TommysDad
04-12-2009, 07:34 AM
Just wondering how many of your kids who can not vocalize because of the trache got a developmental therapists for the hearing impaired (DTH) to provide sign language, or was the sign language just taught by other therapists who knew sign?
Here's our story:
From the beginning, I stressed one of our concerns for Tommy is learning to communicate using sign language. I tried to stress I want a specialist who is trained in sign language. Our EI team kept trying to say OT/PT/Speech were trained in sign language. I asked for their credentials. Not one of them really had any. They might of said they took a class, but where were the credentials? Where is the experience? :confused: They might have picked up a few signs here or there or taken a baby signing class, but this was going to be my son's main communication! I wanted someone experienced!
After 6 months at home, and me still complaining about wanting someone with experience, our EI coordinator said that would be a Developmental Therapist for the Hearing Impaired (DTH). This is the title given to those in our neck of the woods who actually have taken signing classes, work with signing on a regular basis, and communicate with the hearing impaired, and while Tommy can hear just fine, he needs to sign to communicate and to build his language skills for the rest of his life and do it with accuracy. The DTH had to be creative in coming up with a billing code since Tommy wasn't hearing impaired, but our EI team did find a way to get Tommy a DTH. Then after about 6 months of Tommy getting DTH (keep in mind he had always got DT), our EI team tried to remove the regular DT stating that DTH and DT were the same. I disagreed. DT does the developmental "fun/play" stuff, and the DTH's one hour, once a week, spends her time trying to teach me one kiddy song/child's book in sign language for the entire hour. I need that entire hour just to learn the signs. We don't have time for "play"! Our coordinator & all the other therapists wanted to remove the DT, I would NOT sign Tommy's IFSP! I asked for a 3rd party mediator, but instead the Coordinator's boss and all the therapists came to another meeting. At this meeting, only the DT & us parents argued in favor of keeping both DT & DTH. Needless to say, we got our way without having to get a 3rd party mediator.
When the DTH started, we noticed several differences in what our other therapists were using as signs vs. what the DTH was using. (For example: toilet vs. toy, yellow vs. play). We had to re-learn a lot, but now Tommy teaches the therapists what the DTH teaches us:D
We are so glad we advocated for Tommy to get DTH.
Here's our story:
From the beginning, I stressed one of our concerns for Tommy is learning to communicate using sign language. I tried to stress I want a specialist who is trained in sign language. Our EI team kept trying to say OT/PT/Speech were trained in sign language. I asked for their credentials. Not one of them really had any. They might of said they took a class, but where were the credentials? Where is the experience? :confused: They might have picked up a few signs here or there or taken a baby signing class, but this was going to be my son's main communication! I wanted someone experienced!
After 6 months at home, and me still complaining about wanting someone with experience, our EI coordinator said that would be a Developmental Therapist for the Hearing Impaired (DTH). This is the title given to those in our neck of the woods who actually have taken signing classes, work with signing on a regular basis, and communicate with the hearing impaired, and while Tommy can hear just fine, he needs to sign to communicate and to build his language skills for the rest of his life and do it with accuracy. The DTH had to be creative in coming up with a billing code since Tommy wasn't hearing impaired, but our EI team did find a way to get Tommy a DTH. Then after about 6 months of Tommy getting DTH (keep in mind he had always got DT), our EI team tried to remove the regular DT stating that DTH and DT were the same. I disagreed. DT does the developmental "fun/play" stuff, and the DTH's one hour, once a week, spends her time trying to teach me one kiddy song/child's book in sign language for the entire hour. I need that entire hour just to learn the signs. We don't have time for "play"! Our coordinator & all the other therapists wanted to remove the DT, I would NOT sign Tommy's IFSP! I asked for a 3rd party mediator, but instead the Coordinator's boss and all the therapists came to another meeting. At this meeting, only the DT & us parents argued in favor of keeping both DT & DTH. Needless to say, we got our way without having to get a 3rd party mediator.
When the DTH started, we noticed several differences in what our other therapists were using as signs vs. what the DTH was using. (For example: toilet vs. toy, yellow vs. play). We had to re-learn a lot, but now Tommy teaches the therapists what the DTH teaches us:D
We are so glad we advocated for Tommy to get DTH.