What’s a Language Rich Environment and Why Does Your Child Need One?

December 16, 2020

Research shows that “parents with children with special needs are uniquely qualified to help one another cope with feelings of isolation, despair, and anxiety. These parents act as buffers and they provide much needed emotional, social, and practical support” (Kerr, SM and McIntosh JB). So starting this month, I joined other parents with children who are … More What’s a Language Rich Environment and Why Does Your Child Need One?

The Illusion of Inclusion: When your son texts you an hour into his first day at a new school to say, “I don’t have an interpreter!”

August 10, 2018

This is how we started off the new school year. Over the summer, we moved 214 miles in order for Micah to attend the Florida School for the Deaf in St. Augustine. Well aware that studies show that Deaf students in hearing schools often experience greater isolation and psychological difficulty, my family took the plunge … More The Illusion of Inclusion: When your son texts you an hour into his first day at a new school to say, “I don’t have an interpreter!”

Lost in Translation: Unqualified ASL Interpreters Go Unregulated in Mainstream Classrooms Everyday

December 7, 2017

A strong foundation in a first language is a critical component for a child to develop not only reading skills, but healthy social and emotional skills. An early and rich language environment is key. … More Lost in Translation: Unqualified ASL Interpreters Go Unregulated in Mainstream Classrooms Everyday

7 Reasons Why Your Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Child Should Take STEM Classes

June 6, 2017

  A couple of weeks ago, Micah broke his wrist trying to land a skateboarding trick. Despite the setback, he’s recently decided he wants to become a pro-skater, and yesterday I caught him googling “skateboard college.” He watches X-Games online, styles his hair long, wears ripped Vans sneakers and sports his Volcom hat backwards. While … More 7 Reasons Why Your Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Child Should Take STEM Classes

The Most Important Thing I Learned About My Deaf Child From Deaf Adults

May 1, 2017

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to see a panel of Deaf adults share stories from their life experiences. This was no ordinary panel. These were Deaf adults who had defied all of the stereotypes about hearing loss and beaten the educational odds. In addition to being Deaf with language barriers, they told stories of … More The Most Important Thing I Learned About My Deaf Child From Deaf Adults