Abstract
Educators have long argued about the best ways for Deaf children to communicate and how they should be educated. The two notions are inseparable for Deaf students who most often learn language at school. Since the passing of IDEA, most Deaf students have moved from segregated schools to their neighborhood schools where all students might benefit from learning and socializing together—the foundations of inclusion. Might inclusion for Deaf students with multiple disabilities mean something different? In this ethnography, the authors examined the experiences of six families that had school-aged children who were Deaf-Plus and used signed language to communicate. Research questions included: 1) What were the experiences of parents navigating communication and education for their children and 2) What did inclusion mean for their children? Data collection included: Semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and focus groups. The team developed three themes: 1) External Influences on Parent’s Decision-Making Regarding Language and Communication, 2) Language and Communication Varies Among Deaf-Plus Children and Their Family Members, and 3) Struggling to Determine and Secure an Inclusive and Productive Learning Environment for Their Deaf-Plus Children. It behooves educators to consider how students’ individual characteristics might benefit learning and create improved inclusive experiences.
Highlights
For most parents who have Deaf1 children, it is likely their first significant encounter with this population
Little is known about the Deaf-Plus2 population and about the experiences of parents as they navigate the many decisions they must make while determining communication for their children and families or their children’s educational placements
Being a parent of a Deaf-Plus child comes with innumerable challenges including, but not limited to: Negotiating an effective communication method between and among family members, constantly attempting to be optimistic and hopeful in spite of the negative advice often received from medical practitioners, and navigating the various educational
Summary
For most parents who have Deaf children, it is likely their first significant encounter with this population. It is not surprising that, especially during the early years of their children’s lives, that parents feel confused and overwhelmed by all the decisions they must make about their Deaf child’s communication, technology use, and education (Young, Jones, Starmer, & Sutherland, 2005). Little is known about the Deaf-Plus population and about the experiences of parents as they navigate the many decisions they must make while determining communication for their children and families or their children’s educational placements These decisions are inextricably linked because language use varies greatly across types of Deaf educational placements and Deaf children most often arrive to school in need of additional language or communication support (Lederberg, Schick, & Spencer, 2013; Schick, Marschark & Spencer, 2006; Svirksy et al, 2000). The authors wondered how parents conceptualized inclusion and the least restrictive environment (LRE) for their Deaf-Plus children
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