What About a Classroom Interpreter?
The school year is rapidly approaching and I am working to make sure my students with hearing loss are established in an environment that will support them and give them the opportunity to thrive.
I am reminded that students with hearing loss who need sign language to fully access their classroom may not actually thrive in a classroom with an interpreter. In fact, this environment may actually hold them back.
The key is LANGUAGE. Do they ALREADY have enough LANGUAGE to be able to benefit from a sign language interpreter?
Children cannot effectively learn sign and develop language by watching an interpreter. They must have the language first.
If they do not, putting them in this environment may actually impede their learning and have lifelong negative effects.
I recently posted about this in my Facebook group Professionals Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and Parents ACCESSing the Way for Their Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child and the...
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Stefanie Kessen
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Stefanie Kessen, M.Ed., Founder of The Online Itinerant, saw a need for added training and support for those who work with students who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families. With more than 25 years in the field of Deaf Education, as a Teacher of the Deaf, interpreter, and Education Specialist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, she recognized that the key to changing the lives of the children was to support the adults who love and work with them. Through this epiphany, the vision of the Online Itinerant, an online portal that would create a community of support and provide for Professional Development needs and beyond, was born. Prior to formally launching the Professional Academy on July 1, 2018, a team of Founding Members worked together to identify the training needs for those who work with DHH students. During its pilot year, The Online Itinerant's Founding Members engaged in the development of a community that was expansive and powerful in supporting the professional development needs of all members of the IEP team in supporting students with hearing loss. The goal of The Online Itinerant is to build community and provide training, support, and resources for those who are passionate about meeting the needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. If you would like more information, contact Stefanie Kessen at [email protected]