Re: Tutoring Hearing Impaired Students (fwd)

[Eric Crump <wleric@showme.missouri.edu>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 16:07:27 -0500 (CDT)
From: Eric Crump <wleric@SHOWME.MISSOURI.EDU>
To: Moderated WCENTER <wcentr-l@lists.missouri.edu>

From: wtgcenter@vax1.bemidji.msus.edu (Writing Resource Center)


Virginia,

 I was intrigued by your comments on deaf students.  Last summer I began
learning ASL with a friend, but she left and for lack of someone to practice
with, I dropped the effort.  I have niece who suffers from Golden - Harr
Syndrome which has left her deaf.  She spends time in front of a mirror
practicing signing to herself.  I often wonder if she has the patience to
learn because her entire ability to communicate depends on using the signs.
When watching her it amazes me when she signs and her obvious ability to
understand what the signs mean. My sister-in-law has a dual challenge of
not only learning
to communicate herself, but to determining which teachers are competant for the
task of teaching the little girl.   Therapists in this area vary greatly in
their ability.  Which leads us to the question, is tutoring a valid response
to the difficulties these students are facing or is this an area better left to
a trained professional.  Perhaps our efforts should be concentrating on
tutoring
the therapist working with the deaf students, not because we wish to shut them
out...but because we may do more damage by confusing them with multiple
teaching styles.

I would be interested to gain experience in this area and I can see where
computers and on-line material could open an entire world for these students.
In fact, early introduction to some of the less complicated word processing
and computer key boards available at the local Target store maybe a key in
opening a new world for these students.


                             Christy Lee