Originally Posted by safechner:
All I can say wow!! I have a hearing loss since birth.. You do not need to get a doctor note about the child's hearing loss. Also you dont need to give her special need form because hearing loss is NOT special needs! I don't blame her mother who feels offended and didn't tell you about her hearing loss at the interview. What she means that she feels offended because you act like there is something wrong with her child that is what she thinks. About the naps, I can understand that it was hard for her. It was pretty normal behavior for that deaf child but I am not sure if you know sign language. In my experience, I do see there is a lot of different behaviors between hearing and deaf children because I have a deaf child, a hearing child and a possibly hearing or hard of hearing baby but he has fluid in both the ears and will go back to the doctor soon to see if it has resolved or not. I can see there is totally different behaviors. Do you know sign language so you can use communicate with your dcg? I wouldn't recommended to have a meeting about the actual diagnosis. That is not right thing to do but you can talk about wanting to work with her behavior or nap issues, that is it. That is why your dcg's parents feel offended for some reason and she wants to pull her child because you said the word "actual diagnosis." If you feel you can't do anything for her then give her a two weeks notice and move on. Just saying...
I believe hearing loss is a special need. As you said yourself there are things you need to do for hearing impaired children. In my state I would need a special needs form filled out regarding communication in general, safety accommodations (when that 18 month old is walking towards the rd I can't say: xxx stop! Like I do for my other ones), and any medical intervention that may be relevant (hearing aids, implants, etc) plus any therapy that may be used- speech for one...
She isn't saying the child cannot be a fully functioning well adjusted child but there are def additional steps to get her there-