Isabelle Savage, Principal: Vincent, you started going to the École oraliste in 2011, when you were 6. What was it like at the time, being deaf?
Preventing Social Isolation by Boosting Self-Esteem
Vincent Meunier, former student: I had an everyday life. I was a little embarrassed at first with my hearing aids, but I got used to them fairly quickly. I : How did you feel about starting at a regular school? V : Going to a regular school was a massive change for me. It was hard sometimes. I : What did you find most challenging? V : The hardest part of my first year was finding new friends. I : Why did you find it hard to make new friends? V : Because of my deafness. I was afraid of being judged.
Living with hearing loss can come with unique difficulties, like social isolation, especially for children. Accepting your differences, starting relationships, building friendships, and interacting in society may be more challenging for some students. The mission of the École oraliste de Québec pour enfants malentendants ou sourds, which also welcomes students with language problems, is to bring its students to a level where they can attend regular schools. Our school also focuses on building self-esteem and a sense of belonging. In addition to formal education and language therapy, teachers support children in their social interactions by guiding them toward independence and providing real opportunities to engage in meaningful activities such as drama, extracurriculars, and even travel. These activities promote self-confidence and allow students to feel that they have an important place in society.
Integration: the Key to Success We recently interviewed Vincent Meunier, a former student of the École oraliste. He started going to a regular school in 2018 when he was in Secondary 1 (Grade 7).
I : Would you say that your time at the École oraliste helped you? How? V : Going to the École oraliste helped me gain selfconfidence and understand things better. The small class sizes really helped me learn. I : At the École oraliste, you did theatre and played drums and went on trips. What did those activities do for your social life? V : All those activities really boosted my self-confidence. That made it easier to socialize and approach other people. I : Are you involved in your new school? V : Yes, I got involved quickly because I had that selfconfidence. I was very social. Now I’m surrounded by many friends and people who accept me and my deafness. I’ve also been on the basketball team since Secondary 2 (Grade 8). I : Do you have any advice for deaf or hearing-impaired kids starting at a regular school? V : I’d say, “Don’t stress about it. When you get to your regular school, that first year, just socialize and be confident.”
Isabelle Savage Principal at École oraliste de Québec pour enfants malentendants ou sourds
DE QUÉBEC POUR ENFANTS SOURDS
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