Asdcwinter2014hires

WINTER 2014

The

ENDEAVOR A Publication Dedicated to Families and Professionals Who Are Committed to Deaf Children

Family Strong Together We Stand

2014 ASDC Conference June 27-29, 2014

Hosted by The Learning Center for the Deaf

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Deaf: In Our Eyes 2014 ASDC Conference Student Art Showcase From Across the U.S.

Summer Camp Listing

p. 6 p. 9 p. 39 p. 53

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www.deafchildren.org

THE ENDEAVOR

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-for-DeafChildren/215538915154965

THE ENDEAVOR STAFF Editor Tami Hossler 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 © 2014 ASDC. 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.

ADVERTISING For advertising information, contact asdctami@aol.com.

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

A Look Inside EVERY ISSUE ASDC Board A Note from the Editor Past President’s Column Membership Form FEATURES Deaf: In Our Eyes A Teacher’s Tribute to Fausto Delgado ASDC Conference Information Strategies for Working with Children with Autism: Power Cards The Impact of Concentration Fatigue on Deaf Children Should Be Factored In Sign Language Interpreters in Mainstream Classrooms: Heartbroken and Gagged Book Review: Turning the Tide The Downfalls of Accountability and the Importance of Outcome Data ASDC Showcases Student Artwork from Across the U.S. Everyone Needs a Village and We Need Everyone Observing Your Child’s Classroom: What Are Your Rights?

2014 Summer Camp List

2 3 4 64 6 7 10 16 19

20

25 26 38 47 49 53

For a copy of the ASDC Endeavor’s submission guidelines, contact asdctami@aol.com.

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ASDC BOARD Executive Council Board of Directors President Beth Benedict, Ph.D. Germantown, MD beth.benedict@gallaudet. edu

Treasurer Timothy Frelich, M.A. Jessup, MD timothy.frelich@gallaudet. edu

Vice President Avonne Rutowski, M.A. Austin, TX avonne.rutowski@tsd. state.tx.us

Executive Secretary Tami Hossler, M.A. Miromar Lakes, FL asdctami@aol.com

Past President Jodee Crace, M.A. Indianapolis, IN jscrace@aol.com

Members at Large Peter Bailey, M.S. Framingham, MA peter_bailey@tlcdeaf.org Mich Bignell Plainfield, IN michbignell@gmail.com Jeff Bravin, M.A. West Hartford, CT jeff.bravin@asd-1817.org Carrie Davenport, Ed.S. Columbus, OH davenport@osd.oh.gov Rachel Coleman Salt Lake City, UT RachelASDC@gmail.com

Lisalee Egbert, Ph.D. Sacramento, CA legbert@saclink. csus.edu

Maria Renninger, B.A. Seattle, WA maria.renninger@gmail. com

Stefanie Ellis-Gonzales, M.A. Pleasanton, CA stefaniedena@gmail.com

Tony Ronco, P.Eng. La Mesa, CA t_ronco@hotmail.com

Robert Hill, M.A., M.Ed., Ed.S. Tucson, AZ robert.hill@asdb.az.gov Erin Kane, M.A. Rochester, NY erin.kane@rit.edu

2014 Conference Chair Chris Kaftan The Learning Center for the Deaf chris_kaftan@tlcdeaf.org

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Council on Education of the Deaf Representatives Serving on the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Beth Benedict, JCIH Chair Jodee Crace

2015 Conference Chair Deb Skjeveland Indiana School for the Deaf dskjeveland@isd.k12.in.us

www.deafchildren.org

A Note from the Editor This year is another excitessays. The number of ing one for ASDC’s famisubmissions was amazing! lies. Our 2014 conference Thanks to all who particiwill be held at The Learnpated. Hands waving! ing Center for the Deaf in Read about ASDC’s adopFramingham, Mass. For tion of an official policy on many families, this nowthe usage of the word Deaf Tami Hossler annual conference becomes on page 6, which reflects their summer vacation trip. our continued respect for It is fun-filled, educational, all Deaf children. This is and an opportunity to meet many reflected in our publications, mission, other families and professionals from vision, and core values. all across the country. See pages 9-15 ASDC is always looking for articles for what you need to register. of interest to families. Please feel free We also showcase students’ artwork to send them my way, or to request from across the country on page 38. submission guidelines, at asdctami@ The next issue will feature students’ aol.com.

ASDC Board Welcomes Maria Renninger Maria Renninger is the newest member of the ASDC board. She grew up in rural Washington state, and now lives in Seattle with her 10-yearold daughter, Allie, who is Deaf. They have a dog, a hamster, and a chicken that doesn’t lay eggs.

Maria works as a freelance writer and editor, is the president of Washington State Hands & Voices, volunteers as the kids’ program coordinator for the Seattle School of Aikido, and leads a Girl Scout troop. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Washington, where her focus was on child development. She’s been active in public policy advocacy, with an emphasis on children’s issues, since she was 14. Maria and Allie spend a lot of time outdoors hiking, camping, and kayaking.

Welcome aboard, Maria!

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A Message from the Past President

Family Strong Holds Great Meaning The ASDC conference the opportunities for is now an annual event deeper conversations and and will be held this June create lasting memories. at The Learning Center As the Deaf child becomes for the Deaf (see page 9). an adult, this leads the The conference is one of family to stay connected ASDC’s biggest events for and the Deaf adult to view Jodee Crace families with Deaf chilthe family as a source of dren. The theme this year strength and support. is Family Strong, which fills me with In supporting these positive family excitement as well as appreciation. It foundations, as explained on page 6, makes me think of all the reasons why “ASDC believes all Deaf children and we depend on families to positively their families are accepted as part of raise authentic Deaf children. Family the larger community of Deaf people, Strong goes hand in hand with ASDC’s regardless of their hearing level, new logo as well as our new usage of education, language, use of commuthe word Deaf (see page 6). nication tools, or use of visual and Family Strong has many compo- auditory technology. ASDC believes nents, yet it holds one very important all Deaf children and their families message: through love, trust, respect, deserve to know they are not alone, support and commitment, we grow that they have a connection to a largcloser. A Deaf child absorbs a sense er community, and that they can be of belonging when she or he receives proud of who they are.” The key words loving messages of acceptance as a are acceptance and connection. These Deaf person. A family committed to are what makes a family thrive. clear, deep, and meaningful communiCome to the ASDC conference this cation, understanding, and respect for June and experience the splendid each other while ensuring that each moments of being with other families child, including a Deaf child, is raised and becoming a stronger family! Famiequally will not only help each child ly Strong, here we come! feel nurtured and supported but also strengthen the bond among all family members. This cohesiveness helps families weather stress, confusion, and conflicts. Playing together through fun and meaningful activities increase

ASDC has a videophone number!

(202) 644-9204

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www.deafchildren.org

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 Statement

All Deaf* children and youth shall have the opportunity to thrive in every aspect of their lives through the empowerment of their families.

Core Values

We believe Deaf* children are entitled to full communication access in their home, school, and community. We also believe that language development, respect for the Deaf, and access to Deaf role models are important to assure optimal intellectual, social, and emotional development.

We believe that consideration of communication opportunities for Deaf children should be based on facts. Research consistently demonstrates that fluency in sign language and English offers Deaf children (including those with cochlear implants) optimal opportunities for social and academic success, and thus both should be part of their language-rich environment.

We believe there should be access to identification and intervention by qualified providers, family involvement, and educational opportunities equal to those provided for hearing children. The goal should be to provide children what they need in order to become self-supporting and fulfilled adults.

We affirm that parents have the right and responsibility to be primary decision-makers and advocates. For this role, parents need education, access to information, and support. * Inclusive of all children who are Deaf or hard of hearing (please refer to page 6).

Revised Jan. 2014 5

Deaf: In Our Eyes

ASDC’s Usage of the Word Deaf

RATIONALE a) The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is committed to empowering diverse families with children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing by embracing full access to language-rich environments through mentoring, advocacy, resources, and collaborative networks, b) ASDC is visibly active in all of our public relations work to empower families.

The clarification below explains why ASDC uses the word Deaf.

In order to celebrate the positive self-identity of all deaf and hard of hearing children and instill in them a sense of pride, ASDC in its literature will use the word Deaf with the understanding that it is inclusive of hard of hearing people.

ASDC believes that Deaf children should not be divided into the various shades of hearing levels. Only when a hearing level is being specifically discussed will terms such as hard of hearing be used independently.

ASDC believes all Deaf children and their families are accepted as part of the larger community of Deaf people, regardless of their hearing level, education, language, use of communication tools, or use of visual and auditory technology. ASDC recognizes the importance of American Sign Language and English as well as respects the culture of the Deaf community. While each Deaf child’s journey may be different, their visual predominance and orientation binds them together with others who share the unique daily experiences of living as a Deaf person. ASDC believes all Deaf children and their families deserve to know they are not alone, that they have a connection to a larger community, and that they can be proud of who they are.

Resources written by authors outside of ASDC will maintain the language of the author. © 2014 6

www.deafchildren.org

A Teacher’s Tribute to Fausto Delgado (1997-2013)

By Rachel Zemach Silva Fausto Delgado was a handsome Latino boy who was labeled “hard of hearing” but like so many others, when without his hearing aids, he was functionally deaf.

From ages six to sixteen, Fausto attended a mainstream Deaf/ Hard of Hearing (D/ HH) program in a large public school district, one that had only a small number of signing D/HH students, lacked input from Deaf professionals, and where the majority of DHH teachers used Signed Exact English rather than American Sign Language (ASL).

As a young boy, Fausto was extraordinary in that he had a tremendous lust for learning and joyfully embraced any and all lessons put before him. He was a boy whose desire to learn was like putting a match to paper. In the classroom, his mind burned so bright that his teachers described the experience of teaching him as being extraordinary.

I was his only Deaf teacher, and he was in my class only a year and a half; it was an unforgettable time in my career.

When he was seven, I took him on a field trip to the zoo with the rest of my class. On the way there, Fausto and I

spent the trip in a sort of a rapturous exploration of language (his favorite thing in the world, next to movies and Pokemon). “Oh, look! That’s a billboard! What’s it for? Why is there a man and an elephant on it?”

“It’s an advertisement.”

“Advertisement. Okay.

What’s that?”

“It’s when someone tries to sell something, in this case a circus.”

“What’s sell?”

“It’s an exchange of money for something.”

“What’s exchange?”

“You give me this, I will give you that.

Oh, look! There’s the bay!”

“Bay? But that’s water.” “Yes its water, called a bay. There’s also oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers. This is the bay.”

“Okay. bay. Oh, look! What’s that?”

And so on.

At the zoo, we were both deliriously high on the wealth of new words he (and me, through his eyes) had discovered. I told the impatient students, “We don’t have to hurry to see the animals.

To me, all this is worth cherishing, too!

Oh, look! What a beautiful little flower!! What a funny-shaped leaf!”

“Oh, look at this! It’s a soft leaf!”

“It’s a curly vine!”

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“Look at this tiny branch!”

“It’s called a twig.”

“TWIG?! Haha!”

I pointed out the wonder of shapes, textures and sizes in the little things that surrounded us. The day continued like this, extending, of course, to observing the animals.

It was an enchanted day, detached from reality, yet centered on concrete things, and language, all around us.

The next day at school, I said to the kids, “Wow, yesterday...” They looked back at me with shining eyes, as if we shared a secret. I asked, “What was your favorite thing yesterday?” They each had an answer: the peacocks, the goats, etc. But Fausto said, “The world.”

“The world?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

“The beautiful world!” he said, his eyes shining with tears. My eyes got wet, too. I understood.

“Yes,” I said, “the beautiful, amazing world,” as the aides and other students looked at us a bit bewildered.

When did the world stop being beautiful to Fausto? I saw the light in his eyes dull the very next year. His (new) teacher had suddenly left and the substitute teachers — a different one every day — did not know sign language.

I prayed that fierce, hungry light would come back on. Instead I saw that 8

intellectual hunger turn to anger, and then to depression. Fausto was by now about nine. It was heartbreaking to see whenever I passed him in the hall. What a feeling to have lit a fire in a child, but then not be able to keep it burning, to be helpless, watching it extinguish with alarming speed in that environment.

In 2013, Fausto had grown to be a tall, 16-year-old boy finally beginning to explore his long passion for filmmaking, with dreams of making comics and video games featuring a Deaf superhero, films about disability “with humor and a lot of feelings,” he said. He was shy but kind, and deeply intelligent and mature. His potential for success and creating positive things in the world was tremendous. However, on Nov. 12, 2013, he extinguished his precious light forever.

He leaves behind his loving parents and three younger brothers, friends who are now at Deaf schools and friends who remain at his mainstream school, as well as teachers for whom he was an unforgettable student, unlike any other.

Fausto is forever in our hearts and memories. How honored I felt, teaching you!

Fausto, remember the beautiful world?! You made it beautiful for me.

www.deafchildren.org

To our Families, Friends, and Professionals of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children!

The Learning Center for the Deaf and its families would like to invite you to the 2014 Annual Conference of the American Society for Deaf Children. The charm and beauty of New England will not disappoint you and your family as you spend the beginning of summer on our campus in Framingham, Mass. from June 27-29, 2014.

We welcome you and your family to come meet new friends, see old friends, share strategies, create networking opportunities, and to brainstorm ideas for the educational future of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Through our conference, Family Strong: Together We Stand, ASDC and TLC will welcome parents, professionals, and educators to explore areas of family, communication, advocacy, community, and education during three fun-filled days!

Attendees will gain new and fresh approaches on how to address decisions regarding deaf and hard of hearing children. Adults will participate in workshops and roundtable discussions while children will participate in a day program filled with fun activities geared towards their age groups. In all, our conference promises everyone a great time!

Start planning today! The registration form includes all the information you need to know, including the cost of meals (except breakfast and one dinner), workshops, children’s program, and evening entertainment.

We have negotiated a discount to three area hotels and will provide shuttle bus service to and from our headquarters hotel (Sheraton Framingham) in the morning and evening. In order to help our committee prepare for you and your family, we ask that you fill out all the necessary forms (registration, transportation, child care).

While you are here, we hope you will be able to visit historic Boston and the MetroWest area and take in all the sights the city has to offer and come away with your toolbox full of new ideas and strategies for supporting your deaf or hard-ofhearing child.

Accredited by:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf Council on Accreditation

Our plans for this conference will continue to be updated. Be sure to check out our website at www.tlcdeaf.org/asdc2014 or via Twitter at @deafchildren (hashtag #familystrong). Information is also available on ASDC’s website at www.deafchildren.org. Feel free to contact us at 508-879-5110 (voice) or email us at asdc2014@tlcdeaf.org anytime.

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Best regards,

848 Central Street Framingham, MA 01701 508-879-5110 V/TTY 508-875-9203 Fax www.tlcdeaf.org www.wsdeaf.org

Judith Vreeland

President & Executive Director

Chris Kaftan

2014 ASDC Conference Chair

Steven A. Florio

TLC Parents Association President

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2014 ASDC Conference Information Building on the strong sense of community in New England following the Boston Marathon and the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series, The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC) in Framingham, Mass., is proud to announce the 2014 ASDC annual conference, Family Strong: Together We Stand, held at the school on June 27-29.

“ASDC has a long tradition of supporting families with deaf and hard of eharing children,” said conference chairperson Chris Kaftan. “The Learning Center for the Deaf has strong ties with bilingual and bicultural teaching, learning and family relationships, so it is fitting for The Learning Center to host the first-ever ASDC conference in New England.”

Family Strong: Together We Stand will feature a variety of educational experiences and entertainment opportunities for families, teachers, professionals, and people who work with deaf and hard of hearing children. The children’s program features the theme, Building Toward the Future, geared towards groups of children (birth-3, 4-7, 8-12, and teens). These groups will learn about self-advocacy, and team building through enrichment activities, and social learning opportunities for each age group.

“Our adult workshops will feature a 10

variety of topics grouped by theme into different strands,” said Amy Collins, workshop coordinator. “The conference will also have opportunities for roundtable discussions, networking, and panel discussions.”

On Friday, June 27, conference registration and the kick off ceremony will take place at the school’s beautiful campus. The TLC Parent Association is working hard on a full agenda for that evening, including a summer BBQ-style dinner.

There will be two keynote speakers.

On June 28, Rachel Kolb, a Rhodes scholar at the University of Oxford who is pursuing a masters’ in English literature, will present Navigating Deafness in the Hearing World.

Sunday’s keynote speaker is New Mexico School for the Deaf Superintendent Ron Stern, Ph.D. Stern is also the former president of the Conference of Educational Administrators for Schools and Programs of the Deaf (CEASD) and will present on the Alice Cogswell

www.deafchildren.org

Educational Act (Child First Campaign).

Saturday will feature the children’s program, adult workshops and activities and a nice lunch selection for conference participants. Families will have an opportunity to either eat out at one of the local restaurants, or relax in the hotel and use our activity room or the swimming pools.

The last full conference day will be on Sunday, June 29. The schedule will be the same for the children’s program

and adult workshops. We will provide a nice lunch selection that day. On Sunday evening, there will be a closing ceremony, with a banquet-style dinner, and entertainment to wrap up the weekend.

TLC continuously updates its website at www.tlcdeaf.org/asdc2014, and will share information on ASDC’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @deafchildren, with the hashtag #familystrong. Please keep checking often!

Transportation and Lodging Information Airports Framingham, Mass. is in close proximity to several area airports: • Logan International Airport (BOS) – 30 minutes travel time • Providence, Rhode Island (PVD) – 1 hour travel time • Manchester-Boston Airport (MHT) – 1 hour travel time NOTE: TLC will provide shuttle service to and from Logan Airport on these dates and times: Friday, June 27, 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.; and Monday, June 30, 6 a.m., 9 a.m. and 12 p.m..

Lodging Conference participants are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. Room blocks are available at these three hotels, all under the group name of American Society for Deaf Children Conference:

Sheraton Framingham – Official headquarters hotel of ASDC 2014 Conference Shuttle bus will be provided to and from this hotel ONLY Room Rate: $119.00 per night, with up to four free breakfast buffet vouchers per day.

Courtyard by Marriott at Natick www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ bosnf-courtyard-boston-natick Room Rate: $129.00 per night with continental breakfast Best Western – Framingham www.bestwesternmetrowest.com/ Room Rate: $99.00 per night with continental breakfast Check www.tlcdeaf.org/asdc2014 for more conference details.

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2014 ASDC Conference

One form for each family.

Participant Registration Form Family Strong: Together We Stand The Learning Center for the Deaf June 27-29, 2014

!

___________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Parent/Guardian

ASDC Member?

Please circle

YES

NO

_______________________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Email Phone (Please circle) Voice VP Registration Costs: Meals are included in the registration costs with the exception of breakfast and one evening meal.

Combo (three days) Adults ………………….….…….$200 Children…………………….……$100 College Student………………….$100 Daily Rate (Saturday or Sunday) Adults ………………….……….$125 Children…………………………$60 College Student………………….$60 Family Package for ASDC members: $500 (covers the cost of four registrations) Late fees apply for any registration received after June 6, 2014: Per Participant ………………….$25 Per Family……………………..$100 Registration deadline is June 6, 2014.

All online registration must be received by that date. Any paper registration postmarked after June 6, 2014 will not be accepted.

Mail Payment and Registration to: The Learning Center for the Deaf 2014 ASDC Conference 848 Central St. Framingham, MA 01701

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Attending Adult

Relationship to Child

Deaf, HH, or Hearing

Special Accommodations or Needs

Attending Child

Gender

Deaf, HH, or Hearing

Special Accommodations or Needs

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Payment Options: Check or Money Order made payable to The Learning Center for the Deaf (no personal checks may be accepted after June 6, 2014) Credit Card: (please circle) Visa MasterCard Discover American Express Account # _______________________________________________________________ 3 Digit CCV # (back of card) _____________ Expiration Date: _________________ Name on Card:___________________________________________________________ Signature:_______________________________________________________________

www.deafchildren.org

2014 ASDC Conference Children’s Program Registration Form Family Strong: Together We Stand The Learning Center for the Deaf June 27-29, 2014

!

(Please complete one set of forms for EACH child attending)

Child’s Name:

_____________________________________________________________

Date of Birth: ___________________ Child is:

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Age: _____ Hearing

Gender:

Male

Female

Any additional disabilities? ____________________________________________________ (To participate in the children’s program, your child must be able to function age appropriately with regards to self-care. Any additional disabilities will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.)

Attending Parent/Guardian Name(s): ____________________________________________ Emergency Contact Phone/Pager #: ____________________________________________ Child’s primary mode of communication:

Sign Language

Oral

Other (please explain) _____________________________________________________ Does your child wear a cochlear implant or a hearing aid?

Does your child need assistance in:

toileting

Yes

No

eating

Other (please explain) _____________________________________________________ Does your child have allergies to: Medication?

Yes

No

If Yes, please list:

________________________________

Food?

Yes

No

If Yes, please list:

________________________________

Environment?

Yes

No

If Yes, please list:

________________________________

Please list date of Last Tetanus: ________________________________________________ Any present health problems? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Behavior problems? __________________________________________________________ Activity Restrictions? _________________________________________________________

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MEDICINE INFORMATION I understand that the staff of the Children’s Program is not responsible for administering any medication to my child during the ASDC Conference.

My child will need to take the following medication, however, during day trips away from campus. My child will be responsible for taking his/her own medication. I will place medication in a plastic bag which is well marked with my child’s name, name of medication, and time it should be taken, as well as any other instructions and leave it in care of the adult in charge.

I understand that I, the parent, am responsible for my child taking his/her medication while attending the ASDC conference. Use back for more children.

Name of child: __________________________________________________________________ Medication: _____________________________________________________________________ Dosage to be taken:_______________________________________________________________ Time(s) to be taken: _______________________________________________________________ I understand that ASDC child care staff are not responsible for the administration of my child’s medication. I also understand that staff will assist my child in taking his/her medication on his/her own if we are on a field trip off of the campus.

Parent Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________________________________________________

FIELD TRIPS Child’s Name: ______________________________________________________________ Children’s Program activities are mostly being planned on The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC) Campus. There are tentative activities planned for the 13-18 year old age group that may be off campus. All trips have been approved by the Conference Chairpersons, and supervision and transportation are provided.

Please indicate your permission for your child to participate in this trip by signing below.

Signature of Parent/Guardian: __________________________________________________ Date: _____________________________________________________________________

PHOTO RELEASE While your child is in the Children’s Program, he or she may be photographed. By signing below, you are granting permission for his/her photo to be used for purposes related to ASDC and/or the ASDC Conference.

Signature of Parent/Guardian _______________________________________________ Date

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www.deafchildren.org

2014 ASDC Conference

!

Conference Transportation Form Family Strong: Together We Stand The Learning Center for the Deaf June 27-29, 2014

Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Contact Phone or email where you can be reached while in travel: ______________________ TLC will only provide transportation to and from the Logan International Airport (BOS) on Friday, June 27 (10am, 12pm, and 2pm only) and Monday, June 30 (6am, 9am, and 12pm only).

If you fly into another airport or have made travel plans other than these days, you must arrange for your own land transportation.

Arrival Information:

Departure Information:

I will arrive by (check one):

I will depart by (check one):

Automobile

Automobile

Airplane

Airplane

Other _________________________

Other _________________________

Arrival Date: ______________________

Departure Date: ___________________

Arrival Time: ______________________

Departure Time: ___________________

Airline: ___________________________

Airline: ___________________________

Flight Number: _____________________

Flight Number: _____________________

Airport: ___________________________

Airport: ___________________________

Number of people traveling: __________

Number of people traveling: ___________

Any other information? ______________

Any other information? _______________

_________________________________

__________________________________

The State of Massachusetts requires that every child under 8 years old must ride in an appropriate child restraint unless the child is 4 feet, 9 inches or taller, or weighs more than 65 pounds. Review the following website for Massachusetts requirements: Child Passenger Safety Law. Please complete the section below if you have a child(ren) in this category and need TLC to provide a car seat for transportation purposes. There are a limited number of car seats available. Please bring your own if possible.

Child Car Seat(s) Needed (Please indicate by how many below) __________

Infant car seat needed

__________

40-65 lbs

__________

40 lbs and under

__________

65 lbs and over

* If you have any questions or need more information regarding Transportation, please call Ricky Suiter, (774-999-0932), ricky_suiter@tlcdeaf.org.

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Strategies for Working with Children with Autism: Power Cards

By Raschelle Theoharis, Ph.D., Gallaudet University and Deborah Griswold, Ph.D., University of Kansas This is the fourth article in a series that discusses strategies for increasing independence, promoting academic success, and encouraging positive social relationships for deaf children with autism. The first article provided a foundation and overview of the strategies — visual schedules, Social StoriesTM, power cards, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), video modeling, and personal passports — that were discussed in later articles.

Power cards are a visual strategy that encourages reading and promotes appropriate social skills and interactions including routines, transitions, expectations, language, and the hidden curriculum.

The past articles have shared the significant challenges deaf children with autism face in the areas of communication, behavior, and socialization (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Power cards address and are used to support children with those challenges, but add another element: the child’s intense interest. Children who are deaf and have autism are known for their wide range of intense interests. These interests can change over time. Interests can range from transportation, animals, electronics, 16

superheroes or cartoon characters.

The reason for the high interest levels are unknown (Attwood, 2006). Since this strategy incorporates the child’s intense interest, the child is highly motivated to use the same strategy as the character in the scenario. The suggested age range that power cards is considered most effective for are elementary age children to teens and those who have moderate intellectual challenges to those who are above average ability (Simpson, et al. 2005).

Overview of Power Cards The power card strategy uses the child’s intense interest in a positive and meaningful way. The power card strategy is a visual aid that uses the child’s interest to teach appropriate communication, social, behavioral interactions, skills, and expectations — skills deaf children with autism may not learn without direct instruction

www.deafchildren.org

(Gagnon, 2001).

First, the child is presented with a simple scenario using the person or character of high interest to the child. The scenarios are written in first person and describe how the character will solve the problem. For example, if the child’s high interest is Thomas the Tank Engine, then the scenario would be about Thomas greeting his friends with “hello” (the skill of focus). The scenario would end by encouraging the child to imitate the character and use the same strategy in similar situations.

Next the child is given in a small card, the power card, to keep with them reminding them of the scenario.

The power card summarizes the steps for being successful at the specific skill (Gagnon, 2001). Often, a picture of the character is included.

Developing and Implementing the Power Card Strategy Power cards can be developed by anyone who is familiar with the child, their interest and the skills the child is working on improving. The strategy is relatively simple to create and inexpensive to develop. The power cards may be computer-generated (typed with clip art or graphics) or handwrit-

ten with pictures from magazines, photographs, or drawings. Since the power card is something the child will keep or you will use as a reminder, it is suggested the card be made on cardstock or laminated and copies made in case they are lost or damaged. The power card is typically small enough to fit in a pocket, notebook or other small place (Simpson et al., 2005).

First, the teacher or family member needs to identify the problem and state it clearly. When developing power cards, it is important to remember to only address one behavior at a time (Gagnon, 2001). Next, identify the child’s interest. For this example, the skill the child is focusing on is “waiting their turn” and their intense interest is Michael Jordan. The first paragraph of the scenario shows the value Michael Jordan places on waiting his turn in different situations.

The second paragraph encourages the child to attempt the new behavior— waiting his turn. The steps are broken down so the child has a clear picture of what waiting his turn looks like and some optional activities for what he could do while he waits. After the student is introduced to the scenario of Michael Jordan waiting his turn, he 17

will be given a power card with a picture of Michael Jordan and the steps for waiting his turn. When introducing the scenario, the child and family member can read together. The initial reading should be followed up with discussion at the child’s level. If the child is able to read, he or she should be encouraged to read the scenario to others. In the beginning the child will need to be reminded to use the power card and the appropriate steps for the situation. Each time the child makes the appropriate choice or follows the steps on the power card, it is important to provide them with positive reinforcement.

Conclusions The power card strategy is effective because it takes into account and uses the interests of the child to promote learning new skills. It is a strategy that provides visual support that helps deaf children with autism function more appropriately in a variety of situations and across environments. The cost is negligible as it is made of commonly found materials and free graphics. Although there is little research published about power cards (Simpson et al., 2005), we have experienced success.

For more information about power cards, visit autismspectrum.illinoisstate.edu/ resources/factsheets/powercard.shtml or view www.youtu.be/-iao8IteKHo .

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www.deafchildren.org

The Impact of Concentration Fatigue on Deaf Children Should Be Factored In

By Ian Noon, The Limping Chicken I went to a great conference today. It was riveting, and I was hooked on pretty much every word. And then I got home and collapsed on the sofa. I’m not just tired, I’m shattered. I’ve had to turn my ears off to rest in silence and my eyes are burning. I’ve also had about three cups of tea just to write this paragraph.

Boo-hoo, so the Noon is tired, so what?

True. People go through worse. But I do also think the fact that the impact of being deaf doesn’t just manifest itself in communication is ever really that well understood. It’s about the energy involved in lipreading and being attentive all day long. It’s about processing and constructing meaning out of halfheard words and sentences, making guesses and figuring out context. And then it’s thinking of something intelligent to say in response to an invariably random question. It’s like doing jigsaws, Sudoku and Scrabble all at the same time.

For Deaf children and young people, especially, I don’t think this impact is as widely recognized as it should be.

Advice to teachers on working with Deaf children tends to talk far more about language and communication, rather than concentration fatigue.

And some Deaf children and young people I’ve met haven’t been given the space to talk about what impact being deaf has on them and to work out strat-

egies to deal with it; like taking regular breaks and being honest to tell grown ups that they’re tired, without fear they’ll be labeled as lazy.

When I was younger, I was a little embarrassed to be so tired all the time. I would force myself to go out and be busy when really all I wanted to do was crawl under the sofa and nap for a hundred years. Nobody ever really told me that being tired was “OK.” It follows through to when Deaf young people grow up and become Deaf professionals. It was a long while before I started to openly admit to colleagues that long or successive meetings are the enemy of me, and that I need extended breaks to be able to function later. And to get friends to realize that if I wasn’t saying very much in the pub, it’s probably because I was too tired to think.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that Deaf people can do anything and everything. We can change the world. But we might need a nap and a cup of tea every once in a while, so don’t judge us.

Reprinted with permission from www. limpingchicken.com/2013/06/28/iannoon-concentration-fatigue/ Ian Noon works for a Deaf charity and has a blog at www.limpingchicken.com. He is also on Twitter as @IanNoon.

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Sign Language Interpreters in Mainstream Classrooms: Heartbroken and Gagged

By Gina Oliva I am sure that most readers are well aware that the entire system for educating hard of hearing and deaf children in mainstream settings is generally a mess, the kids are suffering, and no one person or entity is really in control.

Included in this “system” is the entire state of affairs with regards to sign language interpreters in K-12 classrooms, across the United States as well as elsewhere around the globe. Let’s call it the “illusion of inclusion” as Debra Russell has so aptly put it.

Alone in the Mainstream My K-12 experiences, along with the things I learned in my 37-year career at Gallaudet and during my 46-year rela20

tionship with my “deaf” (e.g. “hearing on the forehead”) father came together to prompt me to write “Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School.”

I am now working on a second volume of that book with Linda Lytle, from Gallaudet’s Department of Counseling, which will focus on the experiences of younger adults (ages 18-35) as they look back on their mainstream years. Naturally, this book will include comments and probably whole chapters about educational interpreting and the role sign language interpreters play in the lives of deaf children.

Interpreter on a Megaphone The need for a second edition had been on my mind for a while when I received a recent letter. The one quoted below was a serious gem that convicted me of the need for an entire new volume rather than simply a second edition. It was a megaphone so to speak of the dire straits America’s (and the world’s) hard of hearing and deaf children are finding themselves in. It is shared below exactly as it was written with permission, and serves as the basis for this post.

Dear Gina, Hello! My name is ______ and I am a Sign Language Interpreter. I do some freelance work but mainly I have been an

www.deafchildren.org

Educational Interpreter in ____ for eight years.

I attended your book presentation Conference Schedule several years ago and am finally getting Wednesday Registration around to reading your book “Aloneand in the Opening “Sample OuronCity” Mainstream.” So far I am only Chapter Fun Night!

6 butFamily am already greatly Families impacted by will sample menu items what I have read. I have worked from with all area restaurants, ages Frederick from Kindergarten up to high school.

Frederick In alllearn thoseabout settings with allcultural different students I have used ASL, PSE, and/ venues, shop at local merchant or Cued Speech. of activities the kids I have booths, andSome enjoy worked with have had mild hearing losses, such as face painting, a petting somezoo,profound. games, and more.

These children through Saturday – comeThursday from hearing Parent Workshops: Three families who full days of concurrent sign, hearing workshops families who cue,on issues, choices, hearing families and the many consequences, who available do neither, resources that can and profoundly a couple ofimpact the families where the of deaf or hard of development parents are children. deaf hearing Professionals themselves.

One will present in each of the five thingkey areas remainscovering such the same with diverse topics as family each child I have dynamics, cochlear implant worked with. I feel effective use, language inadequate. development, secondary Even though I am a highly skilled conditions, education choices, interpreter, I wonder if the mainstream community support options setting is ever a social success, even with and access, manythat more. an interpreter, andand everyday I see the kids struggling I feel just awful. AIt is very Children’s Program: hard comprehensive to watch day in and day out. three-day True, I have witnessed a few hard of program of planned, hearing students who can speak clearly supervised activities for for themselves and are able to follow children and teens ages 0 to 21 conversations quite successfully using four age groups.

Theseen them theirinhearing alone.

I have informational needs flourish, feel included, andand have high

self-esteem. What is much more common however, and is soofheartbreaking, is unique experiences deaf witnessing my students having the youth and siblings will be «dinner table syndrome» (as you put it), addressed through art, drama, where they fake interest in some task to and team building activities; avoid looking lost.

I see a lot of «superficial sibling workshops; and games, participation» where onlookers think the field trips, and more. d/hoh student is «just fine» (as you also Evening Family put it) butActivities: really they need to look deeper.

My point is, this stuff still happens EVEN oriented activities each WITH AN INTERPRETER evening offer family and PRESENT! In fact, what really kills me is how social time. On one evening, awkward it is participants will explore when I am in a Frederick’s sights, shops, “social situation” galleries, and parks; enjoy — it›s just a dinner on their own; and no-win kind of experience living history thing. For examthrough Ghost Tours. ple, I am sure you realize that kids Exhibit Hall: Sponsors, will ofalter businesses related to any the their talk if there is conference key areas, an adult educational institutions and around.

So it’s really organizations, and local not “normal kid agencies and vendors will talk” when I am display information and around. And if products in the Exhibit Hall. some brave kid attempts to “talk normal” Museum: MSD’s Bjorlee when I am there (such as swearing Museum is packed withor saying something they would never historic information andsay in front of another adult), then the rest of the kids artifacts relating to the school, are uncomfortably giggling.

Then, I, the Frederick, the Hessian Barinterpreter and wars, the deaf racks, multiple andkid by association is in the spotlight - and it is just so more.

ICKY for all involved — it is not authenSunday – Final tic at all!morning It is tainted and altered by the mere presence the interpreter. breakfast and of Conference More often than not, the Deaf student Wrap-Up; airport only wants to chat WITH the interpreter; transportation provided. not with their peers THROUGH the 21

interpreter. For years I’ve heard educational interpreters talk about trying to encourage their students to ask the other kids in class what their weekend plans are, or what good movies they’ve seen lately, but then the D/hoh student either says “no that’s fine” and looks crushed as if no one wants to be their friend, not even the interpreter OR they go and ask their classmates a few engaging questions, but the conversation quickly fizzles and nothing comes of it. I think an entire book could be written on the subject of Interpreter/deaf student relationships and how complicated it can get.

It never fails that every year I work in education, I say to myself together to prompt me to write “I can no longer support this. I need to quit and do only freelance and Sorenson work.” I especially feel this way after reading your book, but then I remember that a lot of participants [for that book] did not have the «luxury» of an interpreter. Another voice inside me says, _____, you need to stay working in the schools. Parents will always mainstream their kids, so it may as well be someone skilled and competent working with them.”

That voice always wins out, and I stay.

But today I am not satisfied. I want to do something about this. I think people will read your book and then pause and be reflective, but then resume life thinking «nowadays schools provide more [and] better services than ever before.» Well, I firmly believe MORE AND BETTER IS NOT ENOUGH! Right, your subjects didn›t have interpreters (except one I think) and today many or most do have interpreters. We need to push forward 22

to ensure a better quality of life for tomorrow›s d/hoh students. We need to ask the right questions, find the right people to share their stories, and make suggestions for making things better.

Heartbroken and Gagged And so, this is from a “heartbroken and gagged” educational interpreter. I am sure most of you readers have heard similar or perhaps even felt heartbroken and gagged yourself. Heartbroken from watching the kids you are working for miss this, miss that, day in and day out. Gagged because the dysfunctional system declares you are not to say anything about this to anyone.

Perhaps the latter is an exaggeration — perhaps you can talk to a teacher or some other school personnel. Brenda Schick’s work on professional conduct guidelines state that as “related service providers,” interpreters do have a responsibility to be more than just a conduit of talking.

The Road Ahead How do we get the school districts to accept this, to recognize the great value of the interpreter’s observations, and take these into serious consideration?

And, perhaps more importantly, how can educational interpreters provide not just in-school support to their individual student(s), but how can they report to the professionals who are concerned about the education of deaf and hard of hearing children? It may take a village to educate a child but the villages ought to share information with other villages.

www.deafchildren.org

First, please find a way to get your collective observations into print, the media, to the Deaf education arena, to parents, and to Deaf professionals who are working to impact the system.

Secondly, think about the “devil’s bargain,” as suggested by Dennis Cokely [at Street Leverage], and consider giving back through local level advocacy work in the early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) system, and in local or regional weekend/summer programs that bring your students together to form social network that include others who face the same issues.

and colleagues. The collective voice of educational interpreters could hold much promise for alleviating the suffering of the children for whom we are concerned.

The interpreter who wrote to me has become a colleague and we have exchanged many emails. It is obvious that she is trying her best in her own setting, but there seems to be a dearth of support for taking these concerns and the solutions to a higher level.

What should that higher level be and who can lead this effort?

Should Interpreters Address the “Diffusion of Responsibility?”

Should Interpreters Address In the above letter, the writer Inadequacy and Neutrality? refers to the concept of “dinner table Why is it that sign language interpret- syndrome,” where the hard of hearing ers working in mainstream settings or deaf student fakes interest in some feel inadequate? Is it the expecta- task to avoid looking lost. This was my tion that he or she be “invisible” as life day in and day out in my K-12 years discussed by Anna Witter-Merithew in and several of the 60 adults who wrote “Sign Language Interpreters: Are Acts essays for “Alone in the Mainstream” of Omission a Failure of Duty?” Is this extended this concept to another “invisibility” what he or she was taught phenomenon I dubbed the “everything in the interpreter training program is fine” syndrome. Together these two attended? Related might be a feeling syndromes constitute the concept of that she is expected to be “neutral”? incidental learning, which is the topic I wonder how much of this feeling of of a dissertation by a fellow “Alone inadequacy and/or neutrality is from in the Mainstream” survivor, Mindy some academic knowledge or indus- Hopper. In our day, the fact of this try bias and how much is just plain old missing information was in itself invisbeing a human being and not liking ible to all except the student. But now, what they see? in the modern classroom, the student’s If educational interpreters could interpreter is a daily witness. Not only to discuss they might address this does the classroom interpreter know and related issues in K-12 settings, the student is missing stuff, he or she it would do much to boost the confi- knows what the student is missing. dence and effectiveness their peers This is so much more than any hearing 23

parent of a deaf child has known unless he or she also spent all day in the child’s classroom. Talk about power.

As potential partners with teachers and parents, I wonder if the sign language interpreters working in K-12 settings should keep a log of conversations or information that they suspect their [consumers] missed. Wouldn’t this help the teacher and the parents determine if their student/child is missing so much as to warrant some kind of action? Clearly, this would involve taking to heart Witter-Merithew’s lesson in bystander mentality and the diffusion of responsibility. I wonder if these concepts can find their way into interpreter training programs and standards of practice, and how such could come about?

Advocate and Report That children in general, especially when they reach adolescence, want and need space to discuss their lives without the presence of adults, is a developmental fact. That an interpreter’s presence in K-12 social environments works against the deaf child is an example of how you just can’t change City Hall. The hard of hearing or deaf child has obviously learned from experience that nothing comes of conversations with their peers and they have decided they don’t want to experience that again. But, now, here is an adult (the sign language interpreter) actually witnessing and understanding what it might feel like. Now the sign language interpreter is also witnessing the stilted social interactions of their deaf or 24

hard of hearing charge. How can the interpreter not be expected to be an advocate/reporter?

In my educated and experienced opinion, the collective voice of educational interpreters is our only hope that the issues addressed herein could be remedied. We, the Deaf adults who are concerned for these children, need your involvement. Your in-school advocacy, bringing your collective voice to the forefront in Deaf education, getting involved in the EHDI arena and in the establishment/management of weekend and summer programs that bring the solitaires together are all ways you can help.

Elevate Your Voice Perhaps you are heartbroken and feeling like you are under a gag rule, smart and articulate, educational interpreter in the Heartland. Or you know someone who is. If yes, what are your thoughts on this? What do you think would bring about change?

What would lead to the day that your insights, observations, and suggestions as sign language interpreters would be taken more seriously? What would elevate the status of interpreters working in educational settings?

Your ideas might be simple, complex, seemingly impossible, step-by-step (we like step-by-step), or philosophical.

Bring ‘em on.

Reprinted with permission from www. streetleverage.com/2012/02/signlanguage-interpreters-in-mainstreamclassrooms-heartbroken-and-gagged/

www.deafchildren.org

Book Review: Turning the Tide “Turning the Tide: Making Life Better for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Schoolchildren” is now available from Gallaudet University Press, Amazon.com, and other booksellers.

Making Life Better for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Schoolchildren Authored by Gina A. Oliva and Linda Risser Lytle, “Turning the Tide” presents a qualitative study of Deaf individuals who spent their K-12 years as the only Deaf child in their schools.

Information gathered from three focus groups and an online survey are discussed — difficulties of finding friends and social access, struggles to establish identity, challenges of K‒12 interpreting and class placement, and the vast potential of summer and weekend programs. The stories clearGina A. Oliva & Linda Risser Lytle ly demonstrate that Deaf students must receive considerable social support as well as academic support if they are to succeed, and that programs to support their overall well-being must be monitored by Deaf education experts.

The authors also refer to the knowledge, research, and perspectives of K-12 interpreters, teachers of the Deaf, and administrators and consultants to Deaf education programs. Recognizing that experiences outside of the classroom are equally important to development, the authors discuss incidental learning, summer and weekend programs, and ways to build social networks.

Turning the Tide

Gina A. Oliva is a writer and consultant. A retired professor from the Gallaudet University Dept. of Physical Education and Recreation, her professional career includes work in student activities, outreach/ community development, and health/fitness.

Linda Risser Lytle is a professor in the Dept. of Counseling at Gallaudet University and a psychologist in private practice. Her career as a teacher, school psychologist, psychological consultant, and counselor educator has focused on deaf and hard of hearing schoolchildren.

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The Downfalls of Accountability and the Importance of Outcome Data

By Elizabeth Cohen Establishing a collection of data on Deaf children to track their yearly progress is essential. With over 90% of Deaf children attending public schools, the number of Deaf children who are falling through the cracks is of great concern. These children are deprived of an education of comparable quality to their hearing peers because of the lack of state mandated data collection systems that track the individual Deaf student throughout his or her school years. With an ever-increasing emphasis on accountability in the schools in the past few years, it is important to know and understand how all students are performing and learning, especially those who need extra attention to succeed, to ensure that all students are receiving an education that is best suited for their needs.

In the last 20 years, there have been many federal initiatives proposed and implemented to catch up with other nations’ ever-improving education systems. In the 1990s, the U.S. Congress, under the Clinton administration, established “Goals 2000” with the aim that every child would start school “ready to learn.” The goals also touched on increasing the graduation rate, improving the quality of education, and increasing parental involvement. In 2001, Congress passed “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB), which 26

created goals that included 100% proficiency in reading and mathematics by 2014 and graduation of all students from high school. Neither of the acts had attainable goals, which hindered their success. However, they brought to national attention the idea of accountability and demonstrated the value of valid and reliable outcome data.

The NCLB Act required accountability and measures to ensure accountability that were costly, but did not provide any way to pay for it. It also focused on increasing teacher quality without a reliable way of measurement. Another major downfall is that it required all children to be tested, including children with disabilities. Everyone was expected to perform on grade level with test scores affecting teacher salary and school funding in some cases. This left children classified under “special education,” including Deaf children, being tested on subjects and grade levels

www.deafchildren.org

inappropriate for their functional level.

I became interested in accountability at a young age. I remember knowing as early as elementary school that my test scores affected not only myself, but also my school as a whole. In college, after taking a class on standardized testing and accountability and another on language development in Deaf children, I started to wonder about the outcomes of Deaf children in public schools. Knowing that, on average, 50% of Deaf students graduate high school at a fourth-grade reading level or lower, and 30% leave school functionally illiterate* led me to want to learn more about their outcomes in schools. Little did I know that my research would leave me with more questions and concerns than answers.

My research entailed going to every state’s Dept. of Education website and evaluating each on the availability of standardized test scores. During this process, I kept data on which states provided reports of standardized test scores for Deaf children and what information those reports provided. The results were abysmal. Only eight states had any data on Deaf children that were not aggregated under “special education,” and when I revisited the sites recently, only six still had data available. What was even worse was that there was only one state, North Carolina, with current, detailed data on Deaf students.

With so much focus on accountability and the overall failure of NCLB, many wonder why accountability is important. Test scores are used every day to make decisions about children’s futures. It helps teachers assess where their students fall in relation to other students academically and can help personalize lessons for students who need an extra boost in certain areas.

While individual scores of students are not available to the public, having the scores by gender, race, age, grade, and specific disability (not aggregated) allows the public to be aware of student performance. The lack of accessible data for Deaf students means fewer people are aware that many of these students are disadvantaged in the public school system — meaning there are fewer people advocating for systemic changes that could benefit these students.

Once I discovered that North Carolina was the only state with accessible data, I decided to dig further. The first thing I noticed was that North Carolina has a deaf and hard of hearing program at the state level that serves as a resource for the public schools in the state. The program has six consultants who serve as contacts for schools throughout the state. Each consultant oversees two or three regions, and each consultant

27

has at least one overlapping region with another consultant. I was able to get in touch with and interview one of the consultants, Dr. Rachael Ragin, to gain some insight into North Carolina’s system.

North Carolina is a “Race to the Top” state, meaning the state was awarded federal money to improve its education system through innovative changes while making their curriculum more rigorous. North Carolina has not only raised the bar for their students, but they have shown initiative in improving educational outcomes for special populations. In June 2013, the General Assembly of North Carolina passed “An act to improve educational outcomes for North Carolina children who are deaf and hard of hearing” (www.ncleg.net/ Sessions/2013/Bills/ House/PDF/H317v5. pdf), which requires the state board of education to develop and implement procedures and protocols that will assess a deaf or hard of hearing child’s language skill, use a communication plan worksheet to document the child’s language and communication needs and placement based on those needs, ensure that there are teachers and professionals who are qualified to teach these populations, and to ensure parents know all of their options, including the option of a residential program for their child and to provide them access to a repre28

sentative from one of the schools for the Deaf to serve as a member of the child’s IEP team. The act also requires that databases be created for use by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) containing information on children under the age of 22 who are diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing that can be used as a tracking system in coordination with other agencies to ensure adequate outcomes in literacy achievement. This bill is an excellent model for other states to follow to better serve their Deaf students.

The most impressive part of the act is the emphasis on development of procedures and protocols to assess language skills in Deaf students.

Language development influences literacy, and it is important to know a child’s functional language to ensure later academic success. However, not all tests are appropriate, nor do they adequately measure the language abilities of Deaf children.

Most people are unaware that the current standardized tests may not be the most accessible and appropriate tests for these populations. The current tests do not provide an accurate picture of a Deaf child’s functional levels. The first step to accountability is testing, and without appropriate tests, it is virtually impossible to accurately assess Deaf students and create programs that fit their linguistic needs.

Given that data collected by states

www.deafchildren.org

on Deaf students in school is for the most part non-existent, there is reason for concern. Without such data, it is impossible for states to hold schools and their educators accountable for the progress or lack of progress of their Deaf students. Schools have an obligation to educate Deaf students, yet the data to make improvements in Deaf education programs in public schools is not being collected to show where the breakdowns are occurring.

This prevents necessary changes for improvement, and leaves Deaf students without an adequate education. Creating tests appropriate for Deaf students and actively collecting data in a way comparable to North Carolina’s system is absolutely necessary to ensure the success of Deaf children in the public

schools. If we want to ensure that all students are receiving a free, appropriate, public education as dictated by the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, we need to do everything in our power to ensure that each student is getting the support they need in the schools, and the first step is accountability. *http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/ content/early/2007/06/12/deafed. enm020.full and http://idiom.ucsd. edu/~rmayberry/pubs/GoldinMeadowMayberry.pdf Elizabeth Cohen is a senior speechlanguage pathology major at the University of Tulsa with a minor in education and early intervention. She will attend graduate school this fall.

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2014 Lee Katz Awards Nominations Being Accepted Nominations are now being accepted for the 2014 Lee Katz Award. The Lee Katz Award recognizes extraordinary parents in honor of Lee Katz, the first president of the International Association of Parents of the Deaf (which then became ASDC). This was first awarded in 1975 and the recipient continues to be honored at the ASDC annual conference.

The Lee Katz award is open to all family members, legal guardians, parents or grandparents of Deaf children. Nominees must be a member in good standing of the American Society for Deaf Children. Nominees must demonstrate the mission and core values of the American Society for Deaf Children.

The nomination letter must include: • The nominee’s name, address, phone number and email address.

•

Your name, address, phone number and email address.

•

Brief description of why the nominee should receive the 2014 Lee Katz Award.

•

Nominee’s achievements and accomplishments.

•

How the nominee supports families in your state.

Deadline for Nominations is April 1, 2014.

Nomination letters should be directed to Cheri Dowling at asdc@deafchildren.org or via fax at 410-795-0965. All nominees will be asked to attend the 2014 ASDC Conference, where the award will be presented.

30

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While supplies last. Excludes tablets. Device requires activation at point of sale. Visa Prepaid Card request must be made at sprint.com/promo or Visa Prepaid Card will be declined. New-line must remain active and in good standing for 30 days to receive Visa Prepaid Card. Subject to CL corporate gifting policy. Allow 10-12 wks for delivery. May not be combinable with other offers. Other req. may apply for installment customers. See store or sprint.com for details. Visa Prepaid Card: Cards are issued by Citibank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and managed by Citi Prepaid Svcs. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Sprint Buyback: Offer ends 6/30/2014.

Limit of 3 returned devices per active mobile number during one 12 month period. Phone must be deactivated and all personal data deleted before recycling. Device will not be returned. Credit varies depending on phone condition and valuation. Credit applied to store purchase or account within 3 invoices. Also available at sprintbuyback.com. Other Terms: Offers and coverage not available everywhere or for all phones/networks. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. ©2013 Sprint. All rights reserved. Sprint and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Android, Google, the Google logo and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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ASDC Showcases Student Artwork from Across the U.S.

Kristine Hodgkinson, Junior Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind Kristine’s sculpture was part of an educational art exhibit at the Wells Fargo Gallery at Tohono Chul Park, in Tucson in Spring 2013. Kristine’s sculpture is a portrait of the special people in her life.

Denali Thorn, 7th Grade Indiana School for the Deaf Denali has aspirations of becoming a graphic novelist.

Every child is an artist.

- Pablo Picasso

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www.deafchildren.org

Illinois School for the Deaf

Jonathan Aguilar Top left: A Notan Top right: Geometric print Left: Self-portrait

Jonathan and Jose attend the Transitional Living Program at the Illinois School for the Deaf, a program for students who want to gain further academic, vocational, and independent living skills after meeting graduation requirements.

Jose Perez Self-portrait

The next issue will feature student essays from across the nation.

For more information, contact asdctami@aol.com.

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Alabama School for the Deaf

Marshe Brownlee, Junior Lion

Rydrea Walker, Junior Self-Portrait in Pointillism

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David Dickey, 6th Grade African Masks

Nadi Funes, Senior Deaf Color

www.deafchildren.org

Jean Massieu School for the Deaf

Meagan F., Third Grade

Noor K., Third Grade

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New Mexico School for the Deaf Immanuel Neubauer, 12th Grade Where the Corn Stalk Grows My dog and I are walking where the corn stalk grows. We walk ten long miles. We finally arrive and I need to irrigate the land with water for the corn stalk to grow. The dog does his work; he watches for birds and barks to scare the birds so they fly away. I don’t want the birds to eat the precious corn. But the dog wants to play so I throw the ball and the dog runs and catches it. Finally, he is tired and wants to go back home.

After another long walk we finally arrive home. I feed the dog and eat bread and peanut butter with grapes.

We enjoy a nice day at my home in Ethiopia.

Uriah Wagner, 12th Grade Mama Bird and Son Mama bird must fix her home at the top of the trees. The son wakes up in his new home in the trees. He plays, flies, and chases until slowly moving dark clouds, rain, and lightning sound. Oh no! The mama bird and son huddle together at home and patiently wait for the rain and lightning to stop.

The son says, “Mama! I feel a little bit sick and I feel sleepy!” Mama bird says, “Yes, I hope maybe tomorrow the rain stops. Let’s huddle together. When we wake up, we’ll check outside. If it looks better, we’ll be ready to play chase on a good day.”

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www.deafchildren.org

Pennsylvania School for the Deaf

Emily Geldreich, 1st Grade

Wilfredo Soler, 3rd Grade

Kevin Nguyen, 7th Grade

Ashley Bouder, 3rd Grade

Michael Procopio 3rd Grade

Jeshua Claude, 6th Grade

William Johnson-Ofalt, 8th Grade 43

Manar Muatan, 5th Grade

Kaylena Andujar, 8th Grade

2014 ASDC Conference Family Scholarships Available

For more information, contact Cheri Dowling at asdc@deafchildren.org

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www.deafchildren.org

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Maureen Yates ASL Nursery Rhymes & Rhythms

Rosa Lee Timm

Keynote Presenter Jodee Crace

ASL Nursery Rhymes & Rhythms

Connectivity

Martha French Assessing Language and Setting Goals with the Kendall Conversational Proficiency Levels

Karen Kritzer Growing Mathematics Naturally: Young DHH Children’s Current Mathematics Performance and Strategies for Further Development

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Heather Gibson ASL Pedagogy: The Symbiotic Relationship between ASL Curriculum and ASL Assessment

www.deafchildren.org

Everyone Needs a Village and We Need Everyone

By Susan Schaller

ASL Tales Experience a New Way of Seeing!

Decades of teaching, speaking and writing as an advocate for visual language for visual babies have done almost nothing to change perspectives or policies.

I discovered our conflicts are not about one language, one method or one group. The root of human struggle is the illusion that you or I or any one person is self-reliant.

From that place, only a baby step takes us to “I’m right, you’re wrong.”

Thus, when the multilingual “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” was published in August, I did not celebrate my success as the author, I rejoiced at the teamwork and dedication of an international group of volunteers who joined forces to forge a new tool for all of us: hearing, D/deaf, young, old, and of many cultures. I, a hearing writer along with Deaf illustrator Connie Clanton, Deaf performer Dee Clanton, and Deaf and hearing supporters of all kinds worked together to produce an ASL Tales book and DVD to help build a village where we all learn from each other. Many voices joined to provide ten different spoken translations to allow non-signers to appreciate the rich visual storytelling.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf!

Retold by Susan Schaller Illustrated by Connie Clanton

We pair masterful ASL storytelling with engaging children’s literature to offer readers an experience far beyond learning sign language vocabulary. You’ve seen nothing like it!

Non-signers will be enriched with a new understanding of how the language works.

Motivated ASL learners can use the accompanying tools to build a foundation for study.

And all readers, from ASL novices to ASL masters, can enjoy hours of shared reading and learning with our books.

Deaf or hearing; kids, parents, teachers and sign language students: Everyone can join in the fun.

ASL Tales

The Boy Who Cried Wolf!

DVD Video 2013 ASL Tales

©

The Boy Who Cried Wolf DVD is also read in the following languages: Arabic, Cantonese, French, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. See our website for additional languages and written transcripts.

Visit www.asltales.net for more information.

Performed by H. Dee Clanton Retold by Susan Schaller Illustrated by Connie Clanton

Features DVD in AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

Performed by H. Dee Clanton

www.asltales.net

Preschool to adult students are learning English, ASL, reading, writing, and acquiring a love for learning. Former non-readers are reading. Students are learning how to identifying emotions via visual language, improving upon their literacy skills, and experiencing a new way of seeing the world through a different language. This book and DVD engages multilingual families and classrooms. Like Velcro, the uses keep multiplying. There is nothing like it.

The magic of why it works so well is the linkage to a village where we all learn from each other, especially, from our differences. Instead of making you look or sound like me, I will learn from you and your uniqueness. The entire village is involved and, more important, included. We all win by including everyone’s story.

More books and DVDs are at www. susanschaller.com.

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NSF Science of Learning Center: Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) Integration of Research in Education VL2 publishes research briefs as a resource for educators and parents. The goal is to inform the education community of research findings, to summarize relevant scholarship, and to present recommendations that educators and parents can use when addressing the multifaceted challenges of educating deaf and hard of hearing children. Research briefs are available under Publications & Products at vl2.gallaudet.edu.

A VL2 Parent Information Package, “Read, watch, learn, play, connect, imagine, and grow together with your deaf or hard of hearing child or student!� is available at http://vl2parentspackage.org.

ASDC Referral Hotline Are you a parent or professional with a question, comment or concern? ASDC has a referral hotline. Our trained staff is available to answer your questions.

Just call (800) 942-2732 or (202) 644-9204 VP.

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www.deafchildren.org

Observing Your Child’s Classroom: What Are Your Rights?

By Michael R. Dorfman As parents of children with disabilities we are in a constant state of worry. Our children are so vulnerable, yet sometimes up to eight hours a day, they are at school, and out of our sight. We don’t send emails to teachers, fight over accommodations, file for due process, or attend IEP meetings because we have nothing better to do. All of these tasks, and more, seem like a full-time job that we have undertaken, solely for the purpose of making sure our children who might speak differently (if at all), act differently, and learn differently, have the best and most conducive educational environment in which they can thrive.

We Are Not Helicopter Parents Parents of children with special

needs are not helicopter parents or control freaks as I have heard educators say, but are sometimes the eyes and ears of their child who is dependent upon them for daily living. That is why we are at school often and seek to observe the classroom setting. We want to be assured our child is being taught, respected for his/her differences, not bullied, and that his/her specific needs are being met whether its extra time for tests or the regular changing of soiled undergarments.

In my law practice, many parents have called and stated that they were being informed by teachers and school administrators that observing their child in a classroom violates the privacy rights of the other students under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). When a school invents rules or reasons to prevent 49

you from observing your child’s classroom, red flags should go up immediately. I’m sure you’ve asked yourself, What does the teacher not want me to see? When a teacher or school administrator is operating a good program, and doing so transparently, he/she will welcome you into the classroom so you can observe your child’s growth and successes.

the rules are not reasonable if they preclude you, or a professional you’ve hired, from undertaking the desired task.

General Education vs. Special Education If a teacher tells you that parents are not welcome in a special education classroom, but you learn that parents are able to come into a general What Is FERPA? education classroom, then rules are First, FERPA is a federal law that being promulgated and enforced in a protects a parent’s privacy interest in discriminatory fashion, and there is his or her child’s “education records.” recourse for this.

Education records under FERPA are Most schools and special education “[T]hose records, files, documents, teachers are great and dedicated to and other materials, which (i) contain helping children with learning disabiliinformation directly related to a ties thrive. However, when there is a student; and (ii) are maintained by an bad apple, you may stand up for your education agency or institution or by a rights to observe your child in the person acting for such agency or insti- classroom. Parents must be reasontution” (20 U.S.C §1232g[a][4]. able in when and how often they FERPA does not protect the confiden- want to visit. It is not appropriate to tiality of information in general; rath- observe every day or “set up shop” at er it only applies to the disclosure by the school. the school of actual records and inforWhen everyone is reasonable, undermation derived from those records. standings are easier to reach.

FERPA would prohibit discussing a child’s medical information, or disabilReprinted with permission from www. ity, with another child’s parent if it is friendshipcircle.org. maintained in the school’s education records. The fact that you may see Michael R. Dorfman is an attorney other students in the classroom is not and partner at Nykanen Dorfman, a legal reason to preclude you from PLLC in Farmington Hills, Mich. In his observation. special education law practice, Michael represents students and their families Guidelines Can Be Set when there is a conflict with the school The school can set reasonable guide- district or when an appropriate education lines regarding observation such is not being provided. as duration and length of visit, but 50

www.deafchildren.org

2014 Gallaudet Summer Programs Immerse Into ASL! For deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students currently in the 9th through 11th grades. Immerse into ASL by taking classes and experiencing an ASL environment 24/7. Two sessions offered (July 1523 and July 26-August 3). To apply or to get more information, visit www.gallaudet.edu/summer_ programs/youth_programs/immerse_into_asl.html.

Discover Your Future For deaf and hard of hearing students currently in the 9th through 11th grades.

Grab the opportunity to discover your future possibilities and explore vibrant Washington, D.C. One session offered (July 15-23). To apply or to get more information, please go to: http://www.gallaudet.edu/summer_programs/youth_ programs/discover_your_future.html.

Young Scholars Program: Exploring the Sciences For deaf and hard of hearing students currently in the 9th through 11th grades.

Classes/labs with faculty who have doctoral degrees in various scientific fields.

One session offered (July 26-August 3) and only 10 slots are available. To apply or to get more information, visit www.gallaudet.edu/summer_programs/youth_ programs/ysp_exploring_the_sciences.html.

Young Scholars Program: BizGenius For deaf and hard of hearing students currently in the 9th through 11th grades.

Hands-on experience in a business-like environment. One session offered (July 26-August 3) and only 15 slots are available. To apply or to get more information, visitwww.gallaudet.edu/summer_programs/youth_programs/ysp_bizgenius. html.

Going Green!

Help save trees and costs by receiving an online version of The Endeavor instead of a hard copy.

Email your request to asdc@deafchildren.org.

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RIT Offers Events for Students SpiRIT Writing Contest for 10th & 11th grade writing. Deadline: March 17, 2014. For details, visit www.rit.edu/NTID/WritingContest.

Digital Arts, Film and Animation Competition for 8th-12th grade students. Deadline March 17, 2014. For details, visit www.rit.edu/NTID/Arts.

Steps to Success for 7th-9th grade African-American, Latino, and Native American Students. July 25-27, 2014. Deadline: May 31, 2014. For details, visit www.rit.edu/NTID/StepstoSuccess Techgirlz & Techboyz for 7th-9th grade students interested in careers in science technology, engineering, and math. July 27 - August 1, 2014. Deadline: May 31, 2014. For details, visit www.rit.edu/NTID/TechGirlz or http://www.rit.edu/NTID/TechBoyz.

Explore Your Future for high school juniors. A six-day career awareness programs where students experience college life, enjoy hands-on activities and get a taste of real-world careers in the fields of business, computing, engineering, science, and art. July 19-24, 2014. Deadline: April 30, 2014. For more information, visit www.rit.edu/NTID/EYF.

DID YOU KNOW?

The International Association of Parents of Deaf was founded in 1967 by concerned parents of deaf and hard of hearing children. The organization changed its name in 1985 to the American Society for Deaf Children. 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 for 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!

See membership form on page 72. www.deafchildren.org 52

www.deafchildren.org

2014 Summer Camp List Alabama Alabama School for the Deaf Enrichment Program PO Box 698 Talladega, AL 35161 www.aidb.org/alabamaschool-for-the-deaf/asd-summer-camp Camp Shocco for the Deaf 216 North Street East PO Box 602 Talladega, AL 35161 www.campshocco.org Space Camp/Aviation Challenge U.S. Space & Rocket Center One Tranquility Base Huntsville, AL 35805 1-800-63-SPACE www.spacecamp.com/specialprograms Arizona Lions Camp Tatiyee 5283 W. White Mountain Blvd.

Lakeside, AZ 85929 928-358-2059 www.arizonalionscamp.org California Camp Grizzly 4708 Roseville Road #112 North Highlands, CA 95060 916- 349-7500 v 916-993-3048 VP www.norcalcenter.org California Lions Camp, Inc. PO Box 195 Knightsen, CA 94548 925-625-4874 www.lionswildcamp.org

Camp Hapitok 3360 Education Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 805-593-3125 www.camphapitok.com Camp Pacifica 45895 California Hwy 49 Ahwahnee, CA 93601 559-683-4660 www.camppacifica.org CEID Family Camp 7000 Del Valle Road Livermore, CA 94550 510-848-4800 v 510-356-2659 VP www.ceidfamilycamp.webs. com Colorado Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 4862 Snowmass Creek Road Snowmass, CO 81654 970-315-0513 www.aspencamp.org Connecticut Camp Isola Bella 139 North Main Street West Hartford, CT 06107 860-570-2300 campisolabella.org District of Columbia Camp Sharp For Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschoolers Gallaudet University 800 Florida Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5328 v; 866-9571232 VP www.gallaudet.edu/hsc/camp_ sharp_2013.html

Florida Camp Indian Springs 2387 Bloxham Cut Off Road Crawfordville, FL 32327 850-933-5959 campindiansprings.com/ Easter Seals Camp Challenge 31600 Camp Challenge Road Sorrento, FL 32776 352-383-4711 www.easterseals.com Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind 207 N San Marco Avenue St Augustine, FL 32084 800-344-3732 v 904-201-4527 VP www.fsdb.k12.fl.us/ Georgia Camp D.O.V.E. PO Box 80491 Athens, GA 30608 478-972-1448 (text only) campdove.org/ Camp Juliena 4151 Memorial Drive #103B Decatur, GA 30032 800-541-0710 gachi.org/community-education-and-outreach/campjuliena/ Illinois Camp Lions of Illinois 2814 DeKalb Avenue Sycamore, IL 60178 800-955-5466 www.lionsofillinoisfoundation.org

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Illinois School for the Deaf Summer Camp 125 Webster Avenue Jacksonville, IL 62650 217-479-4214 www.morgan.k12.il.us Summer Hockey Camp 4214 W 77th Place Chicago, IL 60652 978-922-0955 www.ahiha.org Indiana Camp Willard 1200 E 42nd Street Indianapolis, IN 46205 317-202-1241 v 317-493-0501 VP www.deafhoosiers.com/studentlife/campwillard.asp Indiana Deaf Camps PO Box 158 Milford, IN 46542 574-658-4831 www.indeafcamps.org Springhill Camps 2221 W State Road 258 Seymour, IN 47274 812-497-0008 www.springhillcamps.com Kansas The St. Joseph SERTOMA Clubs Summer Camp For The Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing 12807 S Edinburgh Street Olathe, KS 66062 913-324-5203 VP www.sertomadeafcamp.org Kentucky Deaf Youth Sports Festival PO Box 17565 Louisville, KY 40217 www.mdoyouth.org 54

Lions Camp Crescendo PO Box 607 1480 Pine Tavern Road Lebanon Junction, KY 40150 888-879-8884 www.lions-campcrescendo. org/deaf_camps.html Maryland Lions Camp Merrick 3650 Rick Hamilton Place PO Box 56 Nanjemoy, MD 20662 301-870-5858 www.lionscampmerrick.org CueCamp Friendship PO Box 9173 Silver Spring, MD 20916 www.marylandcues.org Deaf Camps, Inc. 417 Oak Court Catonsville, MD 21227 443-739-0716 www.deafcampsinc.org Massachusettes Clarke Summer Adventure Massachusettes 413-584-3450 www.clarkeschools.org/ summerprograms Michigan The Fowler Center 2315 Harmon Lake Road Mayville, MI 48744 989-673-2050 www.thefowlercenter.org Minnesota Camps of Courage and Friendship 8046 83rd Street NW Maple Lake, MN 55358 800-450-8376 www.couragecenter.org

Camp Sertoma PO Box 785 Brainerd, MN 56401 218-828-2344 www.campsertoma.com Missouri Camp Barnabas 901 Teas Trail 2060 Purdy, MO 65734 417-886-9800 www.campbarnabas.org Nebraska National Leadership & Literacy Camp 1833 N 132nd Avenue Circle Omaha, NE 68154 402-206-2527 VP www.nllcamp.com Nevada Camp Sign Shine 2575 Westwind Road #C Las Vegas, NV 89146 702-363-3323 v 702-475-4751 VP www.dhharc.org New Hampshire Windsor Mountain International One World Way Windsor, NH 03244 603-478-3166 www.windsormountain.org New Jersey Signs of Fun 1243 Waterloo Road Stanhope, NJ 07874 www.signsoffun.org New Mexico Apache Creek Deaf and Youth Ranch PO Box 260 Reserve, NM 87830 575-533-6820 www.apachecreek.us

www.deafchildren.org

New York Camp Mark Seven 144 Mohawk Hotel Road Old Forge, NY 13420 315-357-6089 campmark7.org

Techboyz RIT/NTID 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6700 www.rit.edu/NTID/TechBoyz

Northwest Christian Camp for the Deaf PO Box 21011 Salem, OR 97307 503-390-2433 www.gmdeaf.org

Camped Up 304 West 75th Street #8C New York, NY 10023 877-818-5027 www.campedup.com/

Explore Your Future RIT/NTID 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6700 www.rit.edu/NTID/EYF

Pennsylvania Camp HERO 400 E 2nd Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815 570-380-9006 www.bloomu.edu/camp_hero

Summer Youth Camps RIT/NTID 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6700 www.ntid.rit.edu

Hare Goalkeeper Academy Camp 2879 Anderson Drive Allison Park, PA 15101 412-486-8284 www.haregoalkeeperacademy. com

Cradle Beach Camp 8038 Old Lakeshore Road Angola, New York 14006 716-549-6307 www.cradlebeach.org SpiRIT Writing RIT/NTID 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6700 www.rit.edu/NTID/ WritingContest Digital Arts, Film and Animation Competition RIT/NTID 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6700 www.rit.edu/NTID/Arts Steps to Success RIT/NTID 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6700 www.rit.edu/NTID/ StepstoSuccess Techgirlz RIT/NTID 52 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6700 www.rit.edu/NTID/TechGirlz

North Carolina Camp Sertoma 1105 Camp Sertoma Dr Westfield, NC, 27053 336-593-8057 www.campsertomaclub.org Camp Woodbine 12701 Six Forks Road Raleigh, NC 27614 www.campwoodbine.com Oregon Camp Taloali PO Box 32 Stayton, OR 97383 971-239-8153 www.taloali.us Camp Meadowood Springs PO Box 1025 Pendleton, OR 97801 541-276-2752 www.meadowoodsprings.org Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp 83500 E Kiwanis Camp Road Govt. Camp, OR 97028 503-452-7416 www.mhkc.org

WPSD Summer Camp 300 East Swissvale Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15218 800-624-3323 v 866-755-5261VP www.wpsd.org/student-life South Carolina Camp Wonderhands PO Box 247 1600 Marion Street Columbia, SC 29202 803-296-5437 www.campsite.palmettohealth.org/body.cfm?id=35 Tennessee Bill Rice Ranch Deaf Camp 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road Murfreesboro, TN 37128 615-893-2767 www.billriceranch.org Bridges 415 Fourth Avenue South, #A Nashville, TN 37201 615-248-8828 v 615-290-5147VP 55

www.hearingbridges.org/ youth_programs/ Camp Rise and Sign 935 Edgehill Avenue Nashville, TN 37203 615-248-8828 v 866-385-6524 VP bridgesfordeafandhh.org/ youth_programs Camp Summer Sign Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church 7777 Concord Road Brentwood, TN 37027 615-290-5156 VP www.brentwooddeaf.org

Vermont Austine Green Mountain Lions Camp 209 Austine Drive Brattleboro, VT 05301 802-258-9513 www.vcdhh.org

Texas Isaiah’s Place 231 HCR 1207 Whitney, TX 76692 254-694-7771 www.isaiahsplace.org Texas School for the Deaf Summer Programs 1102 South Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 512-462-5353 www.tsd.state.tx.us/sum_prg/ index.html

Brethren Woods 4896 Armentrout Path Keezletown, VT 22832 540-269-2741 www.brethrenwoods.org Washington Deaf Teen Leadership PO Box 15890 Seattle, WA 98115 www.wsad.org

Wisconsin Center for Communication Hearing & Deafness Family Learning Vacation 10243 West National Avenue West Allis, WI 53227 414-604-2200 www.cchdwi.org Wisconsin Lions Camp 3834 County Road A Rosholt, WI 54473 715-677-4969 www.wisconsinlionscamp. com/

I Deafinitely Can! The Endeavor features stories of Deaf individuals who test and go above their limits.

If you know of someone with a story to tell, email the editor at asdctami@aol.com.

Deadline: April 15, 2014 56

www.deafchildren.org

Your Support Is Needed for These Acts Alice Cogswell Act As part of its Child First campaign, CEASD has developed a bill, the Alice Cogswell Act of 2013. If passed, this bill will amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in ways that “promote and better ensure delivery of high quality special education and related services to students who are deaf or hard of hearing.” The bill addresses students’ language and communication needs, state plans, the continuum of alternative placements, qualified personnel, natural environments, and other issues. To learn more and show support for this proposed bill, go to www.ceasd.org/child-first/alice-cogswell.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the United Nations on Dec. 13, 2006 and opened for signature on March 30, 2007. To date, 153 nations have signed it and 90 have ratified it. In the U.S., the CRPD was signed by President Obama on July 30, 2009 but has yet to be ratified. Please contact your U.S. senator and ask for his/her support. More information is at www.disabilitytreaty.org.

Butte is your source for a variety of publications helpful to professionals who work with Deaf children. Topics range from sign to English skill building resources. Visit our website to see the scope of our line. www.ButtePublications.com 866-312-8883

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In the News Hands Waving to Liisa Kauppinen!

la, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, and Former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.

Source: www.wfdeaf.org A Study About the Characteristics of Children and Youth Who Are Deaf/ Hard of Hearing and Have an Autism Spectrum Disorder

On Human Rights Day, December 10, 2013, Liisa Kauppinen, the former president of the World Federation of the Deaf, received the 2013 United Nations Human Rights Award Prize.

Every five years this award is given to a person or organization with outstanding achievement in human rights.

Kauppinen served more than 30 years with the WFD and worked actively with other organizations as a member and chair of the International Disability Alliance.

She was able to secure the inclusion of references to signed languages, Deaf Culture, Deaf Community and the identity of deaf people within the U.N.’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Kauppinen joins other distinguished recipients of the United Nations Human Rights Award including former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, former South Africa president Nelson Mande58

A survey is being conducted by Dr. Raschelle Theoharis of Gallaudet University and Dr. Deborah Griswold of the University of Kansas to identify the educational, social, behavioral and communication characteristics of children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing and who have an autism spectrum disorder. This survey does not require your name or other identifying information. If you are interested in participating please visit this link: https://kansasedu.qualtrics.com/ SE/?SID=SV_74ITz9n4M8ZM1bn_.

Send news items to asdctami@aol.com.

www.deafchildren.org

ASDC’s Renewing Educational and Organizational Members ASL Rose PO Box 614 Frederick, MD 21705 866-680-6398 www.aslrose.com

Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools & Programs f/t Deaf PO Box 1778 St. Augustine, FL 32085 904-810-5200 www.ceasd.org Communication Services f/t Deaf 102 N Krohn Place Sioux Falls, SD 57103 605-367-5760 www.c-s-d.org Dawn Sign Press 6130 Nancy Ridge Drive San Diego, CA 92121 858-625-0600 www.dawnsign.com Deaf Cultural Center Foundation 455 East Park Street Okathe, KS 66061 913-782-5808 www.deafculturalcenter. org

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

Missouri Commission f/t the Deaf & Hard of Hearing 1500 Southridge Drive Jefferson City, MO 65109 www.mcdhh.mo.gov

Gallaudet University Alumni Association Peikoff Alumni House 800 Florida Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5060 Alumni.relations@ gallaudet.edu

New York Foundling Deaf Services Program 590 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10011 212-727-6848 www.nyfoundling.org

“Hear With Your Eyes” Therapy Alison Freeman, Ph.D. 424 12th Street Santa Monica, CA 90402 310-712-1200 www.dralisonfreeman. net Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 632 Versailles Road Frankfort, KY 40601 502-573-2604 www.kcdhh.ky.gov

Rhode Island Commission f/t Deaf and Hard of Hearing One Capitol Hill Ground Level Providence, RI 02908 401-256-5511 www.cdhh.ri.gov Signing Online LLC American Sign Language Instruction PO Box 86 Mason, MA 48854 517-676-4361 www.signingonline.com

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Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind 205 East South Street Talladega, AL 35160 256-761-3215 www.aidb.org American School f/t Deaf 139 North Main Street West Hartford, CT 06107 860-570-2300 www.asd-1817.org Arizona School f/t Deaf and the Blind PO Box 88510 Tucson, AZ 85754 520-770-3468 www.asdb.az.us Arkansas School f/t Deaf 2400 W Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72205 501-324-9543 www.arschoolforthedeaf.org

Beverly School f/t Deaf 6 Echo Avenue Beverly, MA 01915 978-927-7070

www.beverlyschoolforthedeaf. org

Calif. School f/t Deaf 39350 Gallaudet Drive Fremont, CA 94538 510-794-3685 www.csdeagles.com 60

Cleary School f/t Deaf 301 Smithtown Blvd Nesconset, NY 11767 531-588-0530 www.clearyschool.org Delaware School f/t Deaf 620 East Chestnut Hill Road Newark, DE 19713 302-545-2301 www.christina.k12.de.us Ed. Service Unit #9 1117 S East Street Hastings, NE 68901 402-463-5611 www.esu9.org Florida School f/t Deaf & Blind 207 N San Marco Ave. St. Augustine, FL 32084 800-344-3732 www.fsdb.k12.fl.us Gallaudet University 800 Florida Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5000 www.gallaudet.edu Indiana School f/t Deaf 1200 East 42nd Street Indianapolis, IN 46205 317-550-4800 www.deafhoosiers.org Kansas School f/t Deaf 450 E Park Street Olathe, KS 66061

913-791-0573 www.ksdeaf.org Kendall Demonstration Elementary School 800 Florida Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5206 www.gallaudet.edu/ clerc_center Lamar University PO Box 10076 Beaumont, TX 77710 409-880-7011 www.lamar.edu Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center 800 Florida Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 202-541-5855 www.gallaudet.edu/ clerccenter Maryland School f/t Deaf PO Box 250 Frederick, MD 21705 301-360-2000 www.msd.edu Michigan School f/t Deaf 1667 Miller Road Flint, MI 48503 810-257-1400 www.deaftartars.com Minnesota State Academy f/t Deaf 615 Olof Hanson Drive Faribault, MN 55021

www.deafchildren.org

800-657-3996 www.msad.state.mn.us Model Secondary School f/t Deaf 800 Florida Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 202-651-5031 www.gallaudet.edu/ clerc_center Montana School f/t Deaf and Blind 3911 Central Avenue Great Falls, MT 59405 406-771-6000 www.msdb.mt.gov National Center on Deafness California State University/Northridge 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330 818-677-2145 www.csun.edu/ncod/

NY School f/t Deaf 555 Knollwood Road White Plains, NY 10603 914-949-7310 www.nysd.net

RI School f/t Deaf One Corliss Park Providence, RI 02908 401-222-3525 www.rideaf.net

North Carolina School f/t Deaf 517 W Fleming Drive Morganton, NC 28655 828-432-5200 www.ncsd.net

Rochester School f/t Deaf 1545 St. Paul Street Rochester, NY 14621 585-544-1240 www.rsdeaf.org

Ohio School f/t Deaf 500 Morse Road Columbus, OH 43214 614-728-1422 www.ohioschoolforthedeaf.org

Scranton School for D/HH Children 537 Venard Road Clarks Summit, PA 18411 866-400-9080 www.thescrantonschool. org

Okla. School f/t Deaf 1100 East Oklahoma Avenue Sulphur, OK 73086 580-622-8812 www.osd.k12.ok.us

National Technical Institute f/t Deaf 52 Lomb Memorial Dr. Rochester, NY 14623 585-475-6426 www.ntid.rit.edu

Pennsylvania School f/t Deaf 100 W. School House Ln. Philadelphia, PA 19144 215-951-4700 www.psd.org

NM School f/t Deaf 1060 Cerrillos Road Santa Fe, NM 87505 505-827-6700 www.nmsd.k12.nm.us

Phoenix Day School f/t Deaf 7654 N 19th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85021 602-771-5300 www.asdb.az.gov

St. Joseph’s School f/t Deaf 1000 Hutchinson River Pkwy Bronx, NY 14065 718-828-9000 www.sjsdny.org St. Rita’s School f/t Deaf 1720 Glendale Mildord Rd.

Cincinnati, OH 45215 513-771-7600 www.srsdeaf.org SD School f/t Deaf 2001 E 8th Street Sioux Falls, SD 57103 605-367-5200 www.sdsd.sdbor.edu 61

Texas School f/t Deaf 1102 S Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 512-462-5353 www.tsd.state.tx.us The Learning Center f/t Deaf 848 Central Street Framingham, MA 01701 508-879-5110 www.tlcdeaf.org Utah School f/t Deaf and the Blind 742 Harrison Blvd Ogden, UT 84404 801-431-5100 www.usdb.org

Washington School f/t Deaf 611 Grand Blvd Vancouver, WA 98661 360-696-6525 www.wsd.wa.gov West Virginia Schools f/t Deaf and Blind 301 E Main Street Romney, WV 26757 304-822-4800 www.wvsdb2.state.k12. wv.us

Western Pennsylvania School f/t Deaf 300 East Swissvale Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15218 800-624-3323 www.wpsd.org Wisconsin School f/t Deaf 309 W Walworth Avenue Delavan, WI 53115 262-740-2066 www.dpi.wi.gov/wsd

Membership Package for Schools/Organizations ASDC provides a very special membership option for schools and organizations. If your school or organization would like to join ASDC as an Educational Member, ASDC will provide your school or organization with: • A free one-year membership for all of your families • A special thank you in the next monthly email blast • A special thank you in The Endeavor • A special thank you in the news section of the ASDC website • A link to your school or organization’s website • A post of your contact information on ASDC’s Educational/ Organizational Membership webpage Membership is only $250.

If you would like more information, email asdc@deafchildren.org or call (800) 942-2732.

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www.deafchildren.org

Thank you to our donors!

Allstate Daniel Barkan Trust Peter Bailey Dwight & Beth Benedict Jeffrey Bravin Steven Cesar Jonathan Child Mike & Susan Childers Carrie Davenport Stephen & Kristin DiPerri District Ignition LLC Hillary Dostal Ann Edmonds Stephanie Ellis Luciana Estrada John & Bonnie Fairchild Joseph & Margaret Finnegan John & Eleanor Fogarty John & Anne Gaspich Janice Goodall-Johnston Jonathan Gunner Dr. Nathan & Ruthe Katz Robert Hoffmeister Jeffrey & Tami Hossler Jestine’s Kitchen Cleroy Johnston David & Jessetta Joswick John & Jean Jun Thakur Karkee Kaiser Permanente Cindy & Edward Lawrence Jacqueline Levine Hilary Mayhew Joseph & Jean McLenigan Bambi Mejorado Leon Metlay Sandra Micke Microsoft Elaine Moore

James & Julianna Newland Un Cheng Ng Gina Oliva Lylis Olsen Steven Robus Elizabeth Rosenberg Tom Scarpelli, Jr. Toys “R” Us Deborah Skjeveland Zulma Verdejo Judith Vreeland Martina Ware Glenda & James Zmjewski In Honor of Dr. Beth Benedict Harold & Mary Mowl In Memory of Helen Fisano Wagner, Ferber, Fine & Ackerman In Memory of Bill Simpson Carolyn Allen Gwendolyn Miner In Memory of Katie Warrington Paula Andreas Tamarra & Donald Burch Doris & Ray Bussard Communications Training Analysis Corp Margaret Cusic Victoria Decker James & Barbara Donatelli Richard & Isabella Donnelly

Martha Dorris Ann Edmonds Steven & Wanda Fennell Cecelia Davis Ruth Goode Nadine Haddad Stephanie Hall Lorraine & Francis Harding Robin & Krista Hayden Michael Heffner Kristin Hillman Yvonne Hobson Charline Hull Carolyn Jenkins Mary Malarkey Eleni Martin Dorothy & Robert Mattingly Francis McKee Terrence McKittrick Billie Mitchell Karen Pica Catherine Pokanka Faye Poteat Karen & Scott Ratzow David & Gloria Rowland Jonathan Rubin M. Diane & David Scholten Sarah Snowa Teresa Sorrenti Jack Swain Nathan & Linda Talley Nathan Vaccaro John & Diane Van Lonkuyzen Christine Velt William Wallace Alcinda & Alan Wenberg

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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, D.C. 20002-3695 Fax: (410) 795-0965 • Phone: (800) 942-2732 • Email: asdc@deafchildren.org

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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 Statement 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. * Inclusive of all children who are deaf or hard of hearing (please refer to “Deaf in Our Eyes: ASDC’s Usage of the Word Deaf ”).

Consider joining ASDC today, and receive The Endeavor three times a year, discount admission to the ASDC biennial conference, access to invaluable resources from the ASDC media library, and access to speakers for your parent support group or event. You will also join forces with thousands of other families across the country, and support an organization that advocates for crucial national legislation and services for Deaf children.

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