Do you REALLY believe your Deaf child can succeed? Raising Deaf Children with Dreams, Success, and Confidence

“He’s not smart, he’s deaf.” – 5 year old brother

This comment made me realize what society teaches even when the family believes the opposite.
I began to actively teach the concept of “We Succeed Because We can” to all of my children, hearing and deaf.

“I’m preparing my students for middle school. They MUST learn to read and write.”
~ while neglecting the content curriculum ~

“Write about your dreams. I’m not talking about playing football kinds of dreams. 
I’m talking about college or what you want to do when you grow up.” 

~ paraphrased from a teacher’s instructions. ~

These comments and more were some of the reasons I brought my son home to home school him.

“You can’t … You’re deaf.” - classmate
“You want to be an _________? That’s impossible. You’re deaf!” 

~ Fill in the blank, almost every career or job has been found in such a sentence. ~
~ Many times spoken by teachers, parents, and specialists. ~

. . . And these comments were a huge concern for me when I put my son in a local mainstream classroom.

Would you know how he responded back?

 “I’m Deaf and I can do anything. 

Deaf and Hearing should be equal.” 

His brother, who had written a paper on his dream that Deaf and hearing people would be equal and have equal access to education, language, and careers was a support to him that day. He received permission to take his classmates and show them the paper which was hanging in the hall. He wasn’t the only one who knew it was OK to be deaf, and he wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself.
 

Bullying deaf children happens on a daily basis. Whether it’s society, their teacher, their parents, a hearing peer, or a neighbor. It doesn’t matter if it’s a deaf school or a public school. I’ve also come to see that it doesn’t matter so much if you use ASL, hearing aids, CI; talk or not. It’s an issue all deaf children, and even adults, face. For years, deafness has been seen as a disability. For years, deaf children have been told, or have just even felt, they can’t succeed.

I later asked my son, "What helped you respond so confidently to those kids? You knew they were wrong and weren't scared to tell them so. How did you know that?"

"That poster." He answered.

He's talking about a poster my husband made, "We Succeed Because We Can."

When my son was 5 and was asked this question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" he answered, like every other 5 year old boy, “A fireman, or a cop.”  

 I was tempted to tell him, “That’s not possible because you can’t hear.” Luckily, I didn’t. I let him dream. He still loves firemen and policemen, though his ambitions have opened up to include construction, science, engineering, foresting, being a comedian and story teller, and more.

I am privileged to have married a dreamer. He knew the meaning of We Succeed Because We Can more than many and is sharing that very message. He introduced me to 48 successful Deaf adults of the 21^st century as he developed his poster. He taught my children about these same people, who have succeeded and thrived in careers never thought possible for a Deaf Person. It is their stories that gave my son the confidence to stand up for himself.

Seth Terkhorn, Fireman

Seth grew up and became a volunteer fire fighter during high school. He liked helping out, giving back. When he went to college at RIT, he applied to volunteer there. His first application was denied, but he went to the next town over.

"He drives the department’s rescue truck and responds to house fires, helping set up hoses outside the structures. He can lip read well and has even been more of an asset when deaf patients have been involved in car accidents—he asked in sign language whether the victims were hurt." 

And he's not alone. The article notes there are around 50 deaf firefighters nation wide.

Keith Nolan, Army ROTC.

"Nolan, 29 and deaf, has been trying for decades to join the U.S. military. While some of his persistence has paid off -- he's passed the first two levels of ROTC, joining the Bravo Company at California State University -- he's currently prohibited from moving on to level three." 

He is continuing the battle, working with legislatures to allow him to serve in the army. Over 80% of army jobs are noncombat, which deaf can qualify for. 

He says, "Each morning I get up and put on my uniform, I feel privileged," Nolan said, "It's truly an honor to wear that uniform."

Real People, Real Stories, Real Success

I heard one time that . . .
"True success lies in discovering what you love to do, and finding someone to pay you to do it."

 

So.. Let them dream.

Then give them the skills the need to achieve, 

no matter how long it takes;

 no matter what we have to fight for.

Get your own We Succeed Because We Can poster!

Decisions and Change!

Emotions surge through me. Questions fill my mind.

Is this what I want for my baby?
Is this what he wants?
Does he understand what challenges he will face?
Will the other kids be nice to him?
Will he be getting a quality education?
Will the interpreter be qualified? 

For the last two months, my son had been at home with me. Field trips, nature observations, projects, sensory activities, sibling teaching sessions, planning, reading, filming, viewing, etc etc.

Not that it was all fun and games and went just the way I wanted it to. Quite the opposite. But, it became clear to me that what my boy needed was a period of time to heal, to discover himself again, to gain confidence once more; to discover learning again. 

Then one day, he decided that that  time had come to an end. After a particularly hard day, I looked at him and signed, "You're not happy. You miss school, don't you?" 

We then launched into a conversation of what options he had for school: a local deaf program with part mainstreaming and part resource classroom with a teacher of the deaf, home, or the local elementary school where his brother goes. 

Perfect, I thought, it's time to teach him how to make good decisions in his life. If he can learn this now, it will benefit him greatly in his future!

Being a faithful Christian family, I brought in the scriptures. In the Doctrine and Covenants (scriptures from the LDS faith), these verses are found. They guide anyone seeking answer to finding a decision based on answers from the Holy Ghost:

"Study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong" (D&C 9:8-9)

We sat down, Mom, Dad, son, and brother for support. We listed and discussed all pros and con's to each decision. We asked others who may know more. We talked to deaf adults who went to school in their local schools (mainstreamed) growing up, including Dad. 

He made a decision.

Then he prayed. And our whole family prayed with him. 

He felt he had an answer... Attend the local school with his brother. He was excited. 

And here's the condition we discussed, "Since this is your decision, and your Father in Heaven has said it is a good choice, whatever happens, we face it together. There will be challenges. You may find you hate it. You may love it. No matter what, you stick it out until the end of the year. Then we'll reevaluate and see what to do."

It's been 4 weeks now. Not without challenges, but with motivation to learn, to grow, and to do his best. He has made friends and figured out ways to communicate with them. He has come home sad, frustrated, excited, concerned, happy, calm, and angry. There have been bullies and really great friends. In other words, he's having a normal experience. 

Is this what I want for my baby?
     I want him to be happy, engaged, leaning and growing... All of that is happening. Could there be a better place for him out there? Maybe, but for now...he's doing ok.

Is this what he wants?
    Yes...he explored all the options. He decided this for himself. For him, that was really important.

Does he understand what challenges he will face? He does now, and is facing them bravely! 

Will the other kids be nice to him?
Some will, some won't...isn't that true for most kids? We've dealt with that before (Dealing with Bullying) and I love how this little guy responded to the bullies! Stay tuned for my next post for that!

Will he be getting a quality education?
    With 20% of content lost through interpretation even with the best interpreters, some educational value is sacrificed. However, this local school and teacher are using many of the effective strategies that I talked about earlier, and they are challenging and engaging my boy, pushing him on. For 3rd grade, with added support of reading and writing at home, he'll be alright for now. The best answer for every deaf child? I would say, emphatically, no! Those arguments will make this post too long, I'll add it to my list! 

And what of next year? And the year after? I don't know those answers. I guess we have more decisions yet to make. Thank goodness we know the steps to do so.

"Oh the Thinks You Can Think"

Yup... Dr. Seuss.

Revered by all educators and parents everywhere, Dr. Seuss is a legend. Right?

But... have you ever tried to sign a Dr. Seuss story in ASL? Now that's a different story. I would balk at trying to translate any Dr. Seuss story into ASL. Attempting to translate the rhyme and the nonsense words was pointless to me. The books that tell actual stories: Horton Hears a Who, etc. would get my best ASL story telling skills, but the rhyme never translated. Being hearing myself, I always felt like my kids were missing out on something. Something I had no way to give them....

 

Until I found "Hands Land: ASL Rhymes & Rhythms." This project is underway and is creating great resources for deaf children. I love their translation of Dr. Seuss' "Hop On Pop". It inspired me. When I saw our copy of Dr. Seuss' "Oh the Thinks You Can Think," I knew I had to try my hand at reading it to my kids.

It was an instant success! My 20 month old was copying the signs with me from the 2nd page, learning 2 new signs the first time I read it. When my older children arrived home, I had them sit down so I could sign it to them. They, of course, helped me add and revise the translation. It was so fun!

Hope you enjoy the video! And the next time you pick up a Dr. Seuss book... just Think of all the Thinks you Can Think - and start signing away!

*Insert educational strategies note for teachers and parents. This video was signed, filmed, edited and captioned by my son and I. He is 8. He took the pictures, then uploaded and added them. He did about half of the editing, captions, and more than half of the signing.

This is a FABULOUS project idea for deaf children! Video recording their own stories is such a confidence builder. It allows them to see their storytelling as real. They are able to watch their story and analyze the language: what could have been more clear? Do I like the story I told? I love using iPADs for this strategy, allowing the kids to have an ASL journal or Free composing time using the built in webcams.

Then, when my son sat down at the computer to edit and started to caption it, I was blown away! Inside, I was jumping up and down. In reality, I calmly said, "That's a great idea!" Having students watch their ASL and transcribe it into English is a great way to have them really understand how to link ASL to English. He sat there watching himself sign, trying to figure out how to put it in English words. It was great. We worked together on a lot of it. I ended up finishing it because it was getting too long... and we had some other interesting events happen that I'll post about soon! 

Using Essential Oils to Manage Celiac

It's been awhile since my last post! I am catching up this week! Here's my experience so far with using essential oils with my Celiac:

"How are you using doTERRA essential oils to help you with a gluten free diet?"

"Will they be able to help you so that you can be healed or eat gluten again?" 

I have been asked these question a few times. I actually wondered about them before I found out I had Celiac and went gluten free! Now that I'm experiencing it for myself, I'm finding answers. 

Now, I don't know about the healing question. (We do not diagnose, treat or cure any illness.)

...And, I actually don't know if the oils can help lessen the cause of Celiac disease since it is genetic. That will be the long-term experiment of me and my oils. From my impression and education right now, going back to gluten is NOT an option, ever, for a Celiac.

For now I want to focus on how the oils can help somebody who is gluten intolerant or has Celiac to manage their symptoms, detoxify their body from harmful chemicals, gluten and Candida, and discuss the cellular support the oils can offer for the long term. I love using Essential Oils because of their powerful qualities. They work FAST! And are effective! I love using natural solutions for my health problems! 

I'll do a separate post for each area. This post will focus on how to support the body when dealing with symptoms from the gluten intolerance and Celiac disease using essential oils. Of course the best treatment is just to stay away from the gluten and whatever else is making you sick. But boy, I know that can be hard, especially in the beginning!

Before I jump in, I want to clarify a point that is often asked: I use Essential Oils 100% Pure and Therapeutic Grade.  When looking at essential oils, it's important to know the source and to investigate its purity, potency, integrity and the testing that is done to ensure purity.

A FEW drops, a FEW times a day is all you need...

Pain relief from Headaches: peppermint*, a soothing blend with winter green, helichrysum, peppermint and more*, frankincense, lavender, and a Massage blend with basil, lavender, and cypress*. I layer a drop or two of lavender, frankincense and peppermint on my neck and forehead, and rub down tight muscles with the massage and soothing blends. Inhaling the peppermint is another great way to relieve headache pain. A brand new dietary supplement, a poly-phenol complex, is a new addition to my regimen. I just had a headache sneaking on, took one, and it has gone away. I will continue to report on this one, as it is brand new!

Supporting the Digestive System: gas, bloating, constipation, the opposite, etc.
My absolute most favorite oil for all digestive issues is peppermint. Peppermint tea works well and has been used for ever for digestive problems. I love using the oil because it's so powerful and so effective, so quickly.

Other oils that help are a digestive blend of peppermint, ginger, and anise;*, rosemary, ginger, and a metabolic blend with grapefruit, lemon, cinnamon and peppermint. You can smell these for nausea, rub a drop or two on the tummy or take internally (explained below) for general discomfort, constipation, etc. The oils are balancing and supportive, giving your digestive system just what it needs.

With the purity of the essential oils I use, I do take those that are labeled as GRAS internally as they have a greater and more rapid effect. I drink one drop of peppermint oil in about 16 oz of water. I love to mix this with lemon water and make it a hot tea. I take the digestive blend in a veggie cap and swallow it like a pill. Another note on purity here: I do not recommend the use of any essential oil internally unless noted on the label and if taken as directed! (check the label of the brand you use for clarity). And, If you don't feel comfortable, just apply topically to the tummy area.**

I will cover pro-biotics, enzymes and other digestive aids in my post on nutritional cleansing and healing the gut (hopefully next week)

Supporting Joints and muscles pain: soothing blend, lavender, massage blend, peppermint*, basil, white fir, winter green, melaleuca, frankincense. Rub a drop or two on location of pain and massage. There is also an amazing massage technique, explained here, that helps with stress and muscle aches and pains.

Aromatherapy is the most effective for mood disorders!

 Mood Management (depression, PMS, anxiety, etc.): lavender, frankincense, grounding blend, invigorating blend, joyful blend and calming blend, citrus oils. Diffuse, mist from a spray bottle, inhale from the bottle or from cupped hands, apply on chest or wrist. The key here is to use the oils aromatically. I like to apply to the feet each morning, diffuse throughout the day, and apply to the wrists as needed.

Skin Support for lesions, rashes and acne: lavender, frankincense, cedar wood, geranium, melaleuca. I've been using all of these and they help. All of these oils are very mild. The sore has not disappeared in one day, but there is less puss and pain, and it seems to heal faster. Apply just a drop 3-4 times a day. I have used pure therapeutic essential oils, those listed above, topically on other rashes and acne as well.When using these oils with eczema, you want to take caution. Apply on the feet instead of directly on the rash, especially if the rash is open. Use organic coconut oil directly on the rash.. or mix with some of the above oils. When in doubt with an open sore, dilute any essential oil with a carrier oil (always do this with sensitive skin or babies).

So far, these are the oils I have used most! I welcome your questions and am ready to support you in your journey! Leave a comment and I will respond as soon as possible! you can also email me at oilsempowerparents@gmail.com. Find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/empowerparents

for ASL users check out: www.asloils.com

I am excited to continue my journey to health and bring you along with me! 

*These oils may be 'hot' to sensitive skin or little ones, dilute using a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil.
** When using essential oils for digestive issues, some people report having flu-like symptoms. You may have more cleansing more quickly than you are ready for. Scale back and use only on the feet, use a little less, etc.I had this and it lasted just a day or two when I very first used the oils. Ever since, they have been always helpful.

Our Reading Nook

Have you had a hard time getting your children to read? We decided to arrange our corner into an area where our kids could get away and read. We packed library books into bins and put them next to the couch and purchased some fun chairs to add some excitement. It has also become sort of a 'cool down' space when someone is needing it. Reading has become 'cool' again! 


 

Closed reading nook

   

Open reading nook

Here's what our 10 year old had to say about it: 

Reading in the reading nook

"Having a reading nook is fun. Before we made this reading nook, our family was obsessed with electronics. All day, we would play on Minecraft forever! But, luckily, Mom and Dad intervened. We looked on Pinterest for ideas and we found one:  Reading Nook!!!!!!  "                                                                      

 You could even make your own Reading Nook!

For ALL ages!

**Tips: 

• We used hooks that can stick to the ceiling rather than drilling holes.
•  We used matching top sheets that my kids don't really use.
• We attached the sheet to the hooks with simple clasps,
• I secured the sheets to the middle hook with some quick hand stitches, needle and thread.
• We display children's art in the corner.
• It helps for Mom or Dad to go into the Nook and read too!

Happy Reading!

The Gluten Free Journey So far: A Health Update

Well. If I told you the last 6 weeks have been easy, it would be a lie. 

If I told you I’ve been "so much better" since I’ve been off gluten, that would be an overstatement.

I can tell you; however, that I have seen improvement, that I’ve learned a lot, and that I still have a lot to learn. 

First off: I’ve had less stomach pain, constipation and bloating. TMI, right? Sorry, but that has been my biggest improvement. My hands and arms hurt less and I’m not as tired. I’ve had some downright good days where I think to myself, “Wow, you really were sick. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this good.” And other days I know I feel worse and it must be part of the healing process. The one thing that hasn’t improved is my headaches. My Dr. said it could take 6 months to a year to have those really improve, so I guess I’ll get set for the long haul.

I’ve learned a lot: gluten is found almost everywhere! It’s in chicken broth and chicken bullion. It’s in soy sauce and other marinades you buy ready to use. It’s in canned chili, rice mixes, and lots of other processed foods. Of course we all know processed foods aren’t the best for us, and I was trying to stay away from them. However, on busy days, it was so easy to grab something and have it ready quick. Those days are gone.Or at least until I find some better quick cooking strategies. 

I’ve also learned a new word: glutened. 

It’s not in the dictionary so I’ll define it for you. Glutened: the state of being poisoned by gluten. 

You can’t really feel the effects of being glutened until you have been off gluten for a while. It’s like your body is getting cleared out and then gets hit with a bit of gluten and says, “Whoa, that stuff is awful!” It’s like having been sitting in the hot tub and then jumping in the swimming pool again. You’ve been used to something your whole life and your body just starts to cope, to play survival. Then you begin to clean it out, to help it heal. Since I’ve been off gluten, my body is more sensitive to dairy and sugar. It’s communicating with me more, letting me know what it likes and what it doesn’t. When I have accidentally eaten gluten, my old symptoms that I didn’t even really know where there, flare up almost instantly. 

I’ve also learned that I am very blessed. I’ll not go on and on about my symptoms because frankly, mine just are not as bad as they could be. I have been blessed with essential oils and amazing supplements that have helped my body cope and survive. I think, as I’ve researched and talked with others, that I have been spared from many worse symptoms that are out there. I am also grateful for my Doctor. She didn’t just give me medication and send me on my way. She took the time to educate me and explain why she thought I should go off gluten. She provided me with resources and with hope. I can’t imagine how sick I may have been in 5 years if I had stayed on the road I was.

As I pin recipes on Pinterest and surf blogs on the gluten free life, I see I have much to learn. I am excited to see what my essential oils have to offer in the way of healing my brain and managing my symptoms. Every bend in the road we call life is something we can learn from. I'll share that knowledge and experience as I go with you! 

Our Sensory Table

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." - Fred Rogers

In classic 3rd grade classrooms, you probably would not find a sensory table, but for our home school that we share with a toddler and a 4 year old, we have decided it is a necessity!

Sensory activities allow creative and open-ended play. They allow for problem solving, pretend play, investigation, exploration and experiments. It's also great for a break between activities that require more focus, transition times, and times of stress and anger. For more information on sensory processing and aiding kids with anxiety and anger you can click here: Lemon Lime Adventures

A great resource for more activities (and where I found some of these below): FunAtHomeWithKids.com

Making Color Beans and Pasta

Materials:

jar with a lid or seal-able container

food coloring (we used neon)

beans (pinto or white worked best)

Macaroni or other pasta

wax paper

Procedure:

1. Drop the food color into the jar with the pasta. 

(15 drops to 1 cup pasta/beans)

2. Make sure the lid is on tight and SHAKE!!

3. Pour out onto the wax paper and spread out to dry.

Enjoy!

Add Educational Activities:

Sorting and Labeling: add objects related to your activity, or sort and label the different colors, beans and pasta, etc.

Language Arts: vocabulary and spelling practice, letter identification. Adjectives: make a list of words that describe what is in your sensory table.

Math: count the beans and noodles, group and compare, hide flash cards with math operations.

Science: create a habitat or world inside your sensory table. We're going to use the materials below for a pond/swamp world. We will learn about the animal groups that live there. 

Another great sensory table activity: Kinetic Sand.

Also known as "indoor sand," this is sand that holds together more than natural sand. It is very therapeutic. Adults love playing in it just as much as kids. We've already made sand castles and shapes and messes. Luckily, it's a lot easier to clean up than real sand too!

 

Wait! We're not finished! One more! These are water marbles.        

You can purchase them at Time to Play

They start out tiny!

Put them in a bin and pour water over them.

We had fun watching them grow!

Here they are at full size!

This is one of our FAVORITE sensory activities!***

                                            ***just make sure the little ones don't eat them!