The Personal Understanding of Deafness (PUD programme) was developed to address the specific social, communication confidence and self-esteem needs of deaf children. It is designed to accommodate children who:

• Use a variety of aids - hearing aids, cochlear implants, BAHAs
• Use a range of communication modes
• Attend a variety of educational placements.

Aims

The PUD programme aims to help teachers of the deaf to deliver a programme that will enable children and young people to:

• Be confident with who they are as a deaf person
• Understand the nature of their deafness and the impact it will have on their lives
• Understand how hearing people communicate and use auditory information
• Accept the responsibility for ensuring effective communication and knowing how to help people to adapt
• Feel confident to move on from someone who is not prepared to make adaptations
• Understand the hearing aid technology they use, know how to maintain it and to be aware of other technologies that can help
• Know and understand the role of the different professionals they will encounter
• Manage times of transition effectively
• Remain safe

The PUD programme consists of 5 strands, each of which consists of a set of progressive learning objectives.

1. Independent Management of Audiological Equipment

A checklist of audiological management skills, including a range of technologies

2. Knowledge of Personal Hearing Level

To develop an understanding of how ears work and their own specific hearing loss

3. Deaf and Hearing awareness

To develop an understanding of the differences between how deaf and hearing people communicate

4. Confidence and Understanding to Ensure Effective Communication

To develop the skills to enable them to anticipate, understand and resolve communication difficulties

5. Transition

To understand the particular needs their deafness brings at periods of transition