Though there are a great many choices regarding your deaf child’s education, most programs can be grouped into two main styles of education: 1) mainstreaming, or 2) residential programs. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and we will look at their pros and cons.
Mainstreaming programs seek to integrate the deaf child into a classroom or school populated by children from the hearing majority, using some combination of interpreters or deaf-only classes.
PROS
Children are likely to learn strategies for dealing with hearing people. Because they interact with the hearing so frequently, they will learn survival tactics for operating in the hearing world.
The children usually live at home with the parents rather than staying at a boarding school. A warning, however: this benefit can be a “con” if the parents have not learned to communicate effectively with their child!
Hearing school usually provide a great variety of academic classes. This stands to reason: the more students and teachers at a facility, the larger number of choices that become possible.
Self-contained classes do foster a kind of Deaf community. If there are significant numbers of deaf students, a microcosm of Deaf culture might be created at the school. If there are few or no other deaf students, however, interpreters will likely be used in place of self-contained classes for the deaf.
Children may receive additional support. Interpreters, tutors who sign, note-takers, and other support staff might be provided for your child at a mainstream school.