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Co-op class and the new child (she's mormon and wanted everyone to know it!)


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I met this new homeschool family back in the summer at a co-op field trip. They don't smile. The whole family doesn't smile. Seriously. The mom if you smile at her and keep smiling at her gives you a weak attempt at a smile. I sort of felt unsettled by it. It was really weird at the time and I brushed it off, as they were new and unsettled themselves about meeting all these new people. Later, I learned that Dad had an epiphany and forced the family to start attending the Mormon church. Mom grew up non-denominational. Ok, to each his own.

 

Mom and at least one daughter is deaf, unsure about baby. I studied as a sign language interpreter. So, I'm comfortable around the hearing impaired and can communicate easily. The one daughter seemed a bit wild in her behaviour, dress and physical appearance, like Helen Keller wild and angry.

 

I taught my grade 2-3 co-op class today and our new student arrived. This wild child, daughter. I greeted her verbally (I could see her hearing aids were in), she grunted at me, shoved pasted me and took a seat. OK, that was interesting. I started the class and gave directions making sure the classroom was silent before I gave those directions and making sure she was looking at me and my face was easily accessible for lip reading if necessary. I've done this before, so I know what to do.

 

This child did not follow any directions during the whole class. My friend would have to touch her shoulder, get in her face and repeat everything I said. Then the child would do about 30% of what was asked of her.

 

This is a lapbooking class. There are a lot of directions. I know she could understand what was being said, because she would respond to another girl across the room at a screaming level, trying to enter into that conversation.

 

Then we had snack. I served the snack and she made a huge deal about how we HAD to have a Mormon prayer said over the snack or we were all in sin.

 

:001_huh:

 

I'm thinking, "Sweety, this is a Baptist co-op and we just say a simple grace." Then she turned to one of the few non-denominational kids in the group and said, "You have to pray like this or you could die if you eat this food." The girl looked at her, looked at her food and put down her plate. She then looked at me to ask if it was ok to eat it. I told her it was fine, go ahead and eat your pancakes.

 

I'm not naive enough to believe that statement is a teaching from the Mormon church, but she continued to "share" and "share" and "share" until I finally said, "That's enough dear, time to go wash your hands."

 

I am worried. There is so much to deal with here.

1. Rude behavior.

2. Disregard of instructions.

3. Wandering around the classroom.

4. Taking things from other people's places even though she has the exact same items in front of her.

5. Screaming instead of talking.

6. The whole prayer thing.

and so much more I haven't even got into here.

 

I need help, prayers and any suggestions. Also, if you are Mormon, can you let me know if there is something I should know about the whole prayer thing? I don't think there is anything really there, but just in case.

 

Thanks,

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Uh, that's weird. I've been LDS (Mormon) my whole life and we don't have specific prayers for eating, and we don't make other people pray certain ways. :confused: Prayer us supposed to be communication with Heavenly Father and it's pretty loosely defined... and there's nothing about "sin" if someone else says a different prayer or none. :confused::confused::confused: We often say a silent prayer to ourselves if one aloud is not kosher, but that's all.

Edited by LittleIzumi
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Sounds like it's time to share your concerns with the leader of the co-op. Clearly, the mom will have to be notified, and if she can't convince the child to modify her behavior so she will be able to fit into your class, the kid has got to go.

 

Perhaps the mom could sit in on the class once or twice and quietly correct her dd when she misbehaves?

 

The kid sounds like trouble, but I would try to give her another chance (after addressing the situation with the mom and the co-op leader,) to see if she might get better once she's comfortable with you and the other kids in the class. Some kids can be pretty obnoxious in order to hide first-day jitters, so even though this child sounds more extreme than that, I wouldn't kick her out of class after only one day. (I know you didn't say you planned to do anything like that, but I know it happens in some co-ops.)

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Ok, I'm not Mormon anymore, but I'm going to vouch for them here. Mormons could care less what kind of prayer people use. Most Mormons usually don't pray in public places anyway ( like out to dinner, etc), just because.

Also, they don't use the phrase "in sin" and don't teach their kids they are going to hell if they don't pray a certain way. (Although there is a very Mormon way to pray, but its more cultural than anything. It's not like there is a written prayer. )

 

Also, I've never met a Mormon family who doesn't smile. :lol:

 

This really has nothing to do with being Mormon.

 

This is either a troubled or special needs child, or a very bizarre family - and those come in every faith. :001_smile:

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Mormons could care less what kind of prayer people use. Most Mormons usually don't pray in public places anyway ( like out to dinner, etc), just because.

Also, they don't use the phrase "in sin" and don't teach their kids they are going to hell if they don't pray a certain way. (Although there is a very Mormon way to pray, but its more cultural than anything. It's not like there is a written prayer. )

 

Also, I've never met a Mormon family who doesn't smile. :lol:

 

This really has nothing to do with being Mormon.

 

This is either a troubled or special needs child, or a very bizarre family - and those come in every faith. :001_smile:

 

:iagree: We are Mormon--this is definitely a family/child thing, not a Mormon thing.

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Ok, I'm not Mormon anymore, but I'm going to vouch for them here. Mormons could care less what kind of prayer people use. Most Mormons usually don't pray in public places anyway ( like out to dinner, etc), just because.

Also, they don't use the phrase "in sin" and don't teach their kids they are going to hell if they don't pray a certain way. (Although there is a very Mormon way to pray, but its more cultural than anything. It's not like there is a written prayer. )

 

Also, I've never met a Mormon family who doesn't smile. :lol:

 

This really has nothing to do with being Mormon.

 

This is either a troubled or special needs child, or a very bizarre family - and those come in every faith. :001_smile:

 

I totally agree. All of the LDS families I've had the pleasure of coming into contact with have been lovely, truly lovely people. That is one religious group that does an excellent job of discipling the WWJD mentality and role models friendliness, compassion, kindness, manners, and hospitality. This is something unique to that particular family.

 

I think the child may have some special needs issues that your co-op are not likely equipped to handle. Mom may not be smiling much because life with a special needs child and one in particular that has behavioral issues can be very rough and exhausting. On top of that, if her husband is "forcing" her to attend a church that holds beliefs she is against, that's going to make her life even rougher.

 

Also, since what the child said doesn't actually line up with LDS beliefs, I would wonder if during services, she is attempting to lip read, can't do it well from where she is at, doesn't have finely enough tuned hearing aids, and is in fact only hearing bits and pieces of teaching and has become confused by that. Believe me, our pastor (Methodist) has been confronted on more than one occasion by an elderly person who was seriously losing their hearing and that person thought he said something he didn't say. It happens.

 

Faith

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Ok, I'm not Mormon anymore, but I'm going to vouch for them here. Mormons could care less what kind of prayer people use. Most Mormons usually don't pray in public places anyway ( like out to dinner, etc), just because.

Also, they don't use the phrase "in sin" and don't teach their kids they are going to hell if they don't pray a certain way. (Although there is a very Mormon way to pray, but its more cultural than anything. It's not like there is a written prayer. )

 

Also, I've never met a Mormon family who doesn't smile. :lol:

 

This really has nothing to do with being Mormon.

 

This is either a troubled or special needs child, or a very bizarre family - and those come in every faith. :001_smile:

:iagree: From my experience with LDS relatives and neighbours, these people don't sound like anyone I've ever met from the LDS. Sounds like there are a lot of issues going on with the child though (may be through a lot of changes in her life and her pushing to see how much she can get away with).

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On top of that, if her husband is "forcing" her to attend a church that holds beliefs she is against, that's going to make her life even rougher.

 

The LDS church would not be happy with him "forcing" her to attend church at all. It is her choice. A marriage being an equal partnership and her making her own choices is taught at church.

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I wonder if it is a broken off sect of the mormon church who started their own version. The prayer for meals sounds like something I read on the anti-quiverfull website ( I think one of the girls who left a very interesting sect who broke off of a broken off sect thing). Especially, with mom not smiling just kinda reminded me of it.

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The LDS church would not be happy with him "forcing" her to attend church at all. It is her choice. A marriage being an equal partnership and her making her own choices is taught at church.

 

 

Oh, I agree. I know for a fact it would not go over well because it is just plain against the family values of the LDS faith. But, if this woman is not talking to others within the LDS community, no one may know. It's unfortunate. But, the way the OP worded it made me wonder if she may be going along very, very reluctantly.

 

Faith

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I have a 3 strikes and you are out policy. I tell my kids this the first day. Strike 1 is a warning, 2 is a time out, 3 they spend the rest of the class with mom. There is always one kid, isn't there? Make sure the mom and student know the boundaries and expectations. Maybe have mom stay in the class next week to help. Parents with special needs sometimes stay in those classes at co-op.

 

Sorry you are dealing with that.

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Ok, I read your post again and I realize you are less concerned with the Mormon thing and more concerned with the bizarre behavior.

 

I'd actually sit down and talk with her parents before you do anything. They need to explain exactly what is going on.

 

As a parent of a SN child, it really irritates me when parents throw their kids into the mix without giving the teacher a heads up. It's not fair to the child or the teacher.

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Uh, that's weird. I've been LDS (Mormon) my whole life and we don't have specific prayers for eating, and we don't make other people pray certain ways. :confused: Prayer us supposed to be communication with Heavenly Father and it's pretty loosely defined... and there's nothing about "sin" if someone else says a different prayer or none. :confused::confused::confused: We often say a silent prayer to ourselves if one aloud is not kosher, but that's all.

 

:iagree:Her behavior is way off base and not indicative of Mormon theology or beliefs at all.

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The more I think about it, the more I think the family has some major issues. Maybe the mom is both shy and completely dominated by her dh and she is hoping the co-op will give her and her kids a chance to make friends.

 

Whatever the case, I think someone (and again, preferably the co-op leader,) needs to talk to the mom and give her a chance to rectify the dd's behavior.

 

Part of me is feeling very sorry for that mom right now. The way you described her makes me think she might be very unhappy. :( If she turns out to be too extreme or unpleasant, then obviously that family can't be a part of the co-op, but what if she's a really nice person and is just looking for a way to make friends away from her dh? She might go above and beyond to help her dd fit in to the co-op.

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Ok, I'm not Mormon anymore, but I'm going to vouch for them hraere. Mormons could care less what kind of prayer people use. Most Mormons usually don't pray in public places anyway ( like out to dinner, etc), just because.

Also, they don't use the phrase "in sin" and don't teach their kids they are going to hell if they don't pray a certain way. (Although there is a very Mormon way to pray, but its more cultural than anything. It's not like there is a written prayer. )

 

Also, I've never met a Mormon family who doesn't smile. :lol:

 

This really has nothing to do with being Mormon.

 

This is either a troubled or special needs child, or a very bizarre family - and those come in every faith. :001_smile:

 

Agree. Mormons are generally smiley, peaceful people who are rarely the types to make a show of prayer. Also the hell bit is very suspect. That is not mainstream LDS.

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Definitely not Mormon related. We do pray to God the Father and close in the name of Jesus Christ. My kids have been at other functions where a prayer was different than they were used to and didn't mention anything. :confused:

 

Though, if it is a Baptist co-op, I'm wondering if there was a statement of faith to sign. These prohibit us from joining a lot of groups because I don't feel comfortable signing something against my beliefs. If there wasn't, maybe Mom went over with her the differences between Mormon and Baptist so daughter wasn't confused? Still weird, though...

 

Sounds like an uncomfortable position to be in. I second contacting the co-op leader to deal with it.

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I need help, prayers and any suggestions. Also, if you are Mormon, can you let me know if there is something I should know about the whole prayer thing? I don't think there is anything really there, but just in case.

 

Thanks,

is the mother this odd? :001_huh: is it possible the daughter feels defensive so she's trying to push to see what people's reactions would be? (both the deafness if she can get away with in breaking rules - i'd find someway to hold her accountable, and the religion thing).

 

if they are attending the LDS church because the dad demands it, I would wonder what their home life is like. I also assume they don't understand the 11th article of faith. "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." try asking her about it;), and what she thinks that means. (what LDS think it means is she needs to allow other's to pray as they believe, and NOT tell them they're sinning if they don't do what *she* thinks they should do. wonder if she picked that attitude up from 'dad'.)

 

and I'm a Mormon.

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Mormons could care less what kind of prayer people use. a very bizarre family - and those come in every faith. :001_smile:

 

I know of a woman whose second husband was that way. second marriage for both of them. a few weeks after they were married, he hauled off his daughter because she "didn't say the prayer correctly". this woman broke down the bedroom door to rescue this child from her father. by that time, she was in nothing but panties and he was about to start in with his belt. she just looked at him and said "if you touch her, don't ever go to sleep". she wasn't bluffing either - and the coward knew it. she got custody of his two daughters in the divorce. she figures that was the Lord's entire reason for marrying the monster - to get his girls away from him.

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It sounds like spectrum-y behavior to me. Maybe Dad, too.

This sounds like a family which needs friends, grace, acceptance, role models, and gentle help. How lucky you are that they have found your co-op, where you can love on them. OP, it won't be easy, but it sounds like you've got many of the skills needed. You can make a difference in the life of this child and her whole family. :grouphug:

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Wow, that is a lot of stuff going on. I'm not Mormon but that doesn't sound like any Mormons I have ever met. (Obviously! The Mormon moms have said as much! :tongue_smilie: )

 

The child sounds like she has a lot of issues going on. While I totally love and appreciate the idea of making a difference in their lives, it sounds like a monumental task that could come at the expense of other dc in the co op. This little girl sounds like she would benefit from having an "aid." Whether that is her mother, an older teen who isn't taking a class at the co op, or another parent who volunteers for the duty, I think having a person dedicated to helping her cope and learn how to "be" in a classroom will make life better for all involved.

 

It sounds like a situation the leader needs to be apprised of and then a conference held to determine what is best for everyone.

 

In terms of the not smiling, that makes me sad. Our family was friends with a family who are part of a very small Catholic sect (cult??) who put tighter and tighter restrictions on their members with every passing year. This family used to laugh and smile and just be fun to be around. Now they aren't allowed to have anything to do with anyone outside of their "religion." We all use the same dentist and when my dc see those dc, we all get very sad. Their faces are downcast, sad eyes, no smilies, and they aren't allowed to give or return greetings. :(

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Another Mormon chiming in to say that her statements/behavior are atypical and not at all representative of LDS belief.

 

I'm curious--did you try signing to her at all? I'm in a designated deaf ward (LDS congregation) and my MIL is an interpreter. I believe we have some members who have hearing aids, but very much prefer to use sign if the option is available to them. I don't know if that would have made a difference for you today or not.

 

:grouphug:

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If the mother is deaf, that may also explain her non smiling behavior. When I was working in special ed, many of the deaf parents didn't smile much. Because facial expressions are often a part of the comunication, they are very sparse with facial expressions lest they be misinterpreted somehow. I know that a friend is often frustrated with her step daughter (who has been deaf since birth) because they cannot seem to get her to understand how to read facial expressions/emotions or how to project her own. She can read lips just fine, but not the other nuances. She is an adult now.

 

The screaming child may also be over compensating, which makes me wonder if the mom has some speech. Yes, there are likely other behaviors there, but if one is only able to communicate with most people by screaming, or hasn't been taught that it is inappropriate (a deaf parent wouldn't necessarily recognize that the child is yelling or inappropriate in speech), it may be that the child just needs lots of social skills training in that area, particularly if the child has been homeschooled only. Sometimes children with hearing issues of their own also can't 'hear' their own voices to regulate them.

 

As far as the church thing - that have also been as a shock tactic. Could she have been trying to get attention any way possible and only knows how to do it in a very dramatic way? I can totally see a kid thinking, "They don't know me, I don't know how to make friends, but I want the girl to notice me so I will say this crazy thing".

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Another Mormon chiming in to say that her statements/behavior are atypical and not at all representative of LDS belief.

 

I'm curious--did you try signing to her at all? I'm in a designated deaf ward (LDS congregation) and my MIL is an interpreter. I believe we have some members who have hearing aids, but very much prefer to use sign if the option is available to them. I don't know if that would have made a difference for you today or not.

 

:grouphug:

 

I wondered about that, too, but I am totally ignorant about such things and thus wouldn't ask. I'm glad you did. :grouphug:

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The child's behavior sounds possibly autistic to me. I don't know, though, if the deafness might mimic those things for some perhaps. I think you've possibly got a child with special needs beyond being deaf. You probably need a helper just for her if she's going to succeed in this situation. I don't know what to make of the mother and smiling, the dad, etc.

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I also think this sounds like a bit of possible ASD along with behavior problems. I have known a few specific parents with ASD kids who allow their spectrum kids to get away with things because they are autistic. Kinda like they feel the kids can not be held accountable (when clearly the ones I am mentioning can as they are high functioning- I do realize some can not) Drives me nuts, personally. I would put a lot of prayer in to how to handle this.

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I met this new homeschool family back in the summer at a co-op field trip. They don't smile. The whole family doesn't smile. Seriously. The mom if you smile at her and keep smiling at her gives you a weak attempt at a smile. I sort of felt unsettled by it. It was really weird at the time and I brushed it off, as they were new and unsettled themselves about meeting all these new people. Later, I learned that Dad had an epiphany and forced the family to start attending the Mormon church. Mom grew up non-denominational. Ok, to each his own.

 

Mom and at least one daughter is deaf, unsure about baby. I studied as a sign language interpreter. So, I'm comfortable around the hearing impaired and can communicate easily. The one daughter seemed a bit wild in her behaviour, dress and physical appearance, like Helen Keller wild and angry.

 

I taught my grade 2-3 co-op class today and our new student arrived. This wild child, daughter. I greeted her verbally (I could see her hearing aids were in), she grunted at me, shoved pasted me and took a seat. OK, that was interesting. I started the class and gave directions making sure the classroom was silent before I gave those directions and making sure she was looking at me and my face was easily accessible for lip reading if necessary. I've done this before, so I know what to do.

 

This child did not follow any directions during the whole class. My friend would have to touch her shoulder, get in her face and repeat everything I said. Then the child would do about 30% of what was asked of her.

 

This is a lapbooking class. There are a lot of directions. I know she could understand what was being said, because she would respond to another girl across the room at a screaming level, trying to enter into that conversation.

 

Then we had snack. I served the snack and she made a huge deal about how we HAD to have a Mormon prayer said over the snack or we were all in sin.

 

:001_huh:

 

I'm thinking, "Sweety, this is a Baptist co-op and we just say a simple grace." Then she turned to one of the few non-denominational kids in the group and said, "You have to pray like this or you could die if you eat this food." The girl looked at her, looked at her food and put down her plate. She then looked at me to ask if it was ok to eat it. I told her it was fine, go ahead and eat your pancakes.

 

I'm not naive enough to believe that statement is a teaching from the Mormon church, but she continued to "share" and "share" and "share" until I finally said, "That's enough dear, time to go wash your hands."

 

I am worried. There is so much to deal with here.

1. Rude behavior.

2. Disregard of instructions.

3. Wandering around the classroom.

4. Taking things from other people's places even though she has the exact same items in front of her.

5. Screaming instead of talking.

6. The whole prayer thing.

and so much more I haven't even got into here.

 

I need help, prayers and any suggestions. Also, if you are Mormon, can you let me know if there is something I should know about the whole prayer thing? I don't think there is anything really there, but just in case.

 

Thanks,

 

Said very gently, if you have the experience with the Deaf community that you claim, I am surprised you used the term "hearing impaired" since so many Deaf find that term offensive. I think you would also be aware that wearing hearing aids does not necessarily mean one can understand speech and that speech reading (the more appropriate term for "lip reading) is very limited in actually being able to understand spoken English.

 

Being denied access to meaningful communication can cause all kinds of issues for children with hearing loss that goes way beyond just hearing words at a certain point in time. She may not understand the behavior or language of the classroom; directions often have very specific vocabulary that is "caught" by hearing kids but D/HH kids must be taught those word very intentionally because they miss out on incidental learning. She may have some auditory processing issues (a very high percentage of D/HH kids do) so even though her ears may "hear" the sounds of the words, her brain may not know what to do with them or may put them together in a totally different way. She may not realize how loud she is talking because she can't hear herself. Also, it is not uncommon for D/HH kids to monopolize and direct conversations or interject totally off topic ideas; if they can control the conversation, they know what it is about and can be part of it. It could also be that her issues have nothing to do with her hearing status and she/her family is just a bit different.

 

Now I realize all these explanations do not make your job as her co-op teacher any easier nor do I think it appropriate for her to continue to disrupt the class. I would talk with the mother and find it what type of communication works best with her, as well as what type of things work when she needs to have her behavior redirected. For my Littlest, you have to be short and direct with instructions or behavioral directions, almost to the point of being rude ("E, sit down now!" vs. "Hey, E., why don't you come over to the table and sit with the class?"). The longer and more indirect the request, the less likely she is to do it. I hope you are able to find a way to help her fit better in the classroom environment!

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:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I empathize.

I had a similiar situation several years back when teaching an enrichment class, although the student in question was not a special needs child.

I contacted the mother (Via email because she chose not to return my telephone call.) in regard to the child's disruptive behavior.

I copied the co-op's guidelines for this particular situation into the body of the email.

At the end of the message I let the mother know there were a couple of choices she/her child would have to make if he was to continue in the class.

Choice 1. Talk to the child about their disruptive behavior and the consequences if he continued to behave in like manner.

Choice 2. Accompanying her child to class each week to monitor his behavior.

If neither of these choices were a valid option, then he would have to leave the class.

Warm Regards,

Kathy

:001_smile:

Edited by kalphs
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Said very gently, if you have the experience with the Deaf community that you claim, I am surprised you used the term "hearing impaired" since so many Deaf find that term offensive. I think you would also be aware that wearing hearing aids does not necessarily mean one can understand speech and that speech reading (the more appropriate term for "lip reading) is very limited in actually being able to understand spoken English.

 

Being denied access to meaningful communication can cause all kinds of issues for children with hearing loss that goes way beyond just hearing words at a certain point in time. She may not understand the behavior or language of the classroom; directions often have very specific vocabulary that is "caught" by hearing kids but D/HH kids must be taught those word very intentionally because they miss out on incidental learning. She may have some auditory processing issues (a very high percentage of D/HH kids do) so even though her ears may "hear" the sounds of the words, her brain may not know what to do with them or may put them together in a totally different way. She may not realize how loud she is talking because she can't hear herself. Also, it is not uncommon for D/HH kids to monopolize and direct conversations or interject totally off topic ideas; if they can control the conversation, they know what it is about and can be part of it. It could also be that her issues have nothing to do with her hearing status and she/her family is just a bit different.

 

Now I realize all these explanations do not make your job as her co-op teacher any easier nor do I think it appropriate for her to continue to disrupt the class. I would talk with the mother and find it what type of communication works best with her, as well as what type of things work when she needs to have her behavior redirected. For my Littlest, you have to be short and direct with instructions or behavioral directions, almost to the point of being rude ("E, sit down now!" vs. "Hey, E., why don't you come over to the table and sit with the class?"). The longer and more indirect the request, the less likely she is to do it. I hope you are able to find a way to help her fit better in the classroom environment!

 

We need an "Educational!" button like on Ravelry. This was very interesting/enlightening.

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Ok, I finally was able to talk with my co-op leader.

 

1. The mom did sign a statement of faith paper. So, she understands and agrees with what will be taught.

 

2. The leader will chat with mom about the whole prayer issue. I or the other teacher will be the only ones praying for the next few weeks.

 

3. Dad is Mormon, Mom is not. Mom is being submissive and attending with Dad.

 

4. They just started homeschooling this year, very radical talk about how the school system is trying to drive our children away from God and parents who don't homeschool are allowing their children to be taught by satan. Okey, dokey. I won't be touching that with a 10 foot pole.....

 

5. My instructions are, if child is rude, she is to be brought to Mom immediately.

 

6. I am encouraged to email Mom with any other questions.

 

7. Right or wrong, Mom calls herself hearing impaired - she's waiting for God to completely heal her and her children of their deafness, when He is willing.

 

Is it too late to quit co-op? Oh ya, my kids like it. Ok, I'll stay. But I'll think twice before I teach this class again!

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Ok, I finally was able to talk with my co-op leader.

 

1. The mom did sign a statement of faith paper. So, she understands and agrees with what will be taught.

 

2. The leader will chat with mom about the whole prayer issue. I or the other teacher will be the only ones praying for the next few weeks.

 

3. Dad is Mormon, Mom is not. Mom is being submissive and attending with Dad.

 

4. They just started homeschooling this year, very radical talk about how the school system is trying to drive our children away from God and parents who don't homeschool are allowing their children to be taught by satan. Okey, dokey. I won't be touching that with a 10 foot pole.....

 

5. My instructions are, if child is rude, she is to be brought to Mom immediately.

 

6. I am encouraged to email Mom with any other questions.

 

7. Right or wrong, Mom calls herself hearing impaired - she's waiting for God to completely heal her and her children of their deafness, when He is willing.

 

Is it too late to quit co-op? Oh ya, my kids like it. Ok, I'll stay. But I'll think twice before I teach this class again!

 

Um ok then. I wish you luck.

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What should it be called instead of hearing impaired? I use hard of hearing to describe myself but my hearing problems are different than normal since mine are caused by congestion (that never ends due to Sjogren's Syndrome) and also my hearing is at the borderline where sometimes people use hearing aids and sometimes not. I am not even sure hearing aids work with non-nerve connected hearing loss. But what term is preferred by others?

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3. Dad is Mormon, Mom is not. Mom is being submissive and attending with Dad.

That is...interesting, from an LDS POV. We don't really do submission like that. Mom could be doing it off her own bat, or Dad could be not quite with the Mormon program yet (which is very likely; it can take quite a while to adjust to LDS culture, even apart from any personal weirdness on his part which would be a whole 'nother ball of wax).

 

4. They just started homeschooling this year, very radical talk about how the school system is trying to drive our children away from God and parents who don't homeschool are allowing their children to be taught by satan. Okey, dokey. I won't be touching that with a 10 foot pole.....

Also interesting, and not a common Mormon attitude, though of course there are always a few. You've got yourself an interesting family there, but to me they sound like they're very entrenched in the conservative evangelical mindset.

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Also interesting, and not a common Mormon attitude, though of course there are always a few. You've got yourself an interesting family there, but to me they sound like they're very entrenched in the conservative evangelical mindset.

 

Please do not saddle us with that. I would describe myself as conservative evangelical and this is off-the-deep-end fringe.

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Please do not saddle us with that. I would describe myself as conservative evangelical and this is off-the-deep-end fringe.

 

LOL. I agree Jean. My family is actually Pentecostal (which means something different in Canada compared to the US) but this family is way past my comfort line.

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7. Right or wrong, Mom calls herself hearing impaired - she's waiting for God to completely heal her and her children of their deafness, when He is willing.

 

 

So then is the D/deafness largely unaddressed? That is, is the family actively helping mom and children learn coping methods (ASL, etc.) for being deaf in a hearing world, do they have contact with the Deaf community, etc?

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The family sounds nuts, and that's not a religious issue. The... ummm... unusual... religious stuff is just an outward demonstration of their strangeness. I don't think the OP's description of their beliefs, prayers, or actions falls into line with any religion I know about.

 

This isn't about religion at all. It's about trying to deal with people who, as they have been described, are way outside the norm.

 

I hope things work out for the best with the kid and the mom at the co-op, but it certainly sounds like the family may be a bit of a challenge to work with.

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So then is the D/deafness largely unaddressed? That is, is the family actively helping mom and children learn coping methods (ASL, etc.) for being deaf in a hearing world, do they have contact with the Deaf community, etc?

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree: If this is actually an issue, it could explain that poor little girl's issues quite a bit. :glare:

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