VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 4
I met one of my best interveners in third grade when my parents convinced
the IEP team I didn't have the same access as other kids. At that time, I was in a
neighborhood elementary school that included a program for deaf children. Most
of my classes were with deaf kids, but we were also mainstreamed for a few
classes.
Carol was an interpreter who was trained to meet my needs. She helped me
with many things during my elementary and middle school years. She signed
clearly and at a distance I could see. She copied on a small white board anything
teachers wrote on the chalkboard and copy-signed what everyone in the class
signed. If a teacher or the principal stood in the classroom doorway and signed
something, Carol would sign it for me. She made me be aware of my surroundings
and people in it. She helped my vision teacher with technology like a CCTV.
When my classmates were watching a captioned video on the ceiling TV, they set
up my own TV monitor at eye level and right in front of me. Carol reinforced daily
what all the other specialists did weekly. For example, my O&M instructor was
great because she used ASL, but when she wasn't around, Carol encouraged me to
use my monocular for seeing long distances and for crossing streets
carefully. Before Carol, I missed a lot of what happened in my classroom and
environment.
