Two parents share an email they sent to Derek Mooney, after he recently spoke on-air with the mother of a deaf child about her difficulty getting supports for her son.
We feel the Visiting Teacher (VT) service is often forgotten and we only hear of the deaf children who are attending specialist schools, not the hundreds who are attending mainstream schools in their local communities as a result of this support from the VTs.
In 2007 our daughter was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss and we would like to acknowledge and highlight the excellent support we received within 24 hours from our VT. She is our daughter’s key worker & links with other professionals as needed.
Our daughter is currently attending her local playschool and we plan to send her to the local national school in September.
I would like to thank our VT, without whom our daughter would not achieve her full potential socially or educationally. These are highly skilled teachers, with 2 years post-graduate specialist training. They support children and their families right through their education, from preschool, primary, secondary to third level.
Aidan Kelly & Antoinette Breen, living in County Limerick
Further Reading:
- Transcript of the Derek Mooney radio show (Feb 8th, 2011)
- ‘There Are Other Educational Options Available’
- Home-Preschool Supports: A Mum’s Positive Story
- Educational Supports For Deaf Children in Ireland
- Hearing Assistance Entitlements For Deaf Children
- Advocating For Your Child’s Service Provision
