LoChap5

I wonder if any data has been collected on how many parents attend IEP meetings but are not able to make a valuable contribution or are too embarrassed to say that they don't understand things?

I agree with your thoughts. Although rare, these students are out there and they deserve an education. Maybe one thing that would help is to require schools to be plain and transparent with parents about the situation- making sure they understand that no one there has any training in deaf education. Raising awareness of deaf issues and needs for teachers and school leaders might also help.

I realize that on a limited budget it is hard to cover it all. I don't get why our smaller public schools have inclusion teachers and SPED teachers who don't have any training for teaching D/HH children. Schools shouldn't let a child enroll while knowing noone there is trained to teach them. I also think that IEP discussions with the school should be less difficult to understand, especially in rural areas where parents may have less education. But, these are only my THOUGHTS... Until they are turned into ACTIONS....

Here's a link to one of Hands & Voices newer resources: https://handsandvoices.org/great-start/ At the site, click on the pictures to find more information and resources. This is a great tool for parents whose children are newly diagnosed.