Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Gina Oliva continues the discussion of the twentieth anniversary edition of her classic book, "Alone in the Mainstream." In this vlog, she addresses the language and social deprivation experienced by many deaf and hard of hearing children.
"Alone in the Mainstream: Looking Back on Public School as a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child" is now available from Gallaudet University Press at
https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/A/Alone-in-the-Mainstream
Visual description: A white woman with short white/gray hair, wearing a grey sweater over a black camisole is sitting in front of a greyish/green wall with a brass wall clock behind her.
***This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the author.***
Transcript:
So how should we go about changing the situation—reducing language deprivation and social deprivation?
At the state level, for language deprivation, the child must be evaluated every six months for language—English, spoken, signed, whatever—they must be evaluated at six months, one year, 18 months, 2 years, and so on, every six months until they arrive in kindergarten.
That concept has become the law in the state of California—it’s called LEAD-K. You can Google this, investigate; some states are working to pass that kind of legislation. Those evaluations will help us to know when the kid is one year old, does she have language? What kind of language? A little? A lot? We must know in order to continue to support that kid.
Now, secondly, with social deprivation—so challenging—the child and the family need contact with other kids/families who are facing the same issues, same problems, same frustrations. The children need a horizontal identity. How will they get that? Through summer programs.
Horizontal identity is developed through interaction amongst kids who have the same kind of difference between themselves and their parents—that helps develop a strong and healthy horizontal identity.
That interaction needs to happen on weekends and in the summer. You can set up programs because the kids really need that. Those kinds of programs and activities need to be in the child’s IEP.
Every deaf/hard of hearing child should have a social element in their IEP, specifically to develop their horizontal identity.
Gina Oliva continues the discussion of the twentieth anniversary edition of her classic book, "Alone in the Mainstream." In this vlog, she addresses the language and social deprivation experienced by many deaf and hard of hearing children.
"Alone in the Mainstream: Looking Back on Public School as a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child" is now available from Gallaudet University Press at
https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/A/Alone-in-the-Mainstream
Visual description: A white woman with short white/gray hair, wearing a grey sweater over a black camisole is sitting in front of a greyish/green wall with a brass wall clock behind her.
***This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the author.***
Transcript:
So how should we go about changing the situation—reducing language deprivation and social deprivation?
At the state level, for language deprivation, the child must be evaluated every six months for language—English, spoken, signed, whatever—they must be evaluated at six months, one year, 18 months, 2 years, and so on, every six months until they arrive in kindergarten.
That concept has become the law in the state of California—it’s called LEAD-K. You can Google this, investigate; some states are working to pass that kind of legislation. Those evaluations will help us to know when the kid is one year old, does she have language? What kind of language? A little? A lot? We must know in order to continue to support that kid.
Now, secondly, with social deprivation—so challenging—the child and the family need contact with other kids/families who are facing the same issues, same problems, same frustrations. The children need a horizontal identity. How will they get that? Through summer programs.
Horizontal identity is developed through interaction amongst kids who have the same kind of difference between themselves and their parents—that helps develop a strong and healthy horizontal identity.
That interaction needs to happen on weekends and in the summer. You can set up programs because the kids really need that. Those kinds of programs and activities need to be in the child’s IEP.
Every deaf/hard of hearing child should have a social element in their IEP, specifically to develop their horizontal identity.
