The mother of two profoundly deaf children has described it as “shocking” that her children do not have Irish Sign Language support assistants.
Emma Dooly O’Gorman’s daughter Pippa is seven and her son Jack is six and are in Senior Infants and Junior Infants respectively.
“Both have had bilateral cochlear implant surgery which is the device that helps them to hear on a day to day basis,” Ms Dooly O’Gorman explained to The Hard Shoulder.
“I suppose they have additional needs in addition to being deaf and wearing cochlear implants.
“Pippa, firstly, has verbal dyspraxia which affects her ability to speak and Jack is autistic.”
Since they entered formal education, Ms Dooly O’Gorman has searched “high and low” for someone to work with them as an Irish Sign Language Specialist Classroom Support professional.
“It’s so much more than just interpreting,” she said.
“It’s being there to help her to be in the classroom and be part of the class and part of the community in the school.
“Yes, they teach our children ISL as well because obviously none of us are born knowing [ISL], so they have to learn the language first.
“That is why it’s such an important role that they need to be able to access in a school environment.”
The family regularly contacts the Department of Education but is “not getting any response” despite their best efforts.
Increasingly, they are worried about the impact on their children’s mental health as well as their education.
“You constantly get no information and that’s the most frustrating part,” Ms Dooly O’Gorman said.
“In Jack’s class, there are two profoundly deaf children.
“There’s only seven in Jack’s class, Jack goes to a special school and two of those children are profoundly deaf.
“Both wearing bilateral cochlear implants and both not being entitled to this role.
“The other little boy, both his parents are deaf, so Irish Sign Language is the only language that he is open to in his environment on a day to day basis.
“It’s just shocking.”
In the 2022 census, 233,420 people reported that they are deaf or have a hearing impairment.
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Main image: Students listening to their teacher in a classroom. Image: Wavebreak Media Premium / Alamy
