Sign Language Interpreters in Mainstream Classrooms: Heartbroken and Gagged
Can the collective voices of sign language interpreters working in K12 educational settings be the catalyst for a national conversation about the failures of the “system”? Gina Oliva suggests it is our responsibility to take action.
I am sure that most readers are well aware, that the entire “system” for educating hard of hearing and deaf children in mainstream settings is generally a mess, the kids are suffering, and no one person or entity is really in control. Included in this “system” is the entire state of affairs with regards to sign language interpreters in K-12 classrooms, across the United States as well as elsewhere around the globe. Let’s call it the “illusion of inclusion” as Debra Russell has so aptly put it.
Alone in the Mainstream
My K-12 experiences, along with the things I learned in my 37-year long career at Gallaudet and during my 46-year long relationship with my “deaf” (e.g. “hearing on the forehead”) father came together to prompt me to write “Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School” (Gallaudet University Press, 2004). I am now working on a second volume of that book with Linda Lytle, from Gallaudet’s Department of Counseling, which will focus on the experiences of younger adults (currently age 18 – 35) as they look back on their mainstream years. Naturally, this book will include comments and probably whole chapters about Educational Interpreting and the role sign language interpreters play in the lives of deaf children.
Interpreter on a Megaphone
This sense of the need for a second edition had been with me for a while when I found in my inbox the most recent of many letters received. The one quoted below was a serious gem that convicted me of the need for an entire new volume rather than simply a second edition. It was a megaphone so to speak of the dire straits America’s (and the world’s) hard of hearing and deaf children are finding themselves in. It is used with permission, and serves as the basis for this post.
Dear Gina,
Hello! My name is ________________ and I am a Sign Language Interpreter. I do some freelance work but mainly I have been an Educational Interpreter in ________________ for eight years. I attended your book presentation several years ago and am finally getting around to reading your book “Alone in the Mainstream.” So far I am only on Chapter 6 but am already greatly impacted by what I have read. I have worked with all ages from Kindergarten up to high school. In all those settings with all different students I have used ASL, PSE, and/or Cued Speech. Some of the kids I have worked with have had mild hearing losses, some profound. These children come from hearing families who sign, hearing families who cue, hearing families who do neither, and a couple of families where the parents are deaf themselves. One thing remains the same with each child I have worked with. I feel inadequate.
Even though I am a highly skilled interpreter, I wonder if the mainstream setting is ever a social success, even with an interpreter, and everyday that I see the kids struggling I feel just awful. It is very hard to watch day in and day out.
True, I have witnessed a few hard of hearing students who can speak clearly for themselves and are able to follow conversations quite successfully using their hearing alone. I have seen them flourish, feel included, and have high self-esteem. What is much more common however, and is so heartbreaking, is witnessing my students having the “dinner table syndrome” (as you put it), where they fake interest in some task to avoid looking lost. I see a lot of “superficial participation” where onlookers think the d/hoh student is “just fine” (as you also put it) but really they need to look deeper. My point is, this stuff still happens EVEN WITH AN INTERPRETER PRESENT!
In fact, what really kills me is how awkward it is when I am in a “social situation”– it’s just a no win kind of thing. For example, I am sure you realize that kids will alter their talk if there is an adult around. So it’s really not “normal kid talk” when I am around. And if some brave kid attempts to “talk normal” when I am there (such as swearing or saying something they would never say in front of another adult), then the rest of the kids are uncomfortably giggling. Then, I, the interpreter and the deaf kid by association is in the spotlight – and it is just so ICKY for all involved — it is not authentic at all! It is tainted and altered by the mere presence of the interpreter.
More often than not, the Deaf student only wants to chat WITH the interpreter; not with their peers THROUGH the interpreter. For years I’ve heard educational interpreters talk about trying to encourage their students to ask the other kids in class what their weekend plans are, or what good movies they’ve seen lately, but then the D/hoh student either says “no that’s fine” and looks crushed as if no one wants to be their friend, not even the interpreter OR they go and ask their classmates a few engaging questions, but the conversation quickly fizzles and nothing comes of it. I think an entire book could be written on the subject of Interpreter/deaf student relationships and how complicated it can get.
It never fails that every year I work in education, I say to myself “I can no longer support this. I need to quit and do only freelance and Sorenson work.” I especially feel this way after reading your book, but then I remember that a lot of participants [for that book] did not have the “luxury” of an interpreter. Another voice inside me says, “_____, you need to stay working in the schools. Parents will always mainstream their kids, so it may as well be someone skilled and competent working with them. ”
That voice always wins out, and I stay.
But today I am not satisfied. I want to do something about this. I think people will read your book and then pause and be reflective, but then resume life thinking “nowadays schools provide more [and] better services than ever before.” Well, I firmly believe MORE AND BETTER IS NOT ENOUGH! Right, your subjects didn’t have interpreters (except one I think) and today many or most do have interpreters. We need to push forward to ensure a better quality of life for tomorrow’s d/hoh students. We need to ask the right questions, find the right people to share their stories, and make suggestions for making things better.
Heartbroken and Gagged
And so, this is from a “heartbroken and gagged” educational interpreter. I am sure most of you readers have heard similar or perhaps even felt “heartbroken and gagged” yourself. Heartbroken from watching the kids you are “working for” miss this, miss that, day in and day out. Gagged because the dysfunctional system declares you are not to say anything about this to anyone. Perhaps the latter is an exaggeration — perhaps you can talk to a teacher or some other school personnel. Brenda Schick’s work on professional conduct guidelines state that as “related service providers” interpreters DO have a responsibility to be more than just a conduit of talking.
The Road Ahead
How do we get the school districts to accept this, to recognize the great value of the interpreter’s observations, and take these into serious consideration? And perhaps more importantly, how can Educational Interpreters provide not just in-school support to their individual student(s), but how can they “report to the authorities” meaning the professionals who are concerned nationally and globally about the education of deaf and hard of hearing children. It may take a village to educate a child but the villages ought to share information with other villages.
First, please find a way to get your collective observations into print, the media, to the Deaf Education arena, to parents, and to Deaf Professionals who are working to impact the “system.” Secondly, think about the Devil’s Bargain, as suggested by Dennis Cokely, and consider giving back through local level advocacy work – in the EHDI system and in local or regional weekend/summer programs that bring your students together so that their social network can include others who face the same issues.
Should Interpreters Address Inadequacy and Neutrality?
Why is it that sign language interpreters working in mainstream settings feel inadequate? Is it the expectation that h/she be “invisible” as discussed by Anna Witter-Merithew in, Sign Language Interpreters: Are Acts of Omission a Failure of Duty? Is this “invisibility” what h/she was taught in the ITP attended? Related might be a feeling that she is expected to be “neutral”? I wonder how much of this feeling of inadequacy and or “neutrality” is from some academic knowledge or industry bias and how much is just plain old being a human being and not liking what they see?
If Educational Interpreters could come together to discuss how as a profession they might address this and related issues in K-12 settings, it would do much to boost the confidence and effectiveness of those working in the isolation of educational settings. The collective voice of Educational Interpreters could hold much promise for alleviating the suffering of the children for whom we are concerned. The interpreter who wrote to me has become a colleague and we have exchanged many emails. It is obvious that she is trying her best in her own setting, but there seems to be a dearth of support for taking these concerns and the solutions to a higher level. What should that higher level be and who can lead this effort?
Should Interpreters Address the “Diffusion of Responsibility?”
In the above letter, the writer refers to the concept of “dinner table syndrome,” which I refer to in my book, where the hard of hearing or deaf student fakes interest in some task to avoid looking lost. This was my life day in and day out in my K-12 years and several of the 60 adults who wrote essays for Alone in the Mainstream extended this concept to another phenomenon I dubbed the “everything is fine” syndrome. Together these two “syndromes” constitute the concept of “incidental learning,” which is the topic of a yet-to-be-published but complete dissertation by a fellow “AITM survivor,” Mindy Hopper. In our day, the fact of this missing information was in itself invisible to all except the student. But now, in the modern classroom, the student’s interpreter is a daily witness. Not only does the classroom interpreter know the student is missing stuff, h/she knows what the student is missing. This is so much more than any hearing parent of a deaf child has known unless she also spent all day in her child’s classroom. Talk about power.
As potential partners with teachers and parents, I wonder if the sign language interpreters working in K-12 settings should have as part of their job description to keep a log of conversations or information that they suspect their “charges” (clients) missed. Wouldn’t this help the teacher and the parents determine if their student/child is missing so much as to warrant some kind of action? Clearly, this would involve taking to heart Witter-Merithew’s lesson in bystander mentality and the “diffusion of responsibility”. I wonder if these concepts can find their way into interpreter training programs and standards of practice, and how such could come about?
Advocate and Report
That children in general, especially when they reach adolescence, want and need space to discuss their lives without the presence of adults, is a developmental fact. That an interpreter’s presence in K-12 social environments works against the deaf child is an example of how you just can’t change city hall. The hard of hearing or deaf child has obviously learned from experience that the “quickly fizzling and nothing comes of it” from conversations with their peers is what “always happens” and they have decided they don’t want to experience that again. But, now, here is an adult (the sign language interpreter) actually witnessing and understanding what it might feel like. Now the sign language interpreter is also witnessing the stilted social interactions of their deaf or hard of hearing “charge”. How can the interpreter not be expected to be an advocate/reporter?
In my educated and experienced opinion, the collective voice of Educational Interpreters is our only hope that the issues addressed herein could be remedied. We, the Deaf Adults who are concerned for these children, need your involvement. Two areas where you can help, beyond your in-school advocacy and the already suggested work to bring your collective voice to the forefront in Deaf Education, are in the EHDI arena (early hearing detection and intervention) and in the establishment/management of weekend and summer programs that bring the solitaires together.
Elevate Your Voice
Perhaps you are the heartbroken and feeling like you are under a gag rule, smart and articulate, educational interpreter in the Heartland. Or you know someone who is. If yes, what are your thoughts on this? What do you think would bring about change? What would lead to the day that your insights, observations, and suggestions as sign language interpreters would be taken more seriously? What would elevate the status of interpreters working in educational settings? Your ideas might be simple, complex, seemingly impossible, step-by-step (we like step-by-step), or philosophical. Bring ’em on.
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98 Comments on "Sign Language Interpreters in Mainstream Classrooms: Heartbroken and Gagged"
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In my country, the Netherlands, I believe K-12 interpreting is (still?) relatively rare.
I do hope that policymakers (and interpreters; I know of many newby interpreters here who argue that interpreting in K-12-settings requires team interpreting, so that new interpreters can learn from more experienced colleagues, grr) will finally listen to Deaf consumers and their organisations, and that funding can be shifted back from interpreting back to sign language/deaf schools.
Good morning!
Are interpreters not used in the Netherlands because so many kids are implanted or??
As for team interpreting in the mainstream, now that’s a DREAM!!!!! And probably would go a long way to helping things.
Thanks for your comment.
Gina
It’s been a while since I attended RIT but NTID does get a good number of transfer students. Not sure if NTID/RIT gets the same # of transfers as Gallaudet since NTID/RIT already attracts the oral/mainstream students already with their cross-registration program.
Heather, I don’t know where you live, but you need to convince your district to come up with a job description for sign language interpreters, including educational and certification requirements. If you can get backing from your state Association of the Deaf and/or NAD and/or RID, that would help. This is doing WAAAAAAAAY too much damage to this child, not to mention the other children in the classroom.
Hi Tom!
If you read up on Educational Interpreting, especially Brenda Schick’s work, you will learn that the quality in general is not what the students need or deserve. And this is not to lambast the individuals who are doing the interpreting. This is to say that the “system” that sorely needs changing ALLOWS this to happen.
Gina
Thank you Thomas!
It is exactly this lack of language exposure, especially from birth to Kindergarten, that is moving me to create a program in ASL for those ages (well several programs). If a deaf child is born to parents not fluent in ASL, hearing or deaf, they cannot pass on language to their child. It is especially important for deaf children to have ways to learn language if there is not a visual language used at home.
Hi Laura..thanks for posting!! I would like to follow up with you on your ideas — could you please email me at gina.oliva09@gmail.com or friend me on FB (Gina A. Oliva)
Thanks!!
Gina
I like the idea of offering ASL to students and staff as well!!
You posted an interesting example. Does the student’s academic team, those involved in his IEP, know that the content is beyond him/her due to the currently language proficiency that he/she has at this moment?
Curious,
PAInterpreter
–interpreting for about 17years in the educational setting and doing well.
Our district actually has a cluster of similar aged children with interpreters, but they all go to their homeschool in isolation because of a misunderstanding about the Least Restrictive Environment. It drives me mad!! The powers that be are not trained in Deaf Education and several people have tried to explain but it falls on deaf ears, excuse the irony. I long for a day when we could have a cluster of kids being educated together, being able to provide so much support through full time D/HH resource, team interpreting… Sigh.
Here’s a example of a mainstream failure:
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/05/07/grandview-district-fighting-ruling-that-it-failed-boy-with-severe-hearing-problem
Hi Classmate!!!! And isn’t it interesting that at this turn I am working with a faculty member from our Department (Linda Lytle)?? Talk about full circle!!
And I say a very loud AMEN to your last sentence. The battle continues. So we have to keep on keeping on.
Gina
This is so true and so heart breaking! Not only for deaf children but for other as well. Maybe ASL should be taught as a second language instead of Spanish.
Brilliant.
Worn out!!! I get it!!! But maybe this blog will give you a glimmer of hope. I would love for you to send detailed stories to gina.oliva09@gmail.com
Thanks for the fight you fought!!
Gina
What about truly rural areas? Just for perspective, I talked to a mother in eastern Montana where the closest Teacher of the Deaf, sign language class, or any deaf students were 200 miles away.
Very good points. Thank you!
T have sought out Trenton for years and I was never able to locate him. I did several presentations for him when he was director of Living Centers for Disabilities. We became friends. I am devastated to hear of his death. Thanks for honoring him.
That sounds like a hybrid position: Deaf ed/Interpreter. An attempt to add a Deaf ed specialist to the interpreter position. The role of the interpreter would have to change if there was an administrative teaching component. Dream big…have the interpreters get a teaching credential. Create a 5 year program that results in a MA in Deaf Ed specialist-Interpreter.
I remembered suffering growing up on mainstreamed classes, watching my interpreters frustrated… Now I’m reading this??? I felt compelled to see if I can help add my voice or perceptions of it? Please feel free to email me? Thank you!!
OOPS. Not sure why or how but Julie I responded to you…but it’s a few posts down. New at this!!
Gina
He has hearing aids and teachers use an fm but he still relies on interpreter for other people speaking. Please feel free to contact me to discuss further, I’d love your feedback.
Perhaps an annual week-long conference(s) (national &/or regional, like R.I.D.) dedicated to educational ‘terps needs & concerns? During summers, of course. 😉
Good idea!!! NOTED!! Actually I was told they have such an “animal” in at least one state already! Maybe others???
Hi Brandon…I did see that and commented on it on FB. What a “catch-22” situation. I hope Kelly wins her fight.
Gina
Here is a link to Inclusion, really?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Uc9cOpW0eiQ
OOPs. Wrong address.
Gina.Oliva09@gmail.com Getting Old.
Ashley,
Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts. Voices like yours, those of classmates of d/hh kids, are yet another voice we almost never hear from. You, along with the educational interpreters, also bear witness of what happens with the d/hh child. And, more telling, clearly this was happening only some short years ago, in the “modern” 21st century. I would be very interested in hearing more about your experiences with your classmate — you can contact me directly at gina.oliva09@gmail.com.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for posting your thoughts and experience on this topic. The situation is indeed maddening and is worldwide. You mentioned incidental learning and I wondered if you have seen this very recent dissertation. Dr. Mindy Hopper has done an excellent service to all mainstreamed children with this study. We need more like this. Here is the link:
http://rochester.academia.edu/MindyHopper
I am still welcoming stories for my two book chapters if you would like to contact me directly at gina.oliva09@gmail.com
Thank you again for your interest and concern.
Just so you know: some former sign language interpreters are in higher level positions for change yet the position isn’t necessarily used for the greater good of the deaf and hard of hearing or the present sign language interpreters working directly in the mainstreamed situations.
I would love to hear more about this either on this forum or privately. Confidentiality assured. Putting finishing touches on the book so would be great to hear more info soon! Thanks for your thoughts.
Gina Oliva (gina.oliva09@gmail.com)
Thank you Laurie,
I am gearing up to “do something” – like “take this to the next level” over the fall and winter, doing so in my new position as a Board member with the American Society for Deaf Children. I will be posting something new here on SL and hope you will see this and join in.
Again, thank you for your caring and passion.
Gina
Thank you “Zanyface”,
I am gearing up to “do something” – like “take this to the next level” over the fall and winter, doing so in my new position as a Board member with the American Society for Deaf Children. I will be posting something new here on SL and hope you will see this and join in.
I will check out that link also..am traveling and trying to do this in snippets!!
Again, thank you for your caring and passion.
Gina
[…] find them frustrated by their work settings. Their experiences resonate with Gina Olivia’s post, Sign Language Interpreters in Mainstream Classrooms: Heartbroken and Gagged,” that identifies that interpreters often witness the tragedy of ineffective education for deaf […]
[…] Oliva’s February 2012 article “Sign Language Interpreters in Mainstream Classrooms: Heartbroken and Gagged” spoke to the issue of K-12 interpreters being actual eyewitnesses of the exclusion that […]
Thank you “K”
I am gearing up to “do something” – like “take this to the next level” over the fall and winter, doing so in my new position as a Board member with the American Society for Deaf Children. I will be posting something new here on SL and hope you will see this and join in.
I love the list you made of “good things” and what you wish for more of..I am sure I will use this somehow and inform you when that time comes.
Again, thank you for your caring and passion.
Gina
I want to add that I had full support from my principal and the staff as well as the SPED director. The teachers I worked with were awesome. They did their best to accommodate wherever possible. I was totally blessed in that respect.
Hi Steve,
So glad your son had you and that you knew your (and his) rights. Just like you said, it’s really important for parents to understand what their children are entitled to. The parents should learn from from the EHDI personnel, for starters. Once their children “age out” of EHDI, they need other professionals for continued support and education/learning about their children’s needs.
Thanks for sharing your experience,
Gina
Hello Alyssa,
Thank you for sharing about your experiences. Even tho you learned simcom, the DHH kids in your school were lucky to have even that. And, they were not “alone.” They had each other. I bet at least some of them have gone on to learn ASL and participate in the Deaf Community. I would be very curious to know how your former classmates would react to this article. And hope you will come back and share some more.
Thanks again!!
Gina