Clarke’s Mainstream Services cover a wide spectrum—from helping students develop their listening and spoken language skills to consulting with mainstream educators to optimize the listening environment to helping students build their social-emotional skills. But always, the goal is to have students take on more of these tasks themselves over time, becoming more independent and able to advocate for themselves.
Jeanpablo, 14 years old and bilingual, is an excellent example of how mainstream services can help students build a foundation for success in school and in their overall community. Born with hearing loss, Jeanpablo uses cochlear implants to access sound and has worked for several years with Carrie Brollier, MS, Clarke teacher of the deaf, in his mainstream schools.
He began working with the Clarke team virtually this year, and he continues to excel both in academics and with his self-advocacy. (Learn more about Clarke’s Mainstream Services, which now include remote support.)
Jeanpablo is an excellent student and is especially strong in math. He’s also a natural athlete and has a particular love for basketball, which he plays as part of a city league as well as several other sports programs. When he’s not in school or on the court, he enjoys hanging out with his many friends and riding his bike.
Carrie notes that in addition to his successes in the classroom and on the court, Jeanpablo is an impressive self-advocate and very adept socially.
A Strong Foundation
When Carrie began supporting Jeanpablo, her focus was on making sure that he had what he needed in the classroom, that his hearing technology was working well and that he felt comfortable advocating for himself. Jeanpablo’s mom, Adriana, notes that it was especially helpful to have someone assisting him as he navigated the transition to middle school.
“She was so helpful and always on top of making sure he had what he needed,” Adriana says, noting that having an extra set of hands to help coordinate the various services and accommodations was a great help. “Now, he’s so independent and advocates for himself, and always brings home great grades.”
“Carrie would make sure I was comfortable and that things were going well,” adds Jeanpablo. “She really helped me in the classroom, and in finding ways to address any issues with the school or teacher. Clarke [Mainstream Services] can help if there are problems [in a mainstream school] . . . and you can trust them to get you good answers.”
Adriana, who is not a native English speaker, notes, “Carrie also helped a lot when we had meetings at school. It was good to have someone next to you who understands what you want and what you need and can explain what’s happening, especially since I was dealing with a language barrier.”
Jeanpablo has big plans for his future, combining two of his top interests: He’d like to attend college to study engineering—ideally on a basketball scholarship. With a supportive family, strong skills he’s built with assistance from Clarke and his remarkable determination, he is well-poised to do so.
