I visited with my mom yesterday and asked her about the St. Louis trip that my parents to me on when I was three. My parents received a recommendation to have me tested at Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) to see if there was anything else they could do to help me.
Apparently, I did well on the tests. However, she remembered that I failed one word, “ceiling.” I didn’t know what it was. Mom joked that it wasn’t as if I had use for the ceiling and walking around on it.
After completing the testing, the examiners said I’d be a great candidate for their residential school. Me… THREE YEARS OLD! They wanted to separate me from my family at three. We lived in Fort Worth! Not exactly close to St. Louis. Mom responded, “She’d be a great candidate for staying home with us.” Mom would never send me away to school. If anything, they might have considered moving someplace.
I asked her if they got anything out of the trip. They learned they were doing the right things with me and took a report back to TCU’s Miller Speech & Hearing Clinic where I went for much of my speech therapy. Boy, did I hate repeating non-sensical sounds and words like me-ma, me-ma, mo-mu, blah blah. Of course, I am grateful to have had the help, but as a kid… who enjoys it?
As for my education, I attended Fort Worth public schools for all but nine months and two days of it. I went to a private school in second grade because we bused across town for second grade and my parents were concerned that it wouldn’t be ideal for me. Then for two days, I went to a private school in 10th grade and hated it. Back to public school.
I am sad to report that Fort Worth public schools have fallen apart and lost their shine on their armor. A couple of schools here and there remain strong, but hardly anywhere compared to when I went. I sincerely hope that this changes. Fort Worth is a lovely city.
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Cool…my wife also went to CID…her family had to move to St. Louis to do so….
My sis went to CID for three years, but she was able to live with my aunt and commute. It was really hard on my parents not to have her home. She finally came home at the age of seven.
My parents decided to move to St. Louis from Lousville KY so that I could attend CID…CID had a dorm (still has a dorm nowadays), but my parents refused to let me live away from them…
I’m surprised at the responses already about those who went (or knew someone who did) to CID. I only say that because many states have residential schools. Sounds like it had something more to offer.
I’m glad I grew up in Fort Worth. It was a good experience and my mom still lives there (Dad passed away last year).
Residential schools for the deaf are being phased out nowadays…I would never send a tiny child away so am with your mom 100% on that.
It makes me wonder, though. Oral schools are dwindling due to enlightenment that caused many to adopt ASL for instruction.
Thus it would benefit these remaining schools to make efforts to admit bright kids even though they may live far away. Paradoxically, bright kids have more options in education including programs closer to home.
Travel is another factor. The school for the deaf where I enrolled at the age of eleven required my parents to move into the state and strongly encouraged students to enroll as day pupils. All residential students were required to go home on weekends even back in the 60’s. We moved into a suburb of the city.
I rode the bus a total of 3 hours every day. Although we lived just 30 minutes away, the bus had to travel 75 miles to pick up and drop off students in different suburbs.
New parents considering moving to be near schools could think about this and favor city homes.
I almost went there but I got picky about the place because it was to me like a all in one building (I wasn’t aware at that time in 73 that there were other buildings next to it shrug) and refused to go there and went to ASD in Little Rock, Ark instead But I regret making that decision! becasue I quit ASD after going home for xmas break. The school there at ASD was great but dorm life sucks! all that picking on and fighting and revenge and bullying etc etc. for those 3rd graders! frak that. So I wondered if I actually stayed at CID, maybe I might be there for long runs and eventually graduated. but I end up mainstreaming after quitting ASD.