Interpreter Program
The Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind has a highly trained staff of interpreter/tutors to serve students placed at our local public schools. They participate on the student’s IEP team, as well as collaborate with staff from MSDB and the public schools. It is the responsibility of the interpreter to facilitate communication between the deaf or hard of hearing student and the teachers, classmates, or other school staff, and to provide access to the curriculum. The interpreters interpret discussions, lectures, instructions and interpret/reverse interpret questions and responses. They assist with assignments by providing clarification of instructions and by tutoring, but the students are responsible for their own work. Interpreters prepare for classes by learning specific vocabulary, preparing notes or handouts, and by previewing audio or non-captioned video tapes that will be used in the classroom. They also teach the students how to be good consumers - knowing what their responsibilities are and what the interpreter’s role is as they progress through school.
In addition to interpreting, several of the interpreters have been trained as "captioners". As captioners, the interpreter uses a laptop computer and voice recognition software to caption what the teacher is saying. The captioner can sit anywhere in the classroom and communicate wirelessly to the student’s laptop. The student can read in real-time the instructor’s lesson. This captioning system is best used in lecture classes like history, science, English, etc.
Our interpreters also interpret extra-curricular activities such as sports, cheerleading, speech and debate, and many others. They assist with and often lead public school sign language clubs.
The interpreters maintain their skills by continuing to participate in professional development opportunities and/or by continued education through colleges/universities such as Front Range Community College, Idaho State University, and Gallaudet University. Several have received Educational Interpreter Certification Program (EICP) or Registry for the Deaf (RID) certification.
Additional Resources
Professional Organizations for Interpreters
Montana links for Interpreters
Colleges and Universities providing training for Interpreters
Sign language dictionaries and websites
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