Good evening! Hi I'm Heidi, Teacher of the Deaf from KY. Tonight I'm honored to introduce our guest host @nationaldeafctr who'll lead our #DeafEd discussion about preparing for deaf youth for postsecondary success.
Q1 Deaf youth face challenges and barriers as they move from high school into postsecondary settings. What barriers do you see for #deaf youth during transition? #DeafEd
A1: Lack of Resources and in some areas, lack of resources of Deaf Role Models to inspire them to aim for the dream they want since they were a child #DeafEd
A1: I see a challenge with deaf youth not having the ability to advocate for themselves in a post-secondary environment. It is very different from high school. But I also see this improving #DeafEd
I see a change in support structures, students being unsure of the resources they have available to them, at times no longer living at home, in the same city or state. #deafed
I'm Melanie Thornton with Partners for Inclusive Communities. We work to promote access and inclusion in a variety of settings. My personal interests are digital access and postsecondary environments #DeafEd
A1: one of the biggest barriers I have seen is advocating for themselves. In schools they are fortunate to have support, but in the real world that could go away. The student needs to understand their needs, right, wants, & dreams to advocate for themselves. #deafed
Forgot my intro! I'm Nick from Los Angeles. Currently teaching ASL at a local community college (former ToD), but am doing research on the college choice process of Deaf students. #deafed
A1: Students don’t have room in their schedule for electives and job exploration because of so many remedial classes to meet grade level standards to graduate. #DeafEd#RMTCDHH
Forgot my intro! I'm Nick from Los Angeles. Currently teaching ASL at a local community college (former ToD), but am doing research on the college choice process of Deaf students. #deafed
A1: in addition to @shellypa, High School don’t have the resources to guide or promote deaf and hard of hearing students to meet leaders of Deaf Community #DeafEd
A1 Lack or limited support - deaf youth are given tremendous support with the goal of graduating then are left uncertain once they leave their high schools & face new support system such as VR/Job Coach, which sometimes are not culturally competent #DeafEd
Q1 Deaf youth face challenges and barriers as they move from high school into postsecondary settings. What barriers do you see for #deaf youth during transition? #DeafEd
A1: Too many hearing educators with a disability mindset are ableist with our deaf students. This causes immense barriers for self determination, advocacy and independence #DeafEd
A1 The importance of self-advocacy when considering IDEA vs ADA. Perceptions about deaf individuals, communication barriers, lack of adequate prep and focus on transition in high school, limited post-secondary options with direct communication access #weareTSD#deafed
A1. The readiness of colleges to provide access is not always in place, resulting in the need for Deaf students to advocate more than they should have to rather than being able to focus their energies on curricular and extra-curricular activites like hearing students #DeafEd
A2: Students who are #deaf who are not afraid to ask questions and make mistakes to learn from. They understand their learning differences and can ask for what they need. Parent support. #DeafEd#RMTCDHH
A2 Understand and utilize support services and accommodations. Successful students know their rights, where to look, and ask for them. Accommodations include notetakers, interpreters, technology support, & tutoring. Be involved w extracurricular activities. #weareTSD#deafed
A1. One of the barriers is that the Deaf Youth are not prepared for the real world because they never teach them the truth about the real world. #DeafED#SocialJustice
Q1 Deaf youth face challenges and barriers as they move from high school into postsecondary settings. What barriers do you see for #deaf youth during transition? #DeafEd
.@csunorthridge (Dr. Beth Lasky) just started an "Explorers" program for students with disabilities who want to attend college classes. Pretty cool. (Not nec. for Deaf students) #DeafEdhttps://t.co/Y3f1ZvtNuj
A2: my experience is mainly with kindergarten so I hope I’m not too off track. I think Ss who are social/emotionally competent are able to adapt to their situation bc they are resistant,self-motivated,&able to work through challenges in life. Basically real world ready #deafed
A1: The biggest difficulty I see is the transition to managing accommodations on their own. In high school, IEPs dictate accommodations. In college, you do. And if you don’t push you don’t get. #DeafEd
Q1 Deaf youth face challenges and barriers as they move from high school into postsecondary settings. What barriers do you see for #deaf youth during transition? #DeafEd
A2: Positive predictors = self-confidence, advocacy skills, grit, having the linguistic skills to write the explanations needed to advocate for needs and rights #Deafed
True, but I also think there is some value in learning what to do after you fail at something. Learning to try again and practice, not sure give up. Providing both are vital to success. #DeafEd
A2: Drawing a blank where I read it, but key indicator of success for any college student has nothing to do with academics. It's all about soft skills, critical thinking, independence, organization, etc. #DeafEd
With today's technology such as @flipgrid now free with @microsoftedu there are many ways to collaborate with other Deaf individuals, Skype with guest speakers, collaborate with other schools. #deafed
In reply to
@2Maisha, @ShellyPa, @Flipgrid, @MicrosoftEDU
Exactly! Deafverse, a choose-your-own-adventure game we developed allows students to try, fail, and try again in a safe environment, especially with common "real-life" scenarios they will encounter in their future! https://t.co/XcqhSIvrA2#deafed
A2: Support from educators who make sure students are being included in lessons and activities. Teachers set the tone for an inclusive setting. If the teacher is uncooperative that let’s the kids know they don’t have to work to include deaf students either. #DeafEd
That is why it is critical that students are knowledgeable their rights under ADA and 504 before graduating high school. They also need to know where to go to get services and how to request them. #DeafEd
Some educators are too often giving the Deaf youth false hope is one of the examples. With the false hope fill in the Deaf youth's heads, they often are sidetracked from reaching the goals when you enter the real world. #DeafEd
I think parents and teachers need to have a plan to shift power over to the student during junior and senior year. What I see happening is kids hit senior year and they try to implement changes all of the sudden. There’s needs to be a smoother process. #DeafEd
We get it. Like we told a fellow #deafed chatter, this is exactly why we developed Deafverse, so there's a safe place where students can navigate common scenarios and figure out how to make the best choices for their future. https://t.co/XcqhSIvrA2
A3 Parents can encourage a child to learn how to request for interpreters, fill out forms independently, make phone calls themselves through VRS, whether it is to order a pizza or dispute a bill. Be involved in your child's transition plan at school and home. #weareTSD#deafed
A3: Encourage parents and families to start "letting go" (earlier) than they really "want to." We work with many families that are overprotective in ways that inhibit their children. #DeafProject#DeafEd@csunorthridge
A3. One way to foster autonomy is starting young with giving choices and clearly communicating with the child about the idea of choices and consequences. #DeafEd
A3: Simple. Parents and families must accept that #DEAFCAN. In my 24 years in #DeafEd I have encountered so many parents who treat their children like toddlers. Once, a 12 year old child was still getting dressed every day by her mom. I kid you not!
A3: Let Ss make mistakes and follow through with the consequences so they can learn. I’ve seen too many students abuse accommodations. Example: No extra time on the assignment unless you tried to do it first. #DeafEd#RMTCDHH
A3 parents need Deaf role models too so they can envision options for their child if they do not have Deaf family. If their child is the only Deaf person they know they may not know how their child will fully access and participate independently #Deafed
A1. Deaf learners are denied experiential learning to - they are not exposed to everything needed to be academically, socially/emotionally and equipped to handle the ups and downs of transition. Challenge is increasing opportunity access for transition. #deafed
A3: Parents & families need to empower their children to advocate for themselves, take on responsibility, & set goals. In situations, the parent can let the child advocate for themself, take responsibility for their actions, or make a plan for their goal. #deafed
Some educators are often giving the Deaf Youth with false hope. When the Deaf Youth enter the real world, they become frustrated and often sidetrack from reaching the "false hope" goal because of all false hopes. Educators must tell the truth about the real world. ##DeafED
Q3. I think including students in their IEPs at a young age is important. Teaching students early on that they can be empowered in their education. #DeafEd
A3: Having role models makes a huge difference! Making sure that deaf professionals are talked about in the home. Knowing @MarleeMatlin, @HabenGirma, and Johanna Lucht (NASA). Make these people household names. #DeafEd
A3: We can start VERY young & help kids see that they can find the answers to things rather than always being dependent on adult. Ts can set up accessible info in their classroom, and then NOT answer questions in instances where children can get answers themselves! #DeafEd
We get it. Like we told a fellow #deafed chatter, this is exactly why we developed Deafverse, so there's a safe place where students can navigate common scenarios and figure out how to make the best choices for their future. https://t.co/XcqhSIvrA2
A3 Empowerment! I empower my little Deaf brother on daily basis, small to big tasks, which often leads to in-depth discussions that result in him gaining a greater understanding of his surroundings #DeafEd
this. our research shows that parent *expectations* of their deaf child's potential are a key predictor of success, not parent *involvement*... so, basically, believing in your kid's potential is more important than helping them with homework, etc. #deafed
A3 @TSD_Main And Deaf Community needs to teach parents or to guide parents with resources so they can teach their deaf children as you’ve mentioned #DeafEd
Just like all parents sometimes need that push to give more independence, chores, etc., we should give a developmental checklist to parents related to advocacy and independence. Not only on the IEP for school but also independence for home #deafed
Agreed! I imagine it would feel comfort many hearing parents greatly to meet a variety of adults experiencing #deafsuccess and encourage them to expect the best for their kids! #DeafED
Deaf high school students whose parents expected them to attend postsecondary education or training were 6x more likely to do so. (Cawthon et al., 2015) https://t.co/hd0zXGfLnE#deafed
Sometimes I think part of the problem is fragmenting of Services. Like I work for. Non-profit commissioned through the state, which facilitates with schools and case managers. That’s hella’ confusing for kids. #DeafEd
A4 At TSD, we have Senior Seminar and Career Prep courses where students are encouraged and challenged to self-advocate in the Austin community. Role-playing & explicit instructions about overcoming barriers they will face after graduating helps #weareTSD#deafed
A4: Like @EllenSchn's brilliant idea, we can provide accessible info in school/classrooms for students' advocacy. For one example, students can advocate for change in their class schedule. #DeafEd
A4: Participation in extra curricular activities allows students the opportunities to learn how to request an interpreter, cancel, etc and arrange the schedules with coaches or sponsors. You can see the growth happen in a risk free environment. #deafed
A4: There are advocacy centers for the deaf and hard of hearing across the nation such as @GLADCEO and @CODIE_Riv that provide resources on how to become self-advocacy for Deaf Youth. #DeafEd
people laugh, but at IEP meetings, I encourage my students to argue with their parents. And I encourage my parents to accept their challenge. It's a daily soft skill, not something that magically happens. #deafed
this. our research shows that parent *expectations* of their deaf child's potential are a key predictor of success, not parent *involvement*... so, basically, believing in your kid's potential is more important than helping them with homework, etc. #deafed
A4- very simple but it does work. I have my daughter ask the worker at stores questions or tell the server what food she wants herself. A small step but can scaffold that to feel confidence to advocate what she wants/needs in education, jobs, family events etc . #deafed
A4: Responding with a question here, but do you think students need to be explicitly taught about how to resist/fight different 'isms' like racism and audism to enhance self-advocacy skills? #deafed
A4: I used to have my Ss e-mail the school audiologist when they had problems with their amplification. Ss had to request interpreters for extra curricular activities. They called the amusement park for field trips to research/set up accessibility. #DeafEd#RMTCDHH
A4 Reflecting back to my high school/undergraduate years, I've learned so much about self-advocacy through school extracurricular activities such as student government, Jr. NAD, and peer advisor/mentor program. #DeafEd
A4: I think it depends on the age. Elementary/Middle school age should start at home. Advocating at family events or with peers out of school with parental supervision. You want kids to experience positive advocacy early, while having parental backup. #DeafEd
A4: one example that comes to mind. @FLDeaf_Blind offers CTE courses for students to learn job skills and explore career options. It’s amazing! I’ve gone into the Print Shop to order materials for @FSDB_PD & I’m treated with wonderful customer service & a great product #deafed
A4: Advocacy is exhausting so I don’t think it’s good to put too much pressure too early. But teaching kids to clearly express “i can’t understand can you ____” is really important. #DeafEd
A4: I think the biggest thing is providing a safe space to practice, developing that script that when they need to ask for something and advocate for themselves, they already have something prepared. That script can support them in a stressful situation.#deafed
Even younger too Darren! Little kids can look at a pictorial school menu THEMSELVES to find out what's for lunch. If the T doesn't step in and answer first! Staying quiet is one of the hardest tasks -- letting kids get the answers themselves. #deafed
A4: Like @EllenSchn's brilliant idea, we can provide accessible info in school/classrooms for students' advocacy. For one example, students can advocate for change in their class schedule. #DeafEd
A4 @NZerlentes Excellent point! Deaf Community often lacks the resources of finding Deaf People of Color leaders of the community. Deaf Youth of Color must be educated on what racism, ableism and other ism’s are, how to approach them and how to overcome the barriers. #DeafEd
Also, get involved with local chapters/state affiliations/national organizations that serve the Deaf population. Take @NAD1880 for example, which launched its Youth section this year to focus on 18-30 years old with a mission of 'Advocate, Connect, Thrive' #DeafEd
I think it is extremely important that we prepare all students for what they will face out in the world. They must learn that some people will treat them differently. We have to prepare them with strategies to overcome this. #DeafEd
Good evening! I’m TJ and a 2nd year teacher at TX School for the Deaf in Austin. I teach US History, Government and Economics. I’m late to the chat but I’m catching up and posting my answers now. #DeafEd
A1: Civic engagement and personal finance skills are the barriers I experienced and saw in my peers. So as a #DeafEd teacher, I strive to prepare my students better through their classes w me. #DeafEd
A2: Ownership- owning up to their mistakes and eager to improve & Self-accountability - being accountable for their education and career experience. #DeafEd
A4: I always ty to make sure my kids know when they don’t have a terp to ask for one. Doesn’t matter if it’s a quick convo or a sports event, they have the right and they should use it #DeafEd
Love that - yes! #Deafed - I remember picking up my daughter from daycare and went to put on her shoes for her and the teacher said - what are you doing? OOPS! She was capable but I was always being mom. :-) probably rushing too.
A4: My high school Ss wrote their IEP goals, led the IEP, and then monitored their IEP goals through the year. They created a product to give their teachers at the beginning of the year explaining their learning needs. #DeafEd#RMTCDHH
There are a lot of mentions of role models here. Here's some information on the impact of role models for #deaf individuals: https://t.co/3Feorjh6xw#deafed
A3: parents & families can encourage the students to be proactive in their learning instead of taking care of things for them such as emailing their teachers about schoolwork and etc. #DeafEd
A4: Joining school’s Jr. NAD or starting an ASL club if in a mainstream school with few students. AND be part of their IEP meetings by presenting and having the IEP team ask the student for questions/thoughts. #DeafEd
A5 On and off campus job training, exposure to an abundance of deaf role models on campus, summer employment, knowing community resources, interaction with deaf businesses & attending career and college fair #weareTSD#deafed
A5: In general; to encourage deaf students to participate in any leadership workshops/activities or to be involved in extracurricular activity such as STEM #DeafEd
I'm working w a teacher (@mhairiforrest) whose elem age Ss figured out thru their school store that if they save more, they can buy "better" items !! This is learning personal finance at an early age! #DeafEd
A1: Civic engagement and personal finance skills are the barriers I experienced and saw in my peers. So as a #DeafEd teacher, I strive to prepare my students better through their classes w me. #DeafEd
A5: Invite local deaf community members to the classroom. For example, I got two Deaf people from CSD Learns to come during an investment lesson in the personal finance unit. I plan to do more of this for other lessons. #DeafEd
A5: Jr. NAD, Deaf socials, Deaf schools’ athletic events, Academic Bowl, Deaf Mentor Programs, and communities sometimes throw events like ASL Slam or the Deaf Literacy Center in Tampa, Fla. to bring the community together and the Deaf youth #deafed
A5 I'm at @FLDeaf_Blind so our students have exposure to Deaf staff, parents, community members who are Deaf. We often connect with other schools virtually or for athletics. Lucky compared to Ss in the small/rural school areas. #Deafed We have Jr. NAD, on-off campus work.
A5: connecting deaf high school students to alumni students from same school/area can be beneficial. it helped with my decision to go to @csunorthridge! #DeafEd
one important thing to mention here-- this study identified that role models and mentors for deaf youth also help PARENTS gain a more positive attitude about their deaf child's future potential, and have a better attitude about their deaf identity. win-win! #deafed
Q5. For my elementary students, unfortunately, it's up to me. I try to get Deaf role models to come to my classroom to meet the Ss. So far, I've had Natasha Ofili (thanks to @rafnarr) come to my room and my kids were in AWE. Very cool experience for them. #DeafEd
A5: I’m biased toward STEM but I think more programs like @deafkidscode where we can connect professional leaders with kids. It builds networking skills, getting to know other deaf kids, and getting unique education opportunities they don’t get at their home schools. #DeafEd
A5 Just having Deaf role models at school is important. Assistants, teachers, just having Deaf professionals present at school makes a huge impact on students. #DeafEd
A5: Through the power of technology, Deaf role models can be in your classroom with a click of a button. It was harder before VPs, but now there are tons of video call apps. Reach out to the Deaf community. They are ALWAYS willing to support our youth #DeafEd
We see many great examples of tapping into community resources to find role models and mentors. See our video here for more information: https://t.co/Fh8a1OCNqT#deafed
A5 This is more of a reflection....this could be an "It takes a village to raise a child" efforts kind of thing. Educators bringing in Deaf role models to their classrooms, parents/caregivers taking their children to events, etc - all to maximize deaf youth's development #DeafEd
Toward not against. I run a blog showcasing people with disabilities in STEM. #DeafEd (website is temporarily down because my wallet got lost and I need to get it back up lol)
Also, events like Deafestival here in LA are great experiences for Ss to get out of their bubble and experience community with other DHHDBDD folks #DeafEd
#deafed - as the parent on this space - I would add that it is essential to teach the skills to the children - researching, how to ask good questions, advocacy - many kids cannot figure those things out without guidance/direct instruction to start
You hit the nail on the head. It does take a village to raise a deaf child. The Deaf community (from all my experience) sees every deaf child as their child and will do what they can to support them #DeafEd
A5 This is more of a reflection....this could be an "It takes a village to raise a child" efforts kind of thing. Educators bringing in Deaf role models to their classrooms, parents/caregivers taking their children to events, etc - all to maximize deaf youth's development #DeafEd
Q6- being part of Deaf community, the Ss can see all Deaf people in different work fields- doctors, lawyers, welders, artists, farmer and know they can be all they can be. #deafed
A6 we are at a gen ed site and the kids have really taken the opportunity to share #Deafculture with the campus and it’s opened a lot of great relationships. Gives them a chance to be experts and shine. #DeafEd
A6: I am hearing so this is my observation & experience in the Deaf Comm. Deaf Culture helps the child w/ their identity, provides role models, models advocacy, & creates a support system like a family. Ss are empowered by the Deaf community & their important role in it. #deafed
A6- being part of Deaf community, the Ss can see all Deaf people in different work fields- doctors, lawyers, welders, artists, farmer and know they can be all they can be. #deafed
A6 First word came to my mind...EMPATHY. #DeafCulture validates each other's experiences which can contribute to unity in some sense and promotes personal development. All of those can be = a huge asset in support of any goals they may set incl. postsecondary related #DeafEd
Deaf culture is a potential resource to be drawn upon in support of postsecondary education and employment outcomes for deaf individuals. What are your thoughts? https://t.co/Savx0Dc244#deafed
#deafed A.6 Students with a strong identity foundation are way ahead of their graduating peers, regardless of hearing status. There's also an ability to develop grit if students have a shared culture of support when they face barriers in a postsecondary environment.
#deafed - We need guidance, too. I see a significant lack (in our area) SpEd teams are clueless how to help deaf/hh children & expect it to just fall into place. The ADA/communication access laws, IDEA law, etc are very complicated. Without NAD, CSD here we're lost.
I'm not sure, but I guarantee if you got on Twitter or FaceBook and sent out a request for Deaf individuals to mentor, tell ASL stories, share their profession, etc, tons will sign up. If you tweet it, let me know & I'll retweet to boost your audience #DeafEd
#deafed deaf people with positive attitudes about being deaf show stronger resilience - this is based on research done by Peter Hauser et al. citation in our brief here: https://t.co/DSy53DA7la
A6- being part of Deaf community, the Ss can see all Deaf people in different work fields- doctors, lawyers, welders, artists, farmer and know they can be all they can be. #deafed
A7: Teaching then skills they need to match where they envision themselves post-High school is vital. Understanding the importance of basic life skills over learning to multiply could be more important for the students to know. #DeafEd
#deafed - the deaf community has saved my child. Gave her language. Inclusion. Advice. Encouragement. Didn't get that from my hearing people. Nope. Not at all. Just shame & blame - "advocate harder", "you can hear fine", etc.
A6: Being connected to a community is great for morale. It’s such a relief to enter a Deaf space. Knowing there’s a community who you can communicate with without extra shtus. #DeafEd
A7 All people involved with the child need to be part of the transition planning. Education should be centered on the student's transition plan. Have the student present their goals at their IEP meetings. Discuss with student about her/his action plan to reach goals. #deafed
A7 a "hub" of resources tailored to their needs that they can keep in their pocket or bookmarked on their broswer...often "common/easy to find" resources out there for #Deaf and #HardofHearing aren't suitable/sufficient for #DeafDisabled such as #DeafBlind. #DeafEd
A7-transition assessments that can show the results of their true abilities which will lead to right services Deafdisablied need to success- just like any other Ss. #deafed
A7: Personal finance skills- host real world simulation event like Mad City Money; Civic engagement- show them how to register & vote; Self-advocacy- introduce them to local organizations. #DeafEd
It is important to prioritize being able to communicate a need/want in a variety of settings. Also focus on hands on applicable skills that can be applied to their lives. Including them in the decision if possible, & collaborating with families and other service providers #deafed
A7: talking with the student to help them determine an appropriate goal and work together to decide on the skills and abilities necessary to fulfill that goal. They can determine a timeline to learn the skills and practice toward that goal #deafed
