ASL moments

Today was our last Playgroup at the School for the Deaf for the school year. While we are there Peter watches a lot, but doesn't really engage others in conversations, well, except for MORE CRACKER ;). So I am going out of my way to give him all this ASL input- is he getting anything out of it?

At the end of Playgroup we had time to take part in another research study, this one by ASL BabyLab, which tracked eye movements to judge response to ASL. Two pictures were shown on a tv screen, then a signer in the video asked about one of the items using only sign, and a video camera mounted above the tv tracked where Peter looked. I could also tell where he was looking, as he was sitting my lap.  I am proud to say he pretty much nailed every one! AND he even learned the sign for DOLL, which I didn't know (so didn't use) and he figured it out by process of elimination the first time he saw it, and was quick to identify it the next times he saw it. Peter was a rock star, and got a red t-shirt proclaiming him a Jr. Scientist for his efforts :)

While Peter and I were in the video booth Sam even got into the ASL mood by asking to watch the Signed Stories app (so great BTW) with the spoken narration turned off! I was a bit surprised the ASL BabyLab guy had never seen the app before, but he was quite impressed with Samantha :)

Then it was some errands and home for an attempted nap. The nap never happened, but this cute interaction did. Peter started in ASL, then when I turned on the camera, it was mostly me signing, and Peter talking, though he does use some signs in the video, too:

Rhyme and rhythm in ASL

Peter and I went to the CSD ASL workshop/ Playgroup today, and it was a blast.  I loved learning about some of the rules to ASL poetry and how ASL nursery rhymes can be constructed. I am starting to recognize more and more signs, but I was also reminded of how much I need to practice my receptive finger spelling!
The ASL workshop was taught by a new teacher at CSD, who was recruited from Massachusetts. She signs a lot of music videos, and her talk on bringing rhythm, repetion and physical rhyme into ASL for young kids was really nicely done. She quoted a statistic that hearing kids who had 8 nursery rhymes memorized by age four were much more likely to become skilled readers. The foundation of rhythm and auditory memory helps with literacy. ASL rhymes can help the same way for kids who can't hear. They build up the memory pathways and strengthen the language foundation.
How is a rhyme made in ASL? I am sure I didn't grasp everything, but there are different ways to express it- using the same hand shape in different ways (like the clawed hand for bear ears, chubby cheeks, and a chubby belly) or choosing words that use the same handshap and repeating them (like the open palm used for SCHOOL, HERE, HELLO, C'MON that was woven into a welcome back to school poem).
The talk was getting really interesting when Peter decided he was done sitting still and wanted to go play- and that I had to come, too. I hope they post the video on YouTube!

An idea of our busy schedule

Monday:
8:15 - leave home to drive to local elementary school to pick up my preschool carpool kids
9:00 - drop off preschoolers and drive to Early Start school
9:30-10:30 Speech Therapy provided by Early Start
Free time (park? Story time at a library? Coffee with a friend? Errands?)
12:30 - pick up preschool carpoolers and deliver them back home.

home in the afternoon (refrain)
1:00 - 3:00 Peter naps
3:15 -Sydney gets home (except Wednesdays, it is between 1:45-2:00)
Homework, bath, dinner, cleanup, choosing clothes, storytime and lights out :)
And every night I have to pack lunches and snacks for the next day, as well as making sure the batteries for Peter's CI's are charged.

Tuesday:
7:00 - leave home to drop girls off at carpool mom's house
7:15 - start drive to Peter's school
8:15 - Peter is tired of the carseat and starts to scream
8:30 - arrive at school (I will detail a typical day there in a separate post)
11:30 - school ends, get snack/lunch for Peter and start driving back south
12:30 - pick up Samantha and maybe one carpool buddy to take home
Refrain

Wednesday:
9:00 - leave home for music class
9:30-10:15 Music Together (so fun!)
Snack, drive 20 min.
11:00-12:00 Speech Therapy paid for by our health insurance
Drive home 30 min.
Refrain

Thursday:
See Tuesday

Friday:
8:00 - leave to go to School for the Deaf if there is a play date
8:30 - leave to go to Early Start Playgroup if no CSD play date.
9:00-11:00 Playgroup
Maybe time for an errand, otherwise just head home
Refrain
4:30-5:30 Teletherapy through BabyTalk program

And then I am a tired little heap on the floor, and my car needs another full tank of gas...

I will evaluate everything in December to see if we keep going like this, or drop anything that isn't worth the time/effort to do it.

Some traction and new SHOES

After my entry about trying to get the ball rolling I got lots of things almost checked off the list :)

1) I went to a play date at the new Early Start group. I was part of a dedicated hearing loss group, so having several other parents (all hearing) with children with hearing aids or cochlear implants was a different experience (as compared to Santa Cruz County, where no other kids with hearing loss were at the play dates).  Everyone was nice, and the woman I met with said she thought from here on out Peter should get two weekly home visits starting that last week in August. I forgot to give her the massive packet of paperwork, but at least all the forms are filled out ;). The one bummer: the play groups are on Fridays, so I will have to choose between CSD (the School for the Deaf) and the Early Start get together. It is unfortunate the two big programs don't have different days, and at least some days where they welcome each others families. Sharing information, and having access to both environments woud be so beneficial to kids with hearing loss (in my mind). Also, building a bridge between the ASL and spoken English programs would help families see that there are lots of options out there, and find what combination works best for their child. Something else to work on in my spare time ;)

2) my meeting with the Oral School was pushed out until next Tuesday. I can't say it was a total surprise, more like par for the course. If this wasn't the only program of its kind for the youngest kids I think they would have to run a much tighter ship. Bleah!

3) I signed Samantha up for a preschool that meets Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays!  I visited and LOVED the environment, and the teacher was so open and friendly and happy! Such a change from the last preschool teacher I worked with! And the way the schedule works means that no matter what days JWPOSD (the Oral School) recommends, I will have at least one day a week when I can drive the carpool (there are at least two other mountain families there) or maybe even work if I get baby care for Peter. My mom offered to do most of the work shifts, though, so I will just be doing the monthly meetings and committee work as my part of the cooperative preschool.  I got most of that paperwork done, and just need to send in the check.

4) got the re-enrollment packet for Sydney filled out. There was a ton of paperwork! And I can't turn it back in until she gets a TB test.  Since we officially "left" the county to go to school last year (even though we were at home, or in Los Gatos for classes) they require the TB teats to come back. Luckily I need a TB test, as does Samantha for the preschool, and Peter still hadn't done his 12-month well-baby visit, so all of that is Wednesday. So #4 is almost done, too.

5) The second surgery is scheduled! August 7th. So Peter will have two ears starting August 27th, which is also the day JWPOSD starts. So happy!! I still need to arrange kid care and all that for surgery day, since my mother-in-law isn't around, but several people have offered help. I am soooo thankful for all my awesome friends that have helped me out by watching my girls when I have appointments for Peter.

6) Vacation. I am not saying no with a capital N, but I don't think it's gonna happen. Looking at the calendar, with Pre-Op and Dr. Visits, the surgery, post-op, and THREE different start dates for schools I don't see a good time.

So we have traction. We are moving forward! And on Friday, at the Early Start parking lot I said to Peter, "let's get your shoes". I reached for them, and he signed SHOES for the first time!  My boy is so smart!

All cleared for takeoff!

Our second post-op appointment with the surgeon went well today. She said Peter looked great, and everything was healing perfectly. All the swelling is gone, and the incision is flat and barely noticeable. She just recommended having him wear a hat in the sun so the healing skin doesn't turn darker there. So that's that. All set to be activated next Tuesday.

I did ask if there were things Peter shouldn't do- like pop his ears, or blow his nose forcefully. Should I get him a medic alert bracelet about no MRI (without first removing the magnet)?  She said we should avoid head trauma, but that kinda goes for everyone. She said the bone really grows around these, and that the silicone cases are really very durable. I guess once she had to work on a kid who had an original ceramic case CI- the poor kid had walked into a pole and cracked the CI- but that should not happen to Peter!  She said most places are very careful about CI's and MRI, but she did know of one situation where a kid with a CI almost got an MRI (not at Kaiser, and the MRI didn't happen) so it is really up to us if Peter needs the bracelet. The ear popping, nose blowing? The concern is more about a ruptured eardrum if one does those things too forcefully. If Peter gets an ear infection she did say we needed to be very proactive and aggressive about treating it.  None of my kids have ever had an ear infection, so I hope that trend continues.

Last thing I asked about the right ear surgery.  She said she could put in a request for July- I said any time that month (other than the 4th), and if July gets full with non-elective surgeries, then August is still good. Phew! Somehow scheduling (well, prescheduling) the second surgery doesn't feel nearly as momentous.  Plus, now there is no choice/debate about two or one, so it feels easier.

Tomorrow is a play date at a park near the School for the Deaf. We haven't seen everyone for a while.  The school had a couple evening events (which just don't fit into our schedules) and so didn't have the usual morning meetings, and at least one day the school was closed. I am a bit apprehensive about possible reactions to Peter getting a CI. Not that I will hide it (I personally think it is so amazing I want to talk to everyone about it!), but perhaps I will be extra careful about ensuring the recommended sun hat is worn tomorrow.

Fridays at CSD

I have said before how lucky I am to live within an hour of so many great resources for Peter. The California School for the Deaf, in Fremont, is one of those great resources, and I have really been enjoying my visits there. The people who work at CSD are great, and I feel like I have already learned a lot. My girls have been welcomed, too, and have enjoyed playing with the the deaf kids, and some hearing siblings of deaf children.

One Friday the parents had a workshop on ASL reading techniques. I was one of two hearing parents there. The speaker discussed how to embrace/ communicate both the language of the author and ASL. Finger spelling was really emphasized as a tool for kids learning to read.  Also using the ASL sign, showing the written word, fingerspelling the word, and explaining in ASL- using all of these tools together were suggested.  Changing signing size/space taken up is used as a technique to make things "louder" or "quieter"- e.g. signing BEAR from above your shoulders all the way to your waist could be the character in the book shouting "Bear!"

My ASL is not great, but working with one of the teachers to translate a storybook into ASL was so much fun! We did a book called "Thud!", and in just a few minutes I learned 5-10 signs.  I wish we had had more time to finish the story. The way you use your kinesthetic mind and your eyes with ASL is such a great Yin to spoken English's Yang- I wish more hearing kids were taught ASL. I think kids who are very visual or who need to move to learn might really be helped by including ASL in "regular " schools.  By the way, Peter was rolling around on a blanket screeching happily during this reading time- and no one was bothered ;)

Last Friday there was a special storytime at CSD, signed by the Superintendant of the school.  We were a little late and missed most of the stories. Note to self: leave on time next week. Then there was Playtime and snack in the preschool class. I saw my girls get a little frustrated with 2-year-olds taking their food or crashing their buildings, but I was actually happy that they didn't find anything unusual about the little kids. We did work on the signs for SHARE, YOUR TURN, MY TURN afterwards.

My girls really like the teachers at CSD. I really like the teachers, too, and the whole energy of the preschool. They have really interesting art all over and fun projects and interactive posters for the kids in the preschool. It is bright and cheerful and comfortable. I don't know if we could put Peter there for some Preschool, and an Oral environment for part-time as well....we will see in a couple years what makes the most sense. For now we are just going with what seems to be the best for Peter at this point.  Peter was happiest checking everyone out, of course. Lots of people signed to Peter. He loved it.  I even managed to have a couple conversations in ASL with no interpreter.  Maybe what I took away is not exactly what was said, but I tried;) Even better, I met a couple moms who want to set up play dates, and have offered to help me with my ASL!

My hope is that Peter gets a strong foundation for language with ASL, and that he enjoys ASL enough to continue using it as he grows up. I hope having peers, mentors, and positive experiences now will encourage the ASL use long-term, even if his hearing and speech are great. CSD is like a small private school, but it is public and free (for deaf students). It could be a good alternative to our local public schools if  the classes there keep getting bigger and the money keeps getting siphoned off by the state. But that is a ways off ;)

A Tale of Two Schools

Two weeks ago we visited Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral Deaf School, and last week we went to the California  School for the Deaf in Fremont. Both of these schools had really friendly staff, nice kids, and classrooms full of fun stuff. The schools have completely different target audiences, and very different approaches.

The Oral School, Jean Weingarten, serves primarily birth to age 5, and aims to mainstream kids by first grade. They are mostly a toddler and preschool program, and their older students were more special needs or late-diagnosed kids. The classes there were all really small, and I can understand when you are trying to group people by language skill/age/developmental level you end up with small Groups. The classrooms were small, too, so I guess it all works out. The teachers there are all Teachers of the Deaf, and I saw lots of positive, encouraging interactions with the students. I got to see the speech/listening therapy rooms, which looked fun, but no one was using them when we were there. We got to meet some parents in their Family Center, but one thing we didn't see was the toddler groups in action. There were some babies/toddlers in high chairs having snack, but I guess I kind of missed the explanation on what group they were part of. The toddler area looked like a very well- stocked playroom, and was large, but still cozy. I think I need to see kids who are the same age as Peter will be using the area before I have a complete opinion. My Early Start teacher and I spoke with the head of the school, and she explained how they didn't teach ASL, but that they often used it as a bridge for kids when they got cochlear implants. She signed to Peter several times, and he liked the attention. I don't think that I will be driving the hour trip up there until Peter can actually hear something, but I may enroll him if/when he gets his bionic ears.  I need to see the toddler group in the classroom before I make any decisions, though.

The California School for the Deaf used to be on the UC Berkeley campus. They had to move, and got a huge, beautiful campus right across from a huge, beautiful park in Fremont. They serve about 500 students, from age 3-high school graduation. They have larger groups of kids in large light, airy rooms. They had amazing art and projects all over the school. The people we talked to were all wonderful, and all conversations were interpreted in ASL. Peter loved it. All the students seemed engaged and interested. It felt good to be there.  I am going to start going to ASL story time once a month, as that is open to the public, as well as their weekly deaf/hoh baby playgroup.  I know it is a bit of a drive, but I think giving Peter access to as much language as possible, and peers, is important.  Maybe Peter won't care that the other babies are deaf, too, but as he becomes more self aware he might. I also might meet parents who share more of my questions than the parents in the Santa Cruz Early Start play group, where Peter is the only deaf baby attending. My goal is to give Peter a positive early experience with ASL, and hopefully, even if he has Bionic ears, he will continue with it.  I hope he doesn't HAVE to attend CSD when he's older, but if did have to or if he chose to, I know he would get a good education there.

I am really lucky to have these two great schools within an hour from my house!