Week 11

How can you prepare to address transition for students who are Deaf/HH?

Transition is something that I really did not know much about before this class. I knew it was something that we needed to prepare our kids for but that was all that I knew. After we discussed it in class I know have a much clearer picture of what all that entails. I think that one way to prepare our students for transition is to let them know that it is coming. Our students usually aren't big on change in routine so it is important to warn our students that this is coming up and let them in on what you are going to do to prepare for it. Having the student attend their IEP meetings is also a good way to help them to transition. I think it important that the student is part of the plan whether it be college or the work force. If the student is going to be attending college then it is important that we, as well as the parents, help the child prepare for tests like the ACT and the SAT and filling out college applications. If the student is planning on joining the work force then it is important to teach them how to fill out job applications and how to be professional during a job interview. There is a lot that goes into transitioning our students and I think it is important to be knowledgeable in every aspect so that we can prepare our students to the best of our abilities.

What do you think is important for students to learn as they prepare to graduate?

I think it is important for our students to know how to function in the hearing world. Deaf Culture is extremely important but the reality is that this is a hearing world. Math, science, English, and social studies, are all important but that is not the only thing we are responsible for teaching our students. We also need to teach them how to communicate with others who don't speak their language, how to order at a restaurant, how to ask for something they need while in the grocery store. It is also important to teach them how to socialize and make friends. To me, all of these things are just as important as the core subjects and it is our job to teach these things as well.