At Ponderosa , deafness is no obstacle to a child's education

From: Idaho Statesman, ID - 16 Feb 2003

School has teachers fluent in sign language

Herbert Atienza
The Idaho Statesman

MERIDIAN — Since receiving a cochlear implant about four years ago, Brock Loveland has been learning to straddle the worlds of the hearing and the deaf.

Though he can hear now, he must make up for the silence that dominated the first eight years of his life.

With help from teachers and interpreters at Ponderosa Elementary School, 12-year-old Loveland, a fifth grader at the school, is building his vocabulary and improving how he interacts with people who can hear and those who can´t.

“I like it here,” said Loveland, who was born deaf. “I have nice teachers, and I´ve made new friends.”

Loveland is one of about two dozen students who attend a program at Ponderosa specifically designed for children who are deaf or partially deaf.

The school, which opened in the fall, has on staff a small army of teachers, aides and interpreters who specialize in assisting and educating students who are dealing with hearing problems.

“To me, the best part of this is that the kids get to go home and attend their neighborhood school,” Ponderosa Principal Melynda Gissel said.

She said serving the deaf and hard- of-hearing population was a goal of the Meridian School District even before the school was constructed.

“It´s a commitment from the school district, because there really are not a lot of choices for parents with children who are deaf,” Gissel said.

The program is funded through district money set aside for special-education students, she said.

Previously, parents had the choice of sending their children to regular classes with help from a sign language interpreter.

Some enrolled their kids in a specialized program at Jefferson Elementary in Boise or traveled to Gooding to attend classes at the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind.

“The difference this program offers is the direct instruction that the students get from their teacher,” said Shelia Robertson, a teacher of the hearing-impaired who lobbied the Meridian district to start the program.

In a mainstream classroom, a deaf child has to absorb instruction from the teacher through an interpreter, Robertson said. As in any communication where a third party is involved, some information is bound to be lost or miscommunicated, she said.

At Ponderosa, children enrolled in the program get direct instruction from teachers who are fluent in sign language.

The students´ educational experience is enhanced by the opportunity to interact with other hearing-impaired students. They talk about their lessons and homework, as well as their problems and concerns, with teachers and classmates who can comprehend what they´re saying.

“It´s less frustrating for them,” Robertson said. “They´re able to communicate what they need to say.”

The students use a lot of visual aids in class, as well as specialized educational materials such as computer software programs that offer closed captions. The kids learn life skills such as baking and cooking in a classroom equipped with a kitchen sink, a stove, a refrigerator and microwave oven.

Their classrooms have color-coded strobe lights that alert them if someone is at the door or if the principal is making an announcement over the public address system.

“I´ve been very impressed,” said Lorna Loveland, Brock´s mom. “He´s building his word power and he´s learning a lot.”

Brock Loveland was born 9 weeks early, and the lack of oxygen killed a nerve in his ears, rendering him deaf.

He spent the first two months of his life at St. Luke´s Medical Center in Boise.

“He was fighting for his life,” Loveland said. “The first year of his life, he was in the hospital more than he was out.”

Before Brock received the cochlear implant, the family had lived in Gooding so that Brock could attend school at the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind.

At Ponderosa, Brock attends regular classes and specialized classes for children with hearing problems.

“The teachers are so loving, and he´s made so many friends, from both walks of life,” Loveland said.

Other parents say the program at Ponderosa has been a big boost to their children´s learning and growth.

“Considering how young the program is, I´m impressed,” said Stacey McElyea, whose son, Kaleb, 7, attended kindergarten at Jefferson Elementary and is now a first-grader at Ponderosa.

Julie Crandall, whose 11-year-old son, Tyler, also attended Jefferson and is now a fifth-grader at Ponderosa, said she appreciates the school´s state-of-the art facilities and equipment.

“They actually consulted with parents and students about what should go in the classrooms,” Crandall said. “It´s just been incredible.”

To offer story ideas or comments, contact Herbert Atienza
hatienza@idahostatesman.com or 377-6413

© 2002 The Idaho Statesman