Free Introduction To Sign Language Class!

Happy Holidays!

I wanted to be sure to get this out as soon as possible for parents interested in learning sign language. Jill Eversmann, a pediatric speech-language pathologist with 30 years of experience, is a Signing Time instructor. She spends much of her time conducting workshops to help people learn sign languge. Normally there is a $15 cost, but as a parent with children who have special needs, the cost is FREE! Can't beat that!

This is an introducation to sign language workshop. It covers 25 single signs, the manual alphabet, and numbers 1 - 10. There is a limit of 15 participants, so please sign up as soon as possible.

     Date: Friday, January 13, 2017
     Time: 100:00 - 11:30
     Place Poplar Conference Room at the SC Assistive Technology Program
     Register: SC Assistive Technology Program

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Support Group

Hands & Voices is an Deaf/Hard of Hearing support group that has many members throughout the country. This group supports families and their children with hearing loss and welcomes all different forms of communication. There is no judging whether your child signs, speaks, or uses any variety of communication methods in between. They offer so many resources, some including Spanish, to help families in the journey of raising successful children.

Locally, this non-profit groups offers monthly meetings that are centered around D/HH family support. They meet the first Thursday of every month from 6-7:30 pm. The meeting is held at 437 Center Street, West Columbia, SC 29169.

There is a fundraiser for this group being held Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 8 - 10 am. It is a Pancake Breakfast including pancakes, sausage, fruit cup and beverage from a $10 donation.  The fundraiser is being held at the Fatz Cafe at 5590 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC, 29206This is a great time to meet other families on the same journey as you.

For more information about the fundraiser or this fantastic goup, check out their website at https://sites.google.come/site/schandsandvoices/ 

5 Minute Rule

Who would have thought that an 8th grader could teach this old dog a new trick? Hearing aid batteries are so expensive and Deaf and Hard of Hearing students go through them so quickly. For many, it is absolutely necessary to wear them every waking moment, and the costs add up. What if there was a simple way to make each battery extend its life by two to three days? There is!

Once parents or students take the sticker off of the back of the hearing aid, they normally slip it right into the hearing aid. By simply waiting for 5 minutes before putting it in, you have increased the normal life of the battery from two to seven days (depending on the model) to four to ten days. Imagine how much could be saved in a year.

If you want to understand the science behind this, simply click on the link below.

http://kimt.com/2015/05/05/student-makes-discovery-when-it-comes-to-extending-hearing-aid-battery-life/

A Learning Opportunity for Parents!

We often think that it is all about the kids and spend all of our time and energy focused on them. Well, parents, for once it is about you. So you can learn about the kids. (Somehow the kids always wrangle themselves into the topic.)

There is a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Summit in Columbia SC next month. What is a summit? It is a fancy word for teaching new ideas. And this summit has a lot of ideas to teach us. There will be a focus on the I in the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). So this topic will be on the Individual i.e. your child. Some technology will be taught, along with understanding a Balanced Literacy Model for students with hearing loss.

The cost is $25 for professionals, but as parents your cost is only $10, and lunch is included. This one day event is Friday, October 23. Click on the icon below to get more information. See you there!

From Your Intinerant (F.Y.I.)

Hello Parents/Guardians, Grandparents and Friends of our Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students!

We are so glad you came by to check out our new blog! Our goal is to give you tips, encouragement and important information that can help your children from PreK through High School. We also want to help you as parents develop a community with other parents. Use the comments section below to share any questions or concerns and hopefully other family members will join in the conversation.

To get this blog off to a bang, I wanted to share some ideas for Back to School at the elementary, middle school, and high school level. Just click on the pictures to go to the site!

FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

 

This site has some great ideas for the little ones through elementary school.

 

This list has free high quality educational materials for elementary students. 

FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

 

These are important facts that help us better understand the mysterious middle school child.

FOR HIGH SCHOOL

 

A dedicated space for learning with supplies already prepared place a high level of importance on learning in the home.

This was one of my favorite ideas. Highlight the top of each notebook a different color to go to a different class. That makes hunting around your backpack for the right book a part of the past! 

 So, do you have any suggestions that have helped the transition back to school easier? Please share in the comment box below!