Arturo has grown into a likable and engaging young man at age 17. He is tall and can sport a full beard if he wants to do so. His physical appearance has been useful for him as he has been able to manage somewhat more effectively the taunts and jeers of other children and adolescents. When he was in middle school, Arturo was constantly picked on for how others perceived him. Even though he was coming to know himself as gay, he still wasn't sure, and he often felt that he had to hide. Walking through the halls from class to class, it was like that was all people could see of Arturo - his presumed sexual orientation. Even though he could not hear the taunts, he could see the looks on students' faces as he walked by.
Arturo was resilient, and, in spite of the difficulties between his parents, Arturo had been able to experience warmth, love and care. From these inner resources, Arturo was able to be creative - in the eighth grade, Arturo took the initiative to start a gay-straight alliance at his school. This also moved with his to the local high school, and Arturo grew into a respected leader in the school. In fact, some faculty members had changed their long-held beliefs about the nature of sexual orientation and those who were gay and lesbian.
Arturo sometimes forgot that he was hearing impaired; he had continued to make the ongoing adjustments in his daily life, and he had a stable identity as an individual with a hearing impairment.
1) What would some transition goals be that might be found in Arturo's IEP?
2) What services are available at most colleges and universities for students who are hearing impaired? What might a student like Arturo experience regarding accommodations for his disability were he to attend JMU?
3) Provide information about Gay-Straight Alliances in the schools. You may consider looking at GLSEN for information.
4) How does discrimination and social ostracism affect the development of children, particularly those who identify as a sexual minority?
5) Provide information regarding identity development of people with disabilities. How do people come to understand themselves as having a disability? (Hint: Look at 'identity development and disabilities')
1.
ReplyDelete• To take the SAT’s, ACT’s or any other college entrance exam
• To go online and look at colleges and universities that seem yo interest him
• Complete practice college applications
• Graduate high school
• Tour and apply to at least 5 different colleges
• To take his Gay Alliance program with him if he decides to further his education
2. Most colleges and university’s provide services for their hearing impaired students. There are always counseling services, which can play a key role in helping hearing impaired students to develop a realistic educational plan. There are also interpreting services. Interpreting services are often the most critical service a college can offer to their hearing impaired students. These interpreters function as a means of enhancing communication between a person hard of hearing and hearing person who does not use sign language. There are several types of interpreting services that are commonly used in the college setting. There are sign language interpreting, oral interpreting, and tactile interpreting for students hard of hearing. Majority of colleges also offer note-taking services in which the student which is hard of hearing can receive notes from his or her classes from another student in the class. There are also some electronic devices that hearing impaired students may utilize in college. There are FM systems, which use a microphone and a transmitter to rely the sounds. Some hearing impaired students prefer to use tape-recorders. They just record what the professor is saying during class, and reply that tape at a later time to enhance the acquisition of the lecture. Hearing impaired students often get to use testing accommodations in college. For example, they might get to take the test outside the classroom, might be given more time, might get to sit in the first row, or might get to watch a film with closed captions.
ReplyDeleteIf Arturo were to attend JMU, he would first fill out a form for the offices of disabilities. This would prove to the university, that Arturo is hearing impaired and will need some special services while attending JMU. Arturo might be given an interpreter, or given special testing accommodations. He might also take part in note-taking services that JMU provides through the office of disabilities. JMU also offers adaptive equipment to help all hearing impaired students exceed in college.
3) Gay-Straight Alliances are student clubs that work to improve the school climate for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity (“About gay-straight alliances”, 2012). There are currently 4,000 Gay-Straight Alliances registered with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, and there are other organizations that Alliances can register with (“About gay-straight alliances”, 2012). The goal of these alliances is to create safe environments in schools to support each other, educate the school community about homophobia, transphobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues, and fight discrimination, harassment and violence in schools (“Mission”, 2012).
ReplyDelete4) Young people who identify themselves as a sexual minority are more likely to face problems, such as being bullied and having generally negative experiences in school (“Sexual orientation and homosexuality”, 2012). Young people in other kind of minorities often face these same issues. These experiences often have negative outcomes, such as suicidal thoughts and high risk activities (“Sexual orientation and homosexuality”, 2012). These children often times have troubles trusting others due to their troubled relationships in the past.
ReplyDelete5) Every person is able to choose their own identity and at times reject identities forced upon us (Murugami, 2009). We do this by creating narratives about ourselves, and sustaining these narratives (Murugami, 2009). Due to this, the problems that are associated by categorizing people by their disabilities or characteristics can be avoided (Murugami, 2009). A person with a disability is entitled to human rights and their dignity (Murugami, 2009). If a person develops a strong self identity, can see themselves as a person first, and a member of a group with a similar disability second (Murugami, 2009).
ReplyDelete“About gay straight alliances”. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2342.html?state=what.
ReplyDeleteArner-Costello, Fran, . "IEP Transition Goals Bank." . N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jun 2012. .
"JMU Campus Info and Services ." US News. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jun 2012. .
“Mission”. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.gsanetwork.org/about-us
“Sexual orientation and homosexuality”. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation.aspx
."Support Services For Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students." . N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jun 2012. .
Murugami, M. (2009). “Disability and identity”. Disability Studies, 29 (4). Retrieved from http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/979/1173