6/11/09
Today was an interesting day. I have been a little concerned because Miss Kat is in a class with all (but one) VERY beginning learners. Two have been adopted in the last year and the last has no language at all. None of them respond to their names or have any receptive or expressive language. They are not even able to understand environmental noises yet. The kids are between 3 ½ and 5, but they are all late IDed and late implanted, she is functioning well above this level. So, today I made the leap and asked them if they should move Miss Kat to the other classroom. My biggest concern is that she will get left behind in the new class. Those kids are doing so well! They understand and express themselves amazingly. I worry that Miss Kat will get lost or left out because the other kids don’t understand her.
So, we took the leap and moved Miss Kat to the other room. The teacher thinks it was a good move and that she will rise to the occasion. They think she is fitting in perfectly (though the class is ALL boys and some of them are very handsome
).
In other news, we went and saw the science center. It was closed after school so we didn't get to go inside but we got to lift a truck using a lever! Miss Kat loved it. It looks like it going to be a very fun place, we will check it out on a day we get out earlier. The best part is that it is free! (A good tip for those of you headed to JTC in the future!)
In class today we had another session with audiologists. We went over the types of hearing tests and what they show and who they work for. The most interesting point they made was that booth testing is the gold standard NOT ABR's. They said that reading an ABR is subjective so it should only be used as a tool but that NO ONE should be getting hearing aids programmed or a CI based on the results of an ABR. They said that there are many ways to get accurate booth tests on children of any age or developmental level and that they are the best way to go.
Our last class of the day was about assessments. We went over the importance of both informal and formal language assessments. The SLT said that while formal assessments are key, information gathering and the lists that parents do everyday are just as important, if not more so. She said that teachers only see a sliver of our child's language and that they must rely on us to give the full picture of what our kids can do. While it is very important to know exactly where our kids are at that moment (and that is what the formal assessments do), it is also important to know how much progress they are making and where they are headed. It is through observation that we are able to make the goals that will help our kids progress.
One funny tidbit, Miss Kat was playing in the dorms with some of the kids from school. One of the younger kids wasn't understanding her words (his issue, not hers) so she started signing to him. He still wasn't getting it (of course not!), so she went even s l o w e r. She seemed a little exasperated that he just wasn't understanding. She tried one last time and signed and spoke super clearly “You run. I chase. I'm a monster. Ready??? Go!” Nope, nothing.....Miss Kat just rolled her eyes.
Miss Kat is exhausted (all the kids are). She is working hard all day long. I am so proud of her. She is amazing.
So, we took the leap and moved Miss Kat to the other room. The teacher thinks it was a good move and that she will rise to the occasion. They think she is fitting in perfectly (though the class is ALL boys and some of them are very handsome
).In other news, we went and saw the science center. It was closed after school so we didn't get to go inside but we got to lift a truck using a lever! Miss Kat loved it. It looks like it going to be a very fun place, we will check it out on a day we get out earlier. The best part is that it is free! (A good tip for those of you headed to JTC in the future!)
In class today we had another session with audiologists. We went over the types of hearing tests and what they show and who they work for. The most interesting point they made was that booth testing is the gold standard NOT ABR's. They said that reading an ABR is subjective so it should only be used as a tool but that NO ONE should be getting hearing aids programmed or a CI based on the results of an ABR. They said that there are many ways to get accurate booth tests on children of any age or developmental level and that they are the best way to go.
Our last class of the day was about assessments. We went over the importance of both informal and formal language assessments. The SLT said that while formal assessments are key, information gathering and the lists that parents do everyday are just as important, if not more so. She said that teachers only see a sliver of our child's language and that they must rely on us to give the full picture of what our kids can do. While it is very important to know exactly where our kids are at that moment (and that is what the formal assessments do), it is also important to know how much progress they are making and where they are headed. It is through observation that we are able to make the goals that will help our kids progress.
One funny tidbit, Miss Kat was playing in the dorms with some of the kids from school. One of the younger kids wasn't understanding her words (his issue, not hers) so she started signing to him. He still wasn't getting it (of course not!), so she went even s l o w e r. She seemed a little exasperated that he just wasn't understanding. She tried one last time and signed and spoke super clearly “You run. I chase. I'm a monster. Ready??? Go!” Nope, nothing.....Miss Kat just rolled her eyes.
Miss Kat is exhausted (all the kids are). She is working hard all day long. I am so proud of her. She is amazing.
6 comments:
You got that right. Miss Kat is amazing in being so young and now able to intuitively adjust her expressive language to fit another child's level. That's one kid to watch in the future!
Do you even speak to miss kat and give her a chance to develop her speech skills?
why are you considering bilaterals if kat still has a great amount of good hearing, why ruin it?
The insanity is overwhelming....
Yes, we do speak to Miss Kat. If we didn't why would we have spent 3 weeks in a dorm room 1000 miles from home learning the skills that JTC taught us? We are hearing people in a hearing family, in a hearing world, so yeah, she is exposed to spoken language.
As for bilaterals, she is not getting the kind of benefit that would be expected with her hearing. Have you heard of cochlear dead regions? That is a possiblilty, according to the audios. What good is residual hearing if you can't use it??? Oh good, she can hear a tone in a sound proof booth! So what! In the real world, she isn't hearing well. We would be "ruining" her residual hearing to give her SO MUCH MORE, with the CI.
Oh, and please people, have the guts to leave a name.
MKM, I had never heard of "cochlear dead regions" before until you mentioned it today. Very interesting! could you tell us more about that in relation to Miss Kat?
Thank you so much for posting about JTC! I've been to the Science Center, and it is amazing. It's been a long time, but they used to have a bike on a tightrope that you could ride (it's totally safe, and totally cool). Definitely go if you get the chance! The Long Beach Aquarium is pretty nice, too.
I've heard about cochlear dead regions before (read about them because some reverse-slopes are due to dead regions in the cochlea).
I'm sure the weekend full of rest will be great for you and Miss Kat!!
I love reading about your JTC experiences!!! I loved the story of Miss Kat playing in the dorm!
Post a Comment