The capabilities of children with hearing loss are usually underestimated. Through early identification, the fitting of hearing devices, rehabilitation and support of family and educators, children with hearing loss can learn alongside their normal hearing peers in an inclusive school environment and reach their full potential. It all starts with empowering parents and teachers.
With the right modifications, students with sensory disabilities that affect how well they see and/or hear can participate fully in general education classes alongside their peers. Teaching Students With Sensory Disabilities discusses the defining characteristics and specific needs of students who are deaf, blind, or deaf-and-blind. Offering numerous practical classroom management tips and surprisingly easy instruction adjustments, this valuable resource shows teachers how they can teach in a highly effective manner that will foster the independence of students with visual and hearing impairments in the general education classroom. Including a pre-test, post-test, and key vocabulary terms, this highly informative guide discusses everything educators need to know about students with sensory disabilities, including: o Cognitive characteristics and issues o Academic characteristics and issues o Physical characteristics and issues o Behavioural characteristics and issues o Communication characteristics and issues
Teaching Deaf Learners: Psychological and Developmental Foundations explores how deaf students (children and adolescents) learn and the conditions that support their reaching their full cognitive potential -- or not. Beginning with an introduction to teaching and learning of both deaf and hearing students, Knoors and Marschark take an ecological approach to deaf education, emphasizing the need to take into account characteristics of learners and of the educational context. Building on the evidence base with respect to developmental and psychological factors in teaching and learning, they describe characteristics of deaf learners which indicate that teaching deaf learners is not, or should not, be the same as teaching hearing learners. In this volume, Knoors and Marschark explore factors that influence the teaching of deaf learners, including their language proficiencies, literacy and numeracy skills, cognitive abilities, and social-emotional factors. These issues are addressed in separate chapters, with a focus on the importance to all of them of communication and language. Separate chapters are devoted to the promise of multimedia enhanced education and the possible influences of contextual aspects of the classroom and the school on learning by deaf students. The book concludes by pointing out the importance of appropriate education of teachers of deaf learners, given the increasing diversity of those students and the contexts in which they are educated. It bridges the gap between research and practice in teaching and outlines ways to improve teacher education.
The Itinerant Teacher's Handbook (2nd ed.), provides indispensable information for new and experienced itinerant teachers alike. This is a practical guide to accomplishing a two-fold mission: teaching students who are deaf or hard of hearing the knowledge and skills they need to become successful adults and helping others effectively interact with these students. The text also includes interviews highlighting the real-world experiences of itinerant teachers, as well as general education teachers, parents, and more. This book provides in depth information on how to support students with hearing loss in the role of an itinerant teacher. Beneficial to university training programs, to support new hires, and define the structure of itinerant teacher services in school districts.
Debates about methods of supporting language development and academic skills of deaf or hard-of-hearing children have waxed and waned for more than 100 years: Will using sign language interfere with learning to use spoken language or does it offer optimal access to communication for deaf children? Does placement in classrooms with mostly hearing children enhance or impede academic and social-emotional development? Will cochlear implants or other assistive listening devices provide deaf children with sufficient input for age-appropriate reading abilities? Are traditional methods of classroom teaching effective for deaf and hard-of-hearing students? Although there is a wealth of evidence with regard to each of these issues, too often, decisions on how to best support deaf and hard-of-hearing children in developing language and academic skills are made based on incorrect or incomplete information. No matter how well-intentioned, decisions grounded in opinions, beliefs, or value judgments are insufficient to guide practice. Instead, we need to take advantage of relevant, emerging research concerning best practices and outcomes in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing learners. In this critical evaluation of what we know and what we do not know about educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students, the authors examine a wide range of educational settings and research methods that have guided deaf education in recent years--or should. The book provides a focus for future educational and research efforts, and aims to promote optimal support for deaf and hard-of-hearing learners of all ages. Co-authored by two of the most respected leaders in the field, this book summarizes and evaluates research findings across multiple disciplines pertaining to the raising and educating of deaf children, providing a comprehensive but concise record of the successes, failures, and unanswered questions in deaf education. A readily accessible and invaluable source for teachers, university students, and other professionals, Evidence-Based Practice in Educating Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students encourages readers to reconsider assumptions and delve more deeply into what we really know about deaf and hard-of-hearing children, their patterns of development, and their lifelong learning.
Millions of Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. The Social Security Administration (SSA) operates programs that provide cash disability benefits to people with permanent impairments like hearing loss, if they can show that their impairments meet stringent SSA criteria and their earnings are below an SSA threshold. The National Research Council convened an expert committee at the request of the SSA to study the issues related to disability determination for people with hearing loss. This volume is the product of that study. Hearing Loss: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits reviews current knowledge about hearing loss and its measurement and treatment, and provides an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes and criteria. It recommends changes to strengthen the disability determination process and ensure its reliability and fairness. The book addresses criteria for selection of pure tone and speech tests, guidelines for test administration, testing of hearing in noise, special issues related to testing children, and the difficulty of predicting work capacity from clinical hearing test results. It should be useful to audiologists, otolaryngologists, disability advocates, and others who are concerned with people who have hearing loss.
This volume offers foundational information and research-based strategies for meeting the needs of deaf and hard of hearing learners with disabilities. This is an essential book for courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, and in workshops and webinars for in-service teachers, professionals, and families.
