My 12 YO son uses American Sign Language,he can hear,not speak,he is a stroke survivor.ST @ school not use ASL

Question

Thor prefers ASL,the Speech Therapist(ST) at school keeps pushing the Picture Exchange Program(PEP),this is where you show a picture to show what you want/need.Thor has been signing for 9 years and wants nothing to do with PEP. I have talked with his teacher and ST(teacher is also a hearing signer).I don't want Thor to have a "communication breakdown" because his signing is not being acknowledged.The ST's logic is not everyone is a hearing signer,I know and respect that but Thor's communication also has to be respected

Answer 1

I suggest you contact the office of Mass. Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing in Springfield (Dwight St) for some information & advocacy rights.   Although I applaud the ST for doing what she thinks is right, I disagree with her recommendation.  Remember, she may only be around for a year or 2...Thor will be using his language for his entire life.  It is the responsibility of the school for ensure that each child receives the services he requires.  If you start running into a roadblock & MCDHH cannot help, then I recommend that you request an independent Speech & language evaluation by an outside party to be paid for by the school to address this issue.  MCDHH ought to know some good evaluators.  both you & the school must agree on the evaluator.  Hope it helps!

Answer 2

The school needs to be using the student's "preferred" mode of communication not what they are comfortable with.  I would ask to have Sign Language Analysis done.  I would also remind the ST that not everyone uses PEC's either and that if your child is not motivated to use the PEC's then it could cause a regression in his ability to communicate.  I would call an IEP meeting and request to have either the ST respect the mode of communication your son prefers and have it put into the IEP and if they refuse then ask for PWN.  When I hear such outdated comments being made such as what your ST made it really worries me.  Now if it was up to me,  I'd suggest you take a handful of picture cards picked at random and then hand them out to the team explaining that they can only use the picture cards given to them to communicate and if the don't have the words/pics that they need then they will have to wait while you go and make more cards before continuing the meeting.  Don't get me wrong, picture communication is good but it's also very limiting.  We use total communication with our child which includes but not limited to: Verbal, ASL, gestures, pictures, pointing, AAC device and any mode that my child uses is accepted.  What they are doing is limiting his ability to communicate which is wrong. JMHO

Answer 3

Fight for what you want! They need to respect his "natural" language which you clearly explained is ASL. ( year, wow!)

Now that ASL is a recognized language and interpreters are licensed he ought to have no problem finding interpreters for him should he need voice interp in the future.

Our district even offers ASL as foreign language credit at all 8 high schools.

Hang in there. I can understand his frustration with the static picture communication and even voice output machines are very limited compared to ASL.

Answer 4

Take it up with the Principal at your son's campus.

Answer 5

What does his IEP say? Go back to Committee and make sure it specifies ASL. You have lots of appeal rights if they do not comply.