A Public School Cued Speech Program for Children with Hearing Loss and Special Learning Needs

The difficulties encountered by students with hearing loss and special learning needs are often attributed exclusively to hearing loss, particularly when there are no other obvious physical or sensory handicaps. A Louisiana public school system has addressed this issue for the past 9 years and has included both regular and special education instructors in the children's programming. As a team, individualized goals and accommodations are designed similar to those of their peers with normal hearing with similar learning needs. The programming includes Cued Speech; intensive speech, language, and listening training; use of assistive listening devices; early intervention for the development of reading, writing, and general knowledge; annual assessment; identification of specific learning styles; and mainstreaming. As a result, the students with hearing loss who have special learning needs were able to achieve passing scores on the state's "high stakes" testing.