Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Definition

A student considered to be deaf or hard of hearing is one who has a medically diagnosed hearing loss that results in a substantial educational difficulty.

A student who is deaf or hard of hearing has an audiological assessment that affirms a bilateral hearing loss, a unilateral loss with significant speech/language delay, or a cochlear implant.

Students with a diagnosis of central auditory processing dysfunction are not considered for this category unless there is an additional diagnosis of peripheral hearing loss.

Symptoms and Assessment

Most children with significant hearing loss will have been identified through an audiological assessment prior to entering the school system.

Any student referred for special education services during his or her school career should be referred for a hearing assessment in order to determine whether an intermittent or chronic hearing loss is the primary cause of any exhibited learning or behavioural problem.

Hearing loss is generally measured in terms of decibel loss using standards agreed on internationally. However, decibel losses do not always correlate with educational implications and are therefore not a sole criterion for determination of need for educational intervention. Following the identification of a student's hearing loss an assessment to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the student in the areas of language development and communication skills may be required. This assessment, usually administered by a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, may include the administration of standardized tests in the areas of ability and achievement, as well as curriculum-based assessment and observation and teacher reports. Program planning decisions and recommendations for placement of the student in a specific program should occur only once a full assessment has been completed.

Strategies and Planning

The educational programs for students who are deaf or hard of hearing typically include specific instruction in:

language development, auditory management;
speech development, speech reading;
sign language as required; and
deaf culture when appropriate.

In addition to addressing the direct effects of hearing loss and language development, the IEP should address the social and vocational needs which arise as a result of the hearing loss and which are known to be significant.

Most students who are deaf or hard of hearing can and should be educated in their local school district. Typically, programming for students with hearing loss involves one or more of the following services:

a regular class with direct, frequent support from a qualified itinerant teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing;
a resource room staffed by a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing;
a self-contained class staffed by a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing who has access to the appropriate support services; and/or
an individual program for students with hearing loss and additional special needs.

Where there are a sufficient number of students, local or regional school programs may be developed with qualified staff and the appropriate services to support those who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Further to the above options, when the needs of a particular deaf or hard of hearing student cannot first be met locally or regionally, or where special circumstances prevail, the student may be referred to the Provincial Educational Review Committee for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students for
recommendations for programming; and/or
determination of eligibility for Provincial Resource Programs designed for students with hearing loss.

My Education, My Profession

by Marian Minar