USD 383 is in need of an American Sign Language interpreter

USD 383 is in need of an American Sign Language interpreter.

There are currently no ASL interpreters in the Manhattan-Ogden district but there are a few students who require an interpreter through what the schools call their “individualized education programs.”

“We have a small number of students who do require it for their IEPs, so we are obligated to provide that service,” said Jessica Nelson, the director of special education.

Nelson said she reached out to nine different interpreters. They are employed in other school districts closer to Kansas City, so they are not available in person. For this reason and because of the cost, the school district settled on virtual ASL services for the students who need it.

“Virtual services are still a little bit cost effective, still with the same amount of support that they would need to provide the service and make sure they had an appropriate public education afforded to them through the virtual services,” Nelson said.

Virtual services entail a student carrying around an iPad with the interpreter on video call to communicate. Nelson said the district used to have an ASL interpreter, but after the students with hearing impairments left, USD 383 did not have the need for one until recently.

“Those students move in, move out to different districts, so currently we do not have one,” Nelson said “We did have one student move in, and we needed to get one rapidly.”

It is common that students with hearing impairments move to a school that is better equipped for their needs, like the Kansas School for the Deaf.

“Another thing that comes to play with students that need full-time interpretation services is a lot of the time they end up at the School for the Deaf in Kansas City,” Superintendent Eric Reid said. “Sometimes they’re not here that long, which really makes it hard to keep an interpreter.”