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Evaluating School Programs
for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
by Paula Rosenthal, J.D.
When a child is prelingually deafened or
hard of hearing (usually prior to the age of 3), many families will seek a
special education program to assist the child with his speech and/or
language development. Since the average age of diagnosis of hearing loss
is 2.5 years to 3.5 years, children often suffer from significant
receptive and expressive language delays.
Whether the family chooses oral communication, sign language, a signed
English system or total communication, choosing a school can be a daunting
task. Due to the relatively few choices of programs available for deaf and
hearing impaired children in each state, many families have become part of
a special education migration phenomenon. In essence, they temporarily or
permanently relocate all or part of their family to another state so that
their child with special needs can attend a program that they deem
appropriate.
This article discusses general guidelines for evaluating school programs
for deaf and hard of hearing children.
Research schools online
A listing of oral deaf education programs in the United States, Canada and
United Kingdom can be found at
http://www.oraldeafed.org/schools/index.html. Each school offers
extensive information via this site. The Oberkotter Oral Deaf Education
site also offers free videos and information for parents of newly
diagnosed children that can be found at
http://www.oraldeafed.org.
A comprehensive listing of links to schools for the deaf in the United
States can be found at
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/infotogo/schools-usa.html. The
communication methods taught at these schools vary.
Other places to research center-based and mainstream programs for deaf and
hearing impaired children can be found at
http://www.deafness.about.com/cs/schoolsus/index.htm and
http://www.deafness.about.com/cs/mainstreamcenter/index.htm.
Visit Schools in Session
After determining the communication method you plan to use with your child
and researching the schools via the Internet, telephone and mail, narrow
the list of schools you are interested in. Request an appointment to visit
the school, preferably while it is in session during the year or during a
summer program.
Observe
Be sure to observe the students who are the same age as your child as well
as older students’ classes. Take note of their demeanor. Do the children
appear attentive and interested in what they are being taught? Is every
child given a chance to participate and interact? Are the classrooms
brightly lit and organized? How are the acoustics in the room?
Meet
Ask to meet the teachers as well as parents of students. Are the teachers
energetic, experienced and patient? Are the parents pleased with the
progress their children are making? Can parents observe the classes
freely? Are parents involved in the school? Is there a parent-teacher
association? Is there a formal or informal support group for parents? How
do the parents feel about the teachers and the administrators? These are
key components of successful programs.
Be Prepared
Arrive for your meeting with the director or principal of the program with
a list of questions in hand as well as pen and paper to write down
answers. This will assist you in keeping track of each program you visit.
Here is a list of sample questions:
• What is the maximum class size for my child’s age group?
• What is the student to teacher ratio in each classroom?
• What are the educational qualifications of the teachers and
classroom assistants?
• What is the organizational structure of the day?
• What is the curriculum for the school year?
• Are there programs for reading, literacy and math?
• Do the children use FM listening systems in the classrooms?
• How much “downtime” do the children have during the day? How
much outdoor, free play?
• Is there a playground on site? Is it safe for children with
cochlear implants (no plastic)? Are there fields to run in, swings,
slides, and a climbing apparatus?
• Is there an audiology department or an audiologist on staff? Who
troubleshoots hearing aid, cochlear implant and assistive device
problems?
• How often are hearing tests conducted?
• Are there children with multiple disabilities in the program?
• Is educational testing done during the school year? Who does it? How
often? Are parents notified or allowed to observe testing?
• Are parents freely allowed to observe the classrooms? (Check
with parents to verify this information.)
• Are there opportunities for children to interact with normal
hearing peers?
• At what age and what percentage of the children “graduate”
into a mainstream program each year? How is the determination
made that they are ready?
• Can my child enroll for a trial period without making a
commitment to a full year of tuition?
• Is there financial assistance available?
Compare
After visiting and observing several schools, you should be able to make a
determination based on quality of the program, support, feasibility and
location. Remember that it is not unusual for a majority of families at a
school to relocate for the program. If you decide to relocate, be sure to
find out about local community support for your family.
Choosing a mainstream or special education program for your deaf or hard
of hearing child can have a significant impact on his life as well as
yours. It is important to be thorough in your research and find a program
that is compatible with your philosophy and the goals you have for your
child. With the right education and support, your child can be successful
in anything he chooses to do.
| Paula Rosenthal,
J.D. is married and a mother of three young children. She, her
husband and daughter are all hearing impaired. Her sons have
normal hearing. Paula and her children relocated temporarily so
her daughter could attend the Moog Center for Deaf Education in
St. Louis. A law school graduate, Paula is the publisher of
http://www.HearingExchange.com, an online community for
people with hearing loss, parents of deaf and hard of hearing
children and professionals. She is also a writer and speaker on
hearing loss and related issues. To contact her, send an email
to
info@hearingexchange.com. |
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© 2000-2007 Paula Rosenthal and Taylor
Rose, Inc. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint this article,
please email
info@hearingexchange.com with your request.
This article is one
of many in the
Paula’s Pearls group of syndicated content from HearingExchange. It
may be reproduced under certain conditions. Email Paula at
info@hearingexchange.com
for further information.
Click here
for the full list of Paula’s Pearls articles available for syndication.
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