The reason I picked this topic is because my younger brother is deaf and he struggled all throughout school to learn and keep his grades up. He was in regular classrooms with all of his friends and went to learning centers during certain parts of the day for help on his work and speech. I always wondered what would be the better choice of schooling for deaf students. Do they do better in public schools in inclusion or would they do better at a school specifically designed for the deaf like the one in my hometown of Beverly? I found some of the pros and cons of inclusion for deaf students and each of the sides have convincing arguments.
The pros of a deaf student learning in a regular classroom would be that they interact with hearing students that are their own age. They aren’t just being kept with other deaf students like they have to be separated from the world. They can make friends with someone different from them and vice versa for the hearing student. I think that that opens up a lot of opportunities for making friends and meeting different people. My brother is a prime example of this because he has all hearing friends and only knows a few deaf people who were in his learning center with him. He was able to get past the differences and so were the hearing people so there is no need for students to be isolated in their own school. Another pro is that deaf students can get access to a large amount of programs offered at public schools. They can go into learning centers, resource rooms, have an aide come into the classroom with them, get a translator, and get so much extra help outside of the classroom if there is something they don't understand. They receive so much extra help and support in public schools and I think it's amazing. Of course at a school for the deaf they would receive the same care but to be able to get that at a public school that is close to home must be wonderful. I know that my brother would never want to go away from home for that type of care and I would imagine there are other children who wouldn't want to either. So for him to be able to get such exceptional care at a public school is very comforting.
Although there are some cons to a deaf child being in and inclusive environment also. One of them is the risk of isolation. There is always the chance that
and after going over them I think that with proper care and a well trained staff a deaf student can do just as well if not better than students at a school for the deaf. I think that there is always the risk that children won't talk to someone else if they are different that everyone else. A deaf student may not be talked to or well liked. They may have a hard time making friends and getting to know people in a public school. Another con is that public schools may not have a qualified and well trained staff to support and teach deaf students. The student may even end up doing worse and not benefiting from their help at all. And the last con is that a deaf student doesn't normally get direct direction. They often get instruction from a translator, lip reading, or something written on the board which may be missing this. The student may not be getting the whole instruction or lecture and could be missing out on important key point in the class.
After looking at the pros and cons of an inclusive classroom for deaf students I have to agree that an inclusive environment can work well for a deaf student. I feel that as long as the student is motivated, has a good support system, and understanding well trained teachers they should be able to thrive in the public school system.
http://sped.wikidot.com/the-benefits-and-risks-of-inclusion-for-deaf-students
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