Turning the Tide

Deaf students in mainstream schools face many challenges, but one particularly difficult situation is relatively little studied: being the only deaf student in the entire school. Turning the Tide offers a qualitative study of the experiences of deaf and hard of hearing students in that situation. Oliva and Lytle build the book around three focus groups, bringing together students of diverse backgrounds to talk about their experiences and what they learned from them about how to work with teachers and administrators, as well as how to handle the challenges of social life. The result is a mix of moving stories of youthful resilience and a powerful call for action to make sure that deaf students have access to the support and resources they need to secure a good education.