Deaf Learners: Designing Practice to Support Their Learner Variability Using a Whole Child Framework
Moderator: Gabrielle Oates
What is EALA?
To help ensure the continuity of special education services during remote instruction and to spotlight best practice approaches for schools and educators, an alliance of national education organizations has come together to ensure equity for all learners. EducatingAllLearners.org creates a hub of curated tools, strategies, tips and best practices for supporting students with disabilities online. Our goal is to both curate and create special education resources for educators to serve students who learn differently during this time of challenge.
Founding Partners
50+ partner organizations and growing
Our Speakers
Dr. Melissa Herzig
Director of the Translation in the Science of Learning Lab and Assistant Director for the Ph.D. in Educational Neuroscience program at Gallaudet University.
Wendy Brehm
Project Specialist at the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools. Wendy is a recent graduate of American University, where she received her M.S. in Justice, Law and Criminology.
SaraBeth Sullivan
Third year doctoral candidate in Educational Neuroscience PhD program at Gallaudet University in Dr. Berteletti’s Numeracy and Educational Neuroscience Lab. She is also a Research Intern for the Learner Variability Project under Dr. Medha Tare.
Let’s talk about the
varied linguistic backgrounds and educational experiences among deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Mythbusters
All deaf children have similar backgrounds.
Deaf students should only learn one language.
Hearing aids and cochlear implants solve all accessibility issues.
Who are the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students?
Hearing Levels
Pre-lingual Deaf
Late-Deafened
Hard-of-Hearing
Assistive Listening Devices
Language Experiences
Oral
Signing
Pro-tactile
Bilingual/Trilingual
Language Deprivation
Intersectional Identities
Race/Culture
Gender
Sexual Orientation
Schooling Experiences
Mainstreamed School
School for the Deaf
(Oral or Signing)
Click here to watch this video!
Shifting Our Perspectives
Most students’ experiences & struggles are NOT because they are deaf but because of their language access and the educators’ expectations.
(Be mindful of how you write the needs in IEP.)
“Let’s shift our perspective towards deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals from disabled students to language learners.”
-Dr. Tom Humphries
Professor at UCSD
Mythbusters
All deaf children have similar backgrounds.
Deaf students should only learn one language.
Hearing aids and cochlear implants solve all accessibility issues.
Mythbusters
Beliefs
Deaf students should only learn one language.
It’s best to focus on foundation first before introducing a new language.
Exposing to two languages or more confuses the child.
The child doesn’t read or write in proper English because of exposure to ASL.
These are all FALSE beliefs!
BUSTED: Deaf students can and should learn more than one language.
Multiple research studies have shown the benefit of knowing 2 languages or more (like ASL/English) during the critical period. Children have a better grasp on languages, faster word recognition, and communicate more. Better language skills improve academic and reading outcomes. There are no negative impacts on academic learning or learning to read.
When withholding language exposure until hearing supports are implemented, the risk of language deprivation is greater.
Mythbusters
All deaf children have similar backgrounds.
Deaf students should only learn one language.
Hearing aids and cochlear implants solve all accessibility issues.
Mythbusters
Beliefs
Hearing aids and cochlear implants solve the accessibility issues.
With cochlear implants (CI) and hearing aid, we can focus on spoken language only.
Because they can hear, this means they should be able to participate.
Teachers don’t need to provide additional accommodations.
These are all FALSE beliefs!
BUSTED: Relying on CI and Hearing Aids alone is not sufficient.
Successful use of CI/HA is affected by factors such as students’ hearing levels, language experience, and access.
Background noise such as fans, air conditioners, and classroom chatter can affect their ability to hear and understand clearly.
30-40% of those with CIs need accommodations & 47-50% feel that they do not benefit from CI (Humphries, et al., 2014).
Children benefit when there are multiple ways for them to access the language and content.
How can you support learner variability?
SaraBeth and Wendy will introduce the Learner Variability Project’s Website with other resources from our Science of Learning Center.
Many more FAQ or Mythbusters about DHH and language learning, cognitive and socio-emotional development are found on this website: VL2Family.org.
We have research briefs, too!
Learner Variability Project
Each Learner is Unique
What is a Learner Model?
Learner Variability Navigator
Distance Learning for Deaf Students
Concerns
Accessibility
Socialization with Peers
Parental Support
Digital Literacy
Home Environment
Access to Technology
Things to Keep in Mind for Distance Learning
Adapted from National Deaf Center
Teacher Resources for Distance Learning
First, try taking this course by the National Deaf Center on Effective Communication Access!
Proactive Planning: Get ahead of the school year and contact your student’s family to better understand what types of supports are needed. Building lesson plans around accessibility, ensuring captions are accurate and work on each video shown, Sign Language Interpreter inclusion, text-based chats among students and more will benefit the whole classroom.
This blog was written for families but can provide you with insight on what parents need from you during this time! Collaboration and communication between teachers and families are essential to successful distance learning approaches.
The Principles of Equitable Schools in the Context of COVID-19 also provides helpful guidance for schools and educators in working to make sure equity is at the forefront of the planning process during COVID-19 and beyond.
Resources for Signing Deaf Students
National Deaf Center has an awesome resource for teachers, with FAQs about the logistical aspects of distance learning, as well as for schools.
The Learner Variability Navigator will help you explore the different factors that contribute to your students’ learning needs and find the best strategies to incorporate into your classroom.
VL2Family.org: This Family Information Center is a one-stop resource for everything related to research-based information on American Sign Language and bilingualism for families with deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
ASL Clear is a fantastic resource for more STEM-oriented support. Find ASL signs for content-specific terminology to have more cohesive and clear communication about STEM!
Resources for Oral Deaf Students
The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University has great resources for families and teachers focusing on oral-based communication and assistive technology.
Educational Planning for Students with Cochlear Implants can help teachers better understand how they can design support for communication and accessibility for a student with a CI.
The Learner Variability Navigator will help you explore the different factors that contribute to your students’ learning needs and find the best strategies to incorporate into your classroom.
Tips BY Deaf Students FOR Teachers!
Supporting BIPOC Deaf Students
Deaf BIPOC: Unpacking the Needs in the Community: The Learning Center for the Deaf
Multicultural Education: Strategies for Linguistically Diverse Schools and Classrooms
Culture in the Classroom: Professional Development Resource
Transformative Deaf Education is an excellent resource for learning about BIPOC deaf students and resources for including tolerance, equity and culture into lesson plans.
Statistics
40.6% of Black deaf people are employed, compared to 42.5% of Native American deaf people and 54.9% of white deaf people.
Deaf POC are more susceptible to bullying and discrimination in the classroom.
The intersectional impact of gender, race, and disability results in underemployment and lower earnings particularly for Black deaf women and deaf people with additional disabilities.
Statistics from NDC
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