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John,
I moved to PA because it has one of the best residential schools for the deaf in Pittsburgh. My 14 year old attends school there. She is deaf, uses ASL and has a cochlear implant. Back in the 90s, insurance did not cover CIs plus she was having seizures and I woudl rather have a deaf kid than a brain damaged one (exacerbating it by the implant). It's great that this worked out for you. And you're right, many deaf do have a small circle of friends - but you know what - at least they HAVE friends.

And oral language is very hard for a deaf person, as you said....and signing comes naturally to a deaf person, for the most part.

But depending on the school program, like ours - and the transition opportunities they offer, will determine what a deaf kid does after HS. Four of our guys graduated at the top of the Votech classes in HVAC and collision repair and construction. They won't be in a small little world.

regards,

Mary

"Back in the 90s, insurance did not cover CIs plus she was having seizures and I woudl rather have a deaf kid than a brain damaged one (exacerbating it by the implant)."

Insurance paid for mine in 1990. And the implant isn't going to "exacerbate" anyone's seizures or cause brain damage.

Given that your preceding sentence says that your daughter now has a cochlear implant, I presume it all worked out for you and your daughter.

They won't be in a small little world.

Good for them!

I went to school in the 60-70's so there were no cochlear implants or even email back then.

Have a question for you now. How do the graduates fare in the collison or construction business? Since they cannot hear, they cannot hear warnings of danger?