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PSS sends student to Guam for special ed
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Posted on May 18 1999
In the absence of licensed interpreters on Saipan, the Special Education program of the Public School System has offered to send students to Guam who need the service.
According to Special Education Program Coordinator Franklin R. Perez, two high school students have hearing disability and parents have been notified about the offer.
Although, a licensed interpreter was recently hired by PSS, the program would still need to collaborate with the University of Guam for the future training of its pool of deaf capable instructors.
Perez said the parents of one student has agreed to the offer, while the other has opted to complete the child’s secondary education in the CNMI.
Moreover, the local special education is preparing to work with the universities of Guam and Hawaii for its deaf and blind program.
The local count of students who have both hearing and visual disabilities is low but the program is very expensive, he said.
Both universities have access to a federal grant for the twin disabilities and the CNMI intends to avail of their workshops.
In the same effort to facilitate language interpretation, PSS is preparing to gather experts of local tongues from various cultures.
The inputs of parents in developing the Individualized Education Program for children with disabilities are considered critical for the success of the program.
However, PSS will work to hurdle the language barriers between parents and the team designing the IEP. The future translators will help facilitate the process and ensure that an accurate picture on the child’s present development status has been identified right at the start.
