.

Almost once a week for the next year, we brought our child to the Listening Center at Johns Hopkins University and seriously considered the implants. We struggled with the decision for many months. On the one hand, our baby daughter was perfect, but on the other hand, we asked about whether she should hear, needed to hear, and would be better off in a society where the majority hears and speaks.

During these first few months of her life, we also began to cling to the abundance of resources at our disposal. Those resources mainly came from the second family we created at Maryland School for the Deaf. At just a few months old, SJC began to attend an infant class, and her father and I attended an ASL class every Monday morning and a parent group every Friday. I immersed myself in the language and felt supported by the teachers and other parents. I communicated with Deaf people even though I knew maybe four signs. I did not care and I did not feel embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. Our teachers wanted to educate us and they could 30 The Endeavor

see how passionate we were about communicating with SJC. I wanted to learn everything I could because that is what she needed and deserved.

Learning, accepting, and embracing our new reality was what I needed as well.  After about one year at the Listening Center, during which we underwent different assessments, hearing aid tests, MRIs and CT scans, it was finally time to meet with the surgeon for the implantation. The tests confirmed that both of SJC’s cochleas had not fully formed.

Because of this, the doctor could implant only eight or nine of the electrodes compared to the standard 30 electrodes. He was not certain that the surgery could fully or definitely change her hearing level, although he recommended moving forward with it for whatever benefit it could provide.

When SJC was first born the idea of the cochlear implant felt like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, primarily because I did not know anything about ASL or Deaf culture. I do not recall meeting a Deaf person before my own child was born.

We were scared and felt ill-equipped to handle our situation, even if we www.deafchildren.org

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were learning. In the few short months of being exposed to All along, the only thing the Deaf community, we had changed. Hearing the words I needed to do was have “could be,” “might be,” “not acceptance of that truth. sure what the effectiveness will be,” describing the proposed I remember when SJC signed for cochlear implant surgery felt like the first time. We were sitting at the potential blood on my hands. There top of the stairs next to my bedroom. was no way that we could imagine Suddenly I felt as if my heart would placing our baby on an operating table stop...because it was working. My in anyone’s hands, even if those hands daughter was fine. Of course, she was belonged to the most capable surgeon fine. She was far beyond fine. She was in the country. and is precisely who she is supposed to As the doctor talked with us, I real- be. All along, the only thing I needed to ized that I was in a very different place do was have acceptance of that truth. emotionally from a year earlier. I was When I surrender to what is meant to now immersed in ASL and our child be, that is when greatness can occur. was thriving. Our extended families I want to widen the dialogue between were learning. We attended confer- the Deaf and hearing communities ences, developed relationships with because with this, each community people in the Deaf community, and can be immeasurably enhanced. In were confident that Sarah would the last six years, I have learned that continue to thrive in every way. people are hungry to learn more about the Deaf community, from the nineBack to Present Day year-old boy who attached himself to Earlier I wrote about all the things SJC on a three-day retreat and began that I did not know. For many things to learn sign language, to the parents that was true: I didn’t know about and children at theater arts classes Deaf culture and signing, and as a that my sister teaches, to all the brand-new mother, I had a great people we connect with at museums deal of fear. I did not know how to and playgrounds and stores. communicate with SJC at first, which My daughter inspires me every was hard. Then I began showing up day to be, and become, more than at everything: ASL classes, parent I believed was possible. We are all classes, home visits with teachers, and interconnected. There really is no other events in the Deaf community. I such thing as “typical” or “normal.” was showing up to be courageous. And I There is no one way that any person is started to learn to sign. supposed to be.

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Reaching the Summit: Deaf Adults as Essential Partners in Education

By Bridgetta Bourne-Firl

It can be tough, but it is important to convince decision-making professionals who are hearing to consult with and involve deaf adults in deaf education and the transition of deaf and hard of hearing students from school into higher education, postsecondary training, or the workplace — always.

Tibetan-born Sherpa Nawang Gombu and American Jim Whittaker reached the top of Mount Everest on May 1, 1963. As they approached the peak, each considered the honor of being the first to reach the summit. Whittaker motioned for Gombu to move ahead, but Gombu declined with a smile saying, “You first.” The two climbers decided to step to the summit at the same time (Douglas, 2011).

I would like to think that Whittaker, not native to the rugged landscape that surrounds the tallest mountain in the world, encouraged Gombu, who was native to the area, to go first 32 The Endeavor

because it was the right thing to do.

Then it was the native Tibetan who chose to partner with the American, who did not know the terrain or how to navigate within it, in sharing the honor of reaching the summit.

How do we reach the summit in terms of supporting the best transition possible for each young deaf or hard of hearing individual in the United States? Should professionals who are hearing work alone to succeed with deaf and hard of hearing students?

No matter how good the intention, if we want deaf and hard of hearing students to transition from high school to college, university, or the workplace with maximum ease, involving adults who are deaf or hard of hearing is critical.

Ideally, the partnership between deaf and hearing professionals begins at the birth of each deaf child and continues as the child moves through schooling and transitions into adulthood. The evidence for the importance of this involvement comes www.deafchildren.org

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from many sources, including hearing parents and professionals. “I don’t know how to teach my child how to be a deaf adult in this world,” one hearing parent explained to me. “So the professionals who are deaf themselves teach my child how to navigate as a deaf person.”

Dr. Hank Klopping, a former superintendent of a school for the deaf who retired after 38 years as one of the most respected administrators in the country, exemplifies this attitude. Deaf professionals often know best for deaf students because their perspectives are naturally enhanced by their own experiences and by the collective knowledge of what other deaf individuals have experienced. As an administrator, Klopping embraced collaborative governance that included deaf individuals, deaf parents, and deaf professionals, and he communicated effectively with all of them. His ongoing relationships with deaf individuals ensured qualFall 2017

ity education for the deaf and hard of hearing individuals who had the good fortune to be educated while he was an administrator in their school.

Klopping, who is not deaf, is an example of a hearing individual who genuinely recognized his shared humanity and equality with deaf individuals, understood that they offered effective educational approaches, acknowledged the implicit discrimination that deaf individuals have endured historically, and worked actively to confront and counteract this. Deaf people considered him an ally, using this term to mean individuals who collaborate equally with deaf individuals in the name of a larger cause. When skilled and knowledgeable deaf individuals are unavailable, skilled and knowledgeable hearing allies can be useful.

Birth: The Partnering Begins

In hospitals, newborns are tested for hearing status. The result is that The Endeavor 33

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often the first deaf person parents meet is the baby in their arms. At this point, well-meaning professionals often present the parents with the information about their baby’s hearing status in language and tone that are negative. For example, when I was told my child failed a hearing test, it was clear that the context was negative. My baby was not yet 48 hours old and the first evaluation I received was “failed.” No wonder distress and anxiety, even alarm, result. If a deaf person or a hearing professional who partners equally and successfully with deaf people could be in the hospital corridor at that moment, parents could be assured of the positive experiences that await their child, and the professional could begin to assist parent and baby with bonding and language development.

In Maryland, an attempt has been made to address this issue through the state’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Council.

This council comprises 12 individuals, including representatives from the Maryland School for the Deaf, the Maryland Association of the Deaf, the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing. Dr. Beth Benedict, herself a deaf parent and an intervention expert, was among the representatives. The council ensures further meaningful input through requiring representation from two parents of children “with permanent hearing status that 34 The Endeavor

affects speech- language skills.” Critical to respecting the Deaf community is the use of the words “hearing status” instead of “hearing loss,” phrasing that was the contribution of deaf professionals and individuals.

This is an excellent example of partnership, fostering a positive start for parents with newly identified deaf or hard of hearing babies.

Educational and Professional Experience: An Autobiography

I was in school when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act passed in 1975. I experienced Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings with my parents, who were adamant in advocating goals that were challenging in reading, writing, and math.

They wanted me to progress just like my hearing counterparts — and they knew I could. When the teachers were unsure, my parents, who were deaf like me, insisted they have higher expectations and that those expectations be written into my IEP. When I was in high school, I participated in my youngest sister’s IEP meeting as an observer, watching the interactions and explanations of teachers and my parents.

In 1996, I began working in infant through grade 12 educational settings, first in California, then Maryland, and now in the District of Columbia. For 20 years, I have worked with deaf and hard of hearing students in educational settings and observed as other people worked with them. In a profeswww.deafchildren.org

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sional capacity, I had an opportunity to serve as an IEP coordinator, and some of the IEP meetings I witnessed worried me. Clearly the other professionals with so much power over the lives of young children had no idea what it was like being deaf, what it was like wearing hearing aids, what it was like to struggle understanding teachers.

Sometimes I was the only deaf professional in attendance, and I would offer my opinion from my own experience and knowledge. I was always hoping that the team would pay attention, that my words could support this student’s IEP planning, and I would shake my head in silence when decisions were made with too much focus on things that I thought would not necessarily contribute to the student’s academic growth. I often wished the hearing professionals would ask me, “What do you think?

You are a deaf person yourself and

have seen so much. Please advise.”

This did not always happen.

I became a parent. I would have four children — two who were hearing and two who were deaf. When I had my second deaf baby, a little girl, the professionals, administrators for our school district, asked me what I wanted in her Individualized Family Service Plan. Due to my strong emotions—I wanted so badly to invest the right way in planning for my daughter—I struggled to come up with a written statement. I consulted a professional with expertise in early childhood education for deaf children, and this individual gave me confidence as well as knowledge. When I met with the district administrators for the second time, I knew what to write: My child should be kindergarten ready by the time she is 5 years old; further, she hould have a high level of language modeling in both American Sign Language and English.

As a result, my daughter had professionals — deaf, hard of and hearing — who I often wished the hearing hearing, were supportive of her progress academically and socially and, professionals would ask thankfully, my daughter was me, “What do you think? indeed ready when she started You are a deaf person her wonderful kindergarten yourself yourself and have program.

During my early years as a seen so much. Please parent, Barbara Matusky, a hearing mother of two deaf advise.” This did not children, told me, “When it always happen. comes to our children, we are emotional beings. Period.” That’s Fall 2017

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parenthood. Whether we are deaf or hearing—or they are deaf or hearing — we love our children so much and are anxious to ensure they prosper.

All parents are thankful to those who contribute to the academic growth of their children.

the workplace or enter college, law school, or trade school and whether they are living independently or in group homes.

At the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, job coaching, by knowledgeable deaf or hearing allies working closely with deaf adult individuals, Pepnet 2, Transition, and is provided for students for two years Adulthood...and Deaf Gain after leaving high school. Coaches Last year, I had the privilege of work with families in their homes, serving as one of the meeting facil- with employers at job sites, and with itators at the pepnet 2 Summit that individuals in local communities to was held in Washington, D.C. Pepnet find the resources to support young 2, formerly graduates.

PEPNet, Dr. Ben a project Bahan (2015) suggests Bahan, a deaf funded by the scholar, calls U.S. Dept. of that we do not focus on the inclusion Education, the difference in deaf and of deaf profeshas brought sionals in hard of hearing students together every aspect professionals, in a way that indicates of the deciparents, and sion-making deafness is a deficiency. deaf people process as it from around affects deaf the counstudents Deaf try in a series of meetings known Gain. Bahan (2015) suggests that we as Summits to focus on statewide do not focus on the difference in deaf planning to improve the transition and hard of hearing students in a way of young deaf and hard of hearing that indicates deafness is a deficiency. students into adulthood. The pepnet He asks: What do people gain from 2 teams have required the inclusion of being deaf? He finds that deaf profesparents and individuals from the Deaf sionals can nurture the positive attricommunity. This is an important step. butes of being deaf. Deaf professionThrough their personal knowledge als, as they work with deaf infants, and experience, these deaf adults can children, and young deaf adults, can contribute to the lives of deaf young illuminate the valued and treasured adults so they become contributing aspects of being deaf and show how citizens, whether they go directly into 36 The Endeavor

www.deafchildren.org

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these are embodied in everyday life.

There is a dire need for greater partnerships between decision makers who are hearing and professionals who are deaf on state and national levels. Deaf children, in various stages of education, from early intervention to high school transition and graduation, can only profit from this partnership.

Deaf adults are a rich source of knowledge. They grew up being deaf or hard of hearing, sat in classrooms, learned how to read, write, and count; each confronted his or her own IEP. Every day they experience being deaf, living in neighborhoods, working with colleagues in the workplace, attending houses of worship. They know what it is to explain and advocate for themselves. They sleep, breathe, eat, and think as deaf or hard of hearing people. Tapping into this lifetime of experience, knowledge, and expertise can ensure the next generation of deaf children achieves academically and receives greater opportunities.

The majority culture is sound-based; knowledge depends heavily on what is heard. Deaf people rely more on what they see so they can see how deaf students can navigate successfully and contribute in positive ways that

are often invisible to hearing people.

I, along with many deaf professionals across the country, offer experience and insights that can contribute to the next generation of deaf children.

There’s so much to gain when we — parents and professionals, hearing and deaf — attain the summit together.

From “Reaching the Summit: Deaf Adults as Essential Partners in Education,” by B. Bourne-Firl, 2016, Odyssey, 17, pp. 72-75. Copyright 2016 by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. Reprinted with permission.

References Bahan, B. (2015, September 25-27).

Deaf gain [video presentation], Stanford University.

Douglas, E. (2011, May 24). Nawang Gombu obituary. The Guardian.

Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/ 2011/may/24/ nawang-gombu- obituary Strickland, A. (2013, May 26). Everest men: On top of the world in 1963.

Retrieved March 2016 from http:// www.cnn.com

Hey, Schools & Organizations!

ASDC provides special membership benefits to its educational members, including a free one-year membership for all of your families. For more information, contact asdc@deafchildren.org or call (800) 942-2732.

The membership form is on page 44.

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What Type of Signed Music Should My Deaf Child Listen To?

Lisalee D. Egbert, Ph.D., and Jody H. Cripps, Ph.D.

Exploring creative arts with Deaf children is a wonderful way for parents to bond with their children while simultaneously learning about Deaf culture and the history of a people long oppressed yet forever hopeful. Today, there are far more allies and acceptance than ever before. These alliances start with the simple but profound promise of 38 The Endeavor

one’s unconditional love for a child.

Parents of a Deaf child are not only strongly encouraged to learn more about Deaf artists, but also to pass down this knowledge and heritage to their Deaf child.

Parents can learn about Deaf artists and their contributions to theater, poetry, and even sculpture. However, little is known about music done in signed modality. More attention to this art using signed language has emerged in recent years. Yet not many are aware that signed music www.deafchildren.org

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has been a long-standing part of Deaf history (Cripps, Rosenblum, & Small, 2016). Currently, Deaf studies scholars are generating a lot of buzz in recognition and study of this “lost” art, thanks to technological advances such as the Internet, films, and videos.

So what exactly is signed music? A group of scholars examining signed music defined it as “wholly autonomous from the auditory experience. While it is pleasing to the eyes, just as conventional music pleases the ears, it has parameters that are completely different from musical forms hearing audiences are used to, such as audible pitch. Specifically, a high quality music performance (without words) includes handshape variations along with unique movements like circles, motioning up-anddown, back-and-forth, or to-and-fro representing possible notes. Some performances also include lyrics or “words” in [American Sign Language, or ASL]” (Cripps, Rosenblum, Small, & Supalla, 2017, p. 4).

However, the most common misconception of signed music is that English-based, audible songs interpreted into ASL can “act out” audible music and lyrics. The success of this method is easily shattered when the community, as a whole, generally does not enjoy what should be an exhilarating experience. In music literature, music is heavily tied to culture. Far Fall 2017

too frequently, cultural information, tied to the music being translated from one culture to another culture, becomes lost in translation (Cripps, Small, Rosenblum, Supalla, Whyte, & Cripps, in press).

As part of Deaf culture, signed music performances originally came — and continues to come — from the Deaf community, just as other arts have originated from communities. One needs to be involved in the culture and community to appreciate the depth and perspectives of art created by Deaf people. For those outside of the Deaf community, it may be difficult to comprehend the complete cultural meanings associated with signed music pieces. Nevertheless, they can still enjoy and even be awed by the art of signed music performances for their unique and stunning aesthetics.

As a practical application, signed music can and should play a valuable role for families with Deaf children as well as being part of the curricula in educational programs. The critical role of performing arts, such as signed music, should be part of a curriculum where Deaf children can learn and study about music in a signed modality. With this opportunity, a child who is exposed to signed music may become a musician one day.

There is a handbook on signed music created by the Canadian Cultural The Endeavor 39

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Society of the Deaf, “Signed Music: Rhythm of the Heart,” that can serve as a wonderful guide for teachers working with Deaf children, as well as parents of Deaf children, who wish to do some various signed music activities at home as a family.

Signed music videos by Deaf artists such as Rosa Lee Timms’ “River Song” (2008) and “Tell Your Story” (2014), and Janis Cripps’ “Eyes” (2003) are

a good starting point for families and their Deaf children. In addition, “The ASL Parent-Child Mother Goose Program” and “ASL Rhymes, Rhythms and Stories for You and Your Child” are good sources. After viewing these resources, families are strongly encouraged to be creative and allow their imaginations to flourish, while being culturally appropriate and enjoying family bonding time.

Acknowledgements We truly appreciate our families and their unconditional love and support. The first author, Lisalee Egbert, would like to thank her parents and grandparents for taking her to various museums of the arts and watching countless Deaf theater performances while growing up. Deaf theater is one of the places where she learned more about ASL and the Deaf community, and it holds a special place in her heart.

Furthermore, she would like to thank her husband and their four children for allowing her to support Deaf-related arts and share them with her family.

The second author, Jody Cripps would like to thank his Deaf parents for raising him in the ASL world and allowing him to interact with signers in the Deaf community. He also thanks his parents for their willingness to let him to ask all the “whys” he wanted, even when they sometimes had to be nothing less than creative in their answers.

Jody would also like to say thanks to his sister for introducing him to signed music. Last, but certainly not least, he would like to express his never-ending gratitude to his wife for her love, patience, and courage to share her life story about growing up in a hearing family that did not support ASL. Lisalee Egbert, Ph.D., and Jody H. Cripps, Ph.D.

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Signed Music Resources YOUNGER CHILDREN Dack Virnig’s Fish www.youtube.com/ watch?v=DR4HF6S_hz0 Ian Sanborn’s Rooster www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzcjvWtsKVQ Rosa Lee Timm’s River Song: The Rosa Lee Show. 100 minutes.

DVD. www.rosaleetimm.com.

The ASL Parent-Child Mother Goose Program: American Sign Language Rhymes, Rhythms and Stories for Parents and their Children www.deafculturecentre.ca/Public/estore/Product.aspx?ID=72&n=ViewCategory-ID02018a ASL Rhymes, Rhythms and Stories for You and Your Child www.deafculturecentre.ca/public/estore/Product.aspx?ID=211&n=ViewCategory-ID00431 OLDER CHILDREN Dack Virnig’s Fish www.youtube.com/ watch?v=DR4HF6S_hz0 Ian Sanborn’s Rooster www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzcjvWtsKVQ Fall 2017

Rosa Lee Timm’s River Song: The Rosa Lee Show. 100 minutes.

DVD. www.rosaleetimm.com.

Janis Cripps’ Eyes www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnwJsFHFebg Pamela Witcher’s Desolee•Sorry www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RVZ2ihqozA Ian Sanborn’s Caterpillar www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTgGQnxX5Uw Ian Sanborn’s Light Glove IX www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6K84goqYJg Ian Sanborn’s Prism Motif www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tXVgpvDWjY The Fenicle Brothers’ Food Chain www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2rGsl-KGPE&feature=youtu.be Rosa Lee Timm’s Tell Your Story www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfZ8fVf6Ldc For a full list of references, contact asdctami@aol.com.

The Endeavor 41

FEATURE

Educational and Organizational Members American School f/t Deaf 139 N. Main St. West Hartford, CT 06107 860-570-2300 www.asd-1817.org

Gallaudet University 800 Florida Ave. NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5000 www.gallaudet.edu

Learning Center f/t Deaf 848 Central St. Framingham, MA 01701 508-879-5110 www.tlcdeaf.org

Arizona State Schools f/t Deaf and Blind 1200 W. Speedway Blvd.

Tucson, AZ 85745 520-770-3458 www.asdb.az.gov

Georgia School f/t Deaf 232 Perry Farm Rd. SW Cave Spring, GA 30124 800-497-3371 www.gsdweb.org

Marie H. Katzenbach School f/t Deaf 320 Sullivan Way Trenton, NJ 08628 609-530-3112 www.mksd.org

Beverly School f/t Deaf 6 Echo Ave. Beverly, MA 01915 978-927-7070 www.cccbsd.org Colorado School f/t Deaf and the Blind 33 N. Institute St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903 719-578-2100 www.csdb.org Delaware School f/t Deaf 630 E. Chestnut Hill Rd. Newark, DE 19713 302-454-2301 www.dsdeaf.org Edmonds School District Deaf & Hard of Hearing 9300 236th St. SW Edmonds, WA 98020 Florida School f/t Deaf & the Blind 207 N. San Marco Ave. St. Augustine, FL 32084 800-344-3732 904-201-4527 VP www.fsdb.k12.fl.us 42 The Endeavor

Iowa School f/t Deaf 3501 Harry Langdon Blvd.

Council Bluffs, IA 51503 712-366-0571 www.iowaschoolforthedeaf. org Kansas School f/t Deaf 450 E. Park St. Olathe, KS 66061 913-791-0573 www.ksdeaf.org

Maryland School f/t Deaf P.O. Box 250 Frederick, MD 21705 301-360-2000 www.msd.edu Michigan School f/t Deaf 1235 W. Court St. Flint, MI 48503 810-257-1400 www.michiganschoolforthedeaf.org

Kendall Demonstration Elementary School 800 Florida Ave. NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5206 www.gallaudet.edu/clerc_ center

Minnesota State Academy f/t Deaf 615 Olof Hanson Drive Faribault, MN 55021 507-384-6600 msad.msa.state.mn.us

Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center 800 Florida Ave. NE Washington, DC 20002 202-541-5855 www.gallaudet.edu/clerccenter

Model Secondary School f/t Deaf 800 Florida Ave. NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5031 www.gallaudet.edu/ clerc_center

www.deafchildren.org

FEATURE

Montana School f/t Deaf and the Blind 3911 Central Ave. Great Falls, MT 59405 800-882-6732 http://msdb.mt.gov/ National Technical Institute f/t Deaf 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6426 www.ntid.rit.edu NC School f/t Deaf 517 W. Fleming Drive Morganton, NC 28655 828-432-5200 www.ncsd.net Ohio School f/t Deaf 500 Morse Rd. Columbus, OH 43214 614-728-4030 www.ohioschoolforthedeaf. org Pennsylvania School f/t Deaf 100 W. School House Lane Philadelphia, PA 19144 215-951-4700 www.psd.org Phoenix Day School f/t Deaf 7654 N. 19th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85021 602-771-5400 http://asdb.az.gov/pdsd/ Rhode Island School f/t Deaf One Corliss Park Providence, RI 02908 401-222-3525 www.Rideaf.ri.gov Rochester School f/t Deaf 1545 St. Paul St. Rochester, NY 14821 Fall 2017

585-544-1240 www.rsdeaf.org Rocky Mountain Deaf School 10300 W. Nassau Ave. Denver, CO 80235 303-984-5749 www.rmds.co Saint Joseph School f/t Deaf 1000 Hutchinson River Pkwy.

Bronx, NY 14065 718-828-9000 www.sjsdny.org Salish Sea Deaf School 715 Seafarers Way, Suite #102 Anacortes, WA 98221 360-419-5992 www.salishseadeafschool.org South Dakota School f/t Deaf 2001 E. Eighth St. Sioux Falls, SD 57103 605-367-5200 www.sdsd.sdbor.edu

ORGANIZATIONS Communique Interpreting 330 College Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707-546-6869 www.communiqueinterpreting.com Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools & Programs for the Deaf P.O. Box 1778 St. Augustine, FL 32085 904-810-5200 www.ceasd.org DawnSignPress 6130 Nancy Ridge Drive San Diego, CA 92121 858-625-0600 www.dawnsign.com Deaf Cultural Ctr. Fdn. 455 E. Park St. Olathe, KS 66061 913-782-5808 www.deafculturalcenter.org

Texas School f/t Deaf 1102 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704 512-462-5353 www.tsd.state.tx.us

Described and Captioned Media Program 1447 E. Main St. Spartanburg, SC 29307 800-327-6213 www.dcmp.org

Washington School f/t Deaf 611 Grand Blvd.

Vancouver, WA 98661 360-696-6525 www.wsd.wa.gov

Talking Hands Incorporated P.O. Box 7599 Largo, MD 20792 301-306-1606 www.talkinghands incorporated.org

Willie Ross School f/t Deaf 32 Norway St. Longmeadow, MA 01106 413-567-0374 www.willierossschool.org

Veditz 448 Ignacio Blvd. #343 Novato, CA 94949 www.veditz.org

The Endeavor 43

asdc@deafchildren.org Parent Information and Referral Line: (800) 942-ASDC (2732)

MEMBERSHIP FORM Name:__________________________

Email: ___________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________

State:____________

Zip:__________

Phone: Voice/TTY/Videophone Membership Type

Individual memberships

_______$40 per year: Individual/Family Membership

_______$100 per year: Three-year Individual/Family Membership

_______$5,000 one-time fee: Lifetime Membership

_______First-Year Free Membership (Families with Deaf children are eligible

for a FREE one-year membership. Just fill out this form and mail,

email or fax it back to us.)

Deaf Child’s Name: ________________________________________________ Date of Birth: _____________________________________________________

Group memberships

_______$250 per year: Parent Affiliate Group ( ____ Number of Parent Members)

_______$125 per year: Library Membership

_______$250 per year: Educational Membership

_______$250 per year: Organizational Membership I would like to send more than my membership dues. Enclosed is a tax-deductible donation: $10 $25 $50 $100 _______Other Total Enclosed: $__________ Make checks payable to American Society for Deaf Children.

Please charge my Visa or MasterCard: Card Number:__________________________ Expiration Date:______________ Please return to: American Society for Deaf Children #2047 800 Florida Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695 Fax: (410) 795-0965 • Phone: (800) 942-2732 • Email: asdc@deafchildren.org 44 The Endeavor

www.deafchildren.org

FEATURE

Take Your Career to the Next Level Gallaudet University’s Graduate School draws on Gallaudet’s rich heritage, and bilingual learning environment to prepare future scholars, leaders and practitioners to excel in their professions and disciplines.

Immerse yourself in Gallaudet’s unique community or take advantage of the university’s online, hybrid, and distance education programs.

Open to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students, Gallaudet offers more than 25 post-graduate degrees and certificate programs, including:

Au.D., Audiology M.A., Deaf Studies M.A., Education M.A., Interpretation M.S.W., Social Work

M.A., Sign Language Education M.S., Speech Language Pathology Ph.D., Clinical Psychology Ph.D., Educational Neuroscience …and many more.

For more information or to register, visit www.gallaudet.edu/graduate-admissions.

Open House

Friday, November 3 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

800 Florida Avenue, NE . Washington, DC 20002 202-250-2006 (vp) . 202-651-5647 (v) . graduate.school@gallaudet.edu 17154

ASDC #2047 800 Florida Ave., NE Washington, D.C. 20002

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Pittsburgh, PA Permit No. 993

With ASL and English, your child CAN...

LEARN! THRIVE! SUCCEED! Mission ASDC is committed to empowering diverse families with deaf* children and youth by embracing full access to language-rich environments through mentoring, advocacy, resources, and collaborative networks.

Vision All deaf children and youth shall have the opportunity to thrive in every aspect of their lives through the empowerment of their families. *ASDC uses the term “deaf” to be inclusive of various hearing levels, including those who are seen as, or identify as Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing.

American Society for Deaf Children #2047 800 Florida Ave. NE • Washington, D.C. 20002-3695 (800) 942-2732 • asdc@deafchildren.org • www.deafchildren.org