Search

This Article asserts that early intervention under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA) should be amended to recognize the needs of the young child with the disability as primary over the needs of the child's family. This Article contends that certain requirements of the IDEIA cause early intervention professionals to view and treat the child's family, rather than the child herself as the ultimate recipient of support. In many situations, the needs of the family and the needs of the child may wholly align, but that is an assumption that bears questioning. This Article analyzes groundbreaking legislation efforts in the field of deaf education, the Language Equality & Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) campaign, to illustrate a framework that maintains the focus on the primacy o f the child's needs, with support to the family in service of those needs. The LEAD-K campaign has developed model legislation for adoption by states. Since 2016, twelve states have adopted a form of the LEAD-K model bill. There are approximately fifteen more states with LEAD-K teams in various stages of development. This Article highlights LEAD-K for its potential to transform early intervention for deaf and hard o f hearing children and uses the LEAD-K model bill to illustrate a flaw in the IDEIA. The IDEIA subsumes the needs o f the child within the consideration of the needs of the family, when the child and family should instead be considered as separate (but related) stakeholders. This Article seeks to apply lessons from the LEAD-K campaign to early intervention services under the IDEIA to facilitate more informed decision making by families. While first considering the needs of deaf and hard of hearing children, this Article contends that a framework shift that identifies the needs and goals of the child separately from the needs and goals of her family would be beneficial to all children receiving early intervention services. This Article therefore calls for an amendment to the IDEIA to require that the child's program o f services includes a written statement of the expectations for the child to attain by the end of early intervention. Currently, no such requirement exists. The expectations would be accompanied by a statement of how the measurable goats and outcomes (an existing requirement under the IDEIA) serve these expectations. This Article also suggests an alternative proposal, specifically for deaf and hard of hearing children receiving earlv intervention services, requiring the early intervention team to consider the child's language needs. This Article addresses anticipated counterarguments to the proposals, including claims that the proposals fail to recognize the importance of family autonomy and authority. This Article contends that the proposals set forth herein would facilitate better information sharing by early intervention professionals, leading to more informed decision making by families of young children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researchers investigated the effects of adult language input on the quantity of language, vocabulary development, and understanding of basic concepts of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children who used listening and spoken language. Using audio recording and Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) software, the study involved 30 preschool DHH children who used spoken language as their communication modality and 11 typically hearing same-age peers. The children's language and the language spoken to them during all waking hours over a 2-day period (16 hours per day) were recorded and analyzed quantitatively and were compared to the children's performance on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The results highlight the relationship between the quantity of adult language and the language, vocabulary, and basic concept knowledge of DHH preschool children who use listening and spoken language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The view of sign languages as bounded systems is often important for deaf community empowerment and for pedagogical practice in terms of supporting deaf children’s language acquisition and second language learners’ communicative competence. Conversely, the notion of translanguaging in the American Sign Language (ASL) community highlights a number of recurring tensions related to standard language ideology and English-based sign systems in deaf education; these tensions can work to obscure the polyglot nature of ASL itself. This paper reports how translingual practices were embedded in an ethnographic action research study of developing and field-testing an ASL curriculum for parents of young deaf children that is aligned with theCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages(CEFR). In this study of teaching parents classical ASL varieties, translingual practices were highlighted where ASL and the visual code of English are regularly in contact with and influence each other in signers’ multimodal repertoires. This data illustrate the history of translanguaging in ASL communities and points to the importance of preserving historic deaf community language practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The sign INSTITUTE is the source of a family of ASL signs that are used to refer to residential schools for deaf children and to other institutions. The members of the INSTITUTE sign family-although initialized-are well-established within the Deaf community and, importantly, are used to refer to highly-valued aspects of Deaf culture. This is true despite the fact that initialized signs are sometimes rejected within the Deaf community. We examine the etymology of the sign INSTITUTE and suggest two plausible hypotheses for its origin. In analyzing the etymology of the sign INSTITUTE and its derivatives, we consider historical changes in how state residential schools for deaf children were named in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaf children in the United States who are fluent in American Sign Language and proficient in written English are bilingual, but often those skills must be taught directly in the school setting. This paper explores the development and initial field testing of a system designed to connect technology with tangible books to create interactive stories that model both languages. Interviews with teachers and observations of the students were analyzed. Results indicate that the prototype is feasible to use in classrooms for the Deaf and that it is engaging to the children. Additional research is recommended to test for the effect on literacy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pressing concern in the education of deaf children is their lack of academic success as measured by literacy rates. Most deaf children finish high school reading below a fourth-grade level. Educational television programs have successfully fostered preschool hearing children's emergent literacy skills. As for preschool deaf children, however, there has been only limited research on whether this medium can be effective. This study uses descriptive analyses to determine the type and frequency of literacy behaviors that preschool deaf children engage in while viewing an educational video in American Sign Language. Children were videotaped during three such sessions, and the videos were coded for literacy-related engagement behaviors. The results of this study indicate that preschool deaf children engaged in a variety of such behaviors regardless of age and ASL exposure and that these behaviors increased after multiple video viewings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediatric audiologists play a vital role in detection, diagnosis, and intervention for young children with hearing loss and their families. Preparing the next generation of pediatric audiologists necessitates a creative approach that balances the requirements of a broad curriculum with the special skills needed to serve a unique and varied population of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. Fortunately, many university programs across the United States have developed specialty tracks, and a growing number are working in partnership with government and other agencies to improve and expand personnel preparation in pediatric audiology. They are joined in this effort by a cadre of talented students who are genuinely committed to working with this population. Still, many challenges remain, among them the sustained financial resources needed to support graduate training programs and students. There is also a need to substantially increase the diversity of our work force in pediatric audiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in deaf education are influencing teacher preparation programs, which are facing challenges in meeting the critical need for highly qualified teachers. Of approximately 65 teacher preparation programs in the United States, II programs focus primarily on preparing teachers to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who use listening and spoken language, and 54 programs focus primarily on visual communication strategies. Advances in technology, changes in the population of children served, and shifts in educational placements and certification requirements are trends that impact teacher preparation programs. Challenges to these programs include issues related to faculty, university support, curriculum development, student recruitment, and recognition of the profession's value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH) are required to participate in high-stakes standardized assessments under No Child Left Behind reforms. In 2006–2007, states added science to reading and mathematics as a tested content area. Many SDHH participate in these assessments using testing accommodations, but teachers have few evidence-based resources to draw upon when making accommodations decisions. Two research questions guided this study: (a) What were patterns of SDHH 2006–2007 test accommodations use in state standardized assessments in mathematics, reading, and science? (b) What evidence did teachers use to determine the effectiveness of accommodations for SDHH? A total of 290 participants described their assessment practices with SDHH via an online and paper-and-pencil survey. Extended time, small group, and test directions interpreted were the most frequently used accommodations by SDHH, but there were some different patterns in science for accommodations that included changes to the test items. Teachers reported both student satisfaction and test score validity epistemologies of accommodations’ effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study which examines the effect of repeated reading intervention on the reading fluency and achievement of deaf elementary students in the U.S. It notes the significant improvement of students' reading speed on passages that were reread during sessions and on the generalized reading fluency measures. It stresses the potential of repeated reading to improve the reading fluency of deaf students paired with comprehension strategy.

This article discusses trends in the themes of research articles on education published by this journal between 2001 and 2008. These research articles are divided into sections on literacy, Instruction, teacher/professional characteristics, teacher training, social aspects of education, health and education, deaf culture, and vocational training for deaf people. Literature reviews in these article content areas are presented and research options are noted. Issues relating to the replication of study findings and the tailoring of research to meet the current priorities in education in the U.S. including the regulations of the No Child Left Behind Act and the state of regulatory funding is explored.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) creates a high-stakes environment by holding schools accountable for how all students perform on state assessments, including students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners. The focus of this article is on the impact of NCLB on students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). The SDHH have diverse linguistic characteristics and are served in a range of educational settings. The purpose of this article is to explore the hidden benefits and consequences of NCLB policy on SDHH in two areas: assessment and accountability. Drawing on findings from the author's program of research, the article illustrates areas where policy may differentially affect students depending on their state of residence and educational setting. The discussion ends with a summary of benefits and hidden consequences of NCLB for SDHH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at the importance of providing language and literacy development in children who are deaf or hearing impaired. Significance of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act on deaf children in the U.S.; Potential impact of parents' use of the American Sign Language or Signed English on their children; Situations wherein deaf children uses signed or spoken language; Difference between the use of literacy skills in children who are hearing and children who are deaf.

This article has a dual purpose. Its first purpose is to describe in some detail Sign in Education, a pilot program in the United Kingdom that integrated Deaf children and hearing children in a hearing classroom with a culturally Deaf teacher who taught the national curriculum to the pupils, both Deaf and hearing, in British Sign Language (BSL) for one afternoon a week throughout the fourteen-month-long project. Its second purpose is to explore and consider the value and advantage to the Deaf community, as well as the majority culture, of adopting a version of such a program in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the role of interpreters in the general education classroom in the United States. Information on inclusive models of special education delivery; Responsibilities of classroom interpreters; Discussion on role perceptions.

Examines practical knowledge among teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students in the United States. History of research on teaching and teacher research; Evaluation of changes in the field of the education of deaf and hard of hearing students; Discussion of the categories and characteristics of practical knowledge.

Presents a national survey of social work services in schools for the deaf in the United States. Difference of the functions of social workers in schools for the deaf from other social workers; Responsibility of social worker in schools for the deaf; Challenges faced by school social workers.

Lists postsecondary programs for deaf people and other postsecondary programs with supportive services for deaf students in the United States. Program and service information; Contact information and program director of each institution.

Presents a chart depicting schools and programs in the United States that offer services for the deaf. Program and service information; Communication methodology used in the classroom.

Lists schools and programs in the United States for preschool, elementary and secondary children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Program and service information; Contact information and program director of each institution.

Discusses the changing demand for improved acoustics in schools for children with hearing loss. Indications of the need for improved acoustics in the classroom in the United States; Changing etiology and degree of hearing loss; Changes in ethnic background and incidence of hearing loss.

Provides information on a study which examined a reading program for elementary school children at a residential school for the deaf in the United States. Components of the reading program; Purpose of the study; Results; Discussion.

Provides information on schools and programs for deaf and hard of hearing children and youth in the United States. Directory of schools for 1999; Chart on program and services offered by the schools.

Presents a study which reported a set of questions added to the Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth from 1997 to 1998 in the United States. Areas on functioning of children in classrooms; Methodology; Results.

Concludes that education of deaf children and youth has generally failed to accomplish its purpose of preparation for successful life adjustment. Characteristics of a deaf youth; Academic achievements of the hearing impaired; Plans on the establishment of vocational guidance centers for deaf young adults.

Focuses on the study and teaching of American sign language to deaf children in the United States. Efforts of Elissa Newport, a professor from University of California, San Diego in teaching sign language to deaf children; Test exercise for American sign language; Comparison between the learning ability of children and adult.

Editorial. Focuses on the importance of educating deaf children in the U.S. Improvements seen at day care centers and residential schools for the deaf; Comparison of the learning processes found in deaf and hearing children; Instructional system used by deaf students in a regular curriculum.

Editorial. Comments on the impact of educational testing on deaf children. Implications of the testing for the education of the children; Propositions on testing deaf teachers; Formulation of policies on the certification of deaf teachers according to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The article reports on an investigation of the impact of governance, admission policy, admission procedures, denied admission procedures, the individualized instruction system, and the assignment of deaf students to state-run schools for the deaf in the United States. Results showed that there is a need to determine the kind of disabilities, in addition to deafness, that can be served by these schools. The autonomy of residential schools for the deaf in rejecting students is questionable in view of the purpose of Public Law 94-142.

The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment, or EIPA, is an evaluation tool designed specifically for educational interpreters. An evaluation using the EIPA considers the child's grade level, the sign language or sign system that the interpreter is using as well as any other child-specific factors. Fifty-nine educational interpreters were evaluated using the EIPA. They had different backgrounds and training, and used different types of sign language or sign language or sign systems. The results show that not all of the educational interpreters were qualified to provide a child with an adequate interpretation of classroom discourse. Less than half of the educational interpreters assessed in this study performed at a level considered minimally acceptable. These data also show that sign vocabulary skills were significantly better than grammatical skills. Eighteen interpreters were evaluated twice in order to test-retest reliability, which showed that scores were not significantly different between the two evaluations. The picture that emerges from these data is that many deaf children receive an interpretation of classroom discourse that may distort and inadequately represent the information being communicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the Executive Committee of the Council on Education of the Deaf in the United States have approved a scheme for the proper individualized educational programs for deaf and hearing impaired children. The council is composed of representatives from the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, the Conference of Executives of American Schools for the Deaf, and the American Instructors for the Deaf.

Presents a biographical sketch of Harriet Burbank Rogers. Pioneer oral teacher of the deaf in Massachusetts; Partnership with Honorable Gardiner Greene Hubbard; Establishment of first permanent oral school for the deaf in the United States; Death of Rogers in North Billerica, Massachusetts, in 1919.

The article reports on the hiring of about 50 teachers by public schools in the United States for instruction of hard-of-hearing children. This is according to a report of the commission on education of the American Federation of Organizations for the Hard of hearing. Normal courses are offered for training teachers of speech reading.