VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 4
When I first met Carol, I was unaware of her role as an intervener, and I
didn't understand why she did what she was doing. So I ignored her, which made
one of my teachers angry at me. I was confused as to why I was the only child
getting this kind of treatment. With help from my parents, I eventually understood
why she was helping me. For example, I realized that I couldn't see small details
on the chalkboard, as well as teachers' and my classmates' sign language. Thanks
to the access Carol provided, I was able to learn in a classroom of deaf kids. I
didn't even realize I was missing anything until I got an intervener.
During my high school years things changed. I transferred to a deaf program
in another school district, but Carol didn't come with me. Since I was very
accustomed to an intervener, I was confused and upset about the changes I faced,
including no interveners in high school. For example, when I misunderstood or
missed something, I directly asked an interpreter for clarification. She made me
ask the teacher. I was very confused and upset because I assumed that interpreters
were like interveners. (I didn't fully understand the different roles of interveners
and interpreters yet.) Eventually, the district had some training on interveners, and
I got an interpreter who was interested in learning about deafblindness and my
needs. And, just like Carol, she helped me with note taking, and writing down what
the teachers wrote far away on the chalkboard.
