Educational Service Guidelines for the Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Standard 24: Staff Qualifications

Students who are D/HH, birth through age 21, including those with multiple disabilities and blindness, are instructed by early intervention providers (birth to 3) and teachers (age 3-21) who are specifically trained and/or licensed to teach these individuals. Ohio Operating standards for students with Disabilities: 3301-51-09(H)(1-3) 3301-51-11(I)

The early intervention provider or teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing should demonstrate competency in all of the state-identified knowledge and skill areas to provide instruction and services, birth through 21, that meet the developmental, linguistic, communication, academic, social-emotional, and transition needs of students who are D/ HH and their families. Each early intervention provider must have the appropriate credentials and each teacher must be licensed by the Department of Education and Workforce in deaf and hearing disabilities.

Students who are D/HH for whom the IFSP/IEP team has determined that a general early intervention program or the general education classroom is the most appropriate placement should receive sufficient consultative support, direct instruction, or both from an itinerant teacher of deaf and hard of hearing and/or educational audiologist.

Early Childhood Education Provider

The development of positive family-child relationships during a child's early years is critical to the child's later cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional growth. The student's full access to communication is integral to the development of a positive family-child relationship. Therefore, it is critical that teachers in early education deaf/ hard-of-hearing programs focus their service delivery on the family as well as on the child. The knowledge and skills on serving students who are D/HH, the teachers of the deaf/hard of hearing, speech-language pathologists, or early childhood providers will be able to provide and support specialized services to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families.

Typical duties may include but are not limited to:

Working as a part of a multidisciplinary team in the assessment of the child's needs and the development of the IFSP/IEP

Providing direct and consultative services to the child and the family, as determined by the IFSP/IEP, to facilitate the development of communication and cognitive skills

Providing ongoing access to informational programs that help the family learn about hearing loss, assessment, amplification options, communication options, educational options, legal rights under state and federal special education laws, and resources and community services available for children/youth who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Teachers Providing Direct Instruction in a School-Based or Private Special Education Setting

The school district-based program or Ohio Approved Private Special Education Program, the teacher of the deaf/ hard of hearing is primarily responsible for the specialized direct instruction of assigned students. In addition to providing instruction, the teacher often assumes responsibility for the basic coordination of the students' programs. In the school district-based program, the educational support by teacher of deaf/hard of hearing providing assistance to the general education teacher, the principal, and the family of the students in the program will benefit the students who are D/HH due to their knowledge of student's learning needs, languages and communication mode(s).

Typical duties including but not be limited to:

Assessing students in pre-academic/academic achievement
Making recommendations for academic goals and objectives for the IEP
Providing academic instruction
Monitoring test accommodations and accessibility
Assessing students in the area of language and communication skills, recommending goals and objectives for language/communication skills for the IEP, and providing instruction for language and communication skills to the students (may work in conjunction with the speech/language pathologist and/or educational audiologist)
Participation in team decisions regarding the appropriate placement/setting of students
Collaborating with general education teachers, educational interpreters and Intervention Specialists regarding the needs of students who are deaf/hard of hearing
Teaching a deaf studies curriculum
Teaching self-advocacy, daily living skills, and independent living skills, as appropriate
Coordinating transition activities for students 14 years and older
Monitoring students' academic progress
Coordinating required related services for students
Assisting the student when age approximate and the personnel on site on monitoring of personal hearing aids, implanted devices and hearing assistance technology, as appropriate
Providing information to administrators, teachers, staff and family regarding the education of students who are D/HH
Providing in-service training to general education staff and students on continuum of deafness and language usage (ASL/written English to ASL/Spoken English to PSE/spoken English to Spoken English), Deaf awareness and Deaf Culture by involving role models and mentors from the Deaf Community
IEP writing/managing
Community involvement information sharing (example- camps for D/HH, deaf community events/functions, Sign language classes)
Connecting with outside agencies such as Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and Community centers for Deaf.

Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The itinerant teacher ensures that students who are D/HH like all students, have programs in which they have direct and appropriate access to all components of the education program, including but not limited to recess, lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities. Itinerant teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing may provide direct instruction to students who are D/HH and/or consultative services to the school districts whose students are enrolled in general education classes, collaborative programs, state or charter school programs, or home or hospital programs.

Typical responsibilities of the itinerant teacher may include but are not limited to:

Assessing students in pre-academic/academic achievement
Making recommendations for academic goals and objectives for the IEP
Providing academic instruction
Monitoring test accommodations and accessibility
Assessing students in the area of language and communication skills, recommending goals and objectives for language/communication skills for the IEP, and providing instruction for language and communication skills to the students (may work in conjunction with the speech/language pathologist and/or educational audiologist)
Participation in team decisions regarding the appropriate placement/setting of students
Collaborating with general education teachers, educational interpreters and Intervention Specialists regarding the needs of students who are deaf/hard of hearing
Teaching a deaf studies curriculum
Teaching self-advocacy, daily living skills, and independent living skills, as appropriate
Coordinating transition activities for students 14 years and older
Monitoring students' academic progress
Coordinating required related services for students
Assisting the student when age approximate and the personnel on site on monitoring of personal hearing aids, implanted devices and hearing assistance technology, as appropriate
Providing information to administrators, teachers, staff and family regarding the education of students who are D/HH
Providing in-service training to general education staff and students on continuum of deafness and language usage (ASL/written English to ASL/Spoken English to PSE/spoken English to Spoken English), Deaf awareness and Deaf Culture by involving role models and mentors from the Deaf Community
IEP writing/managing
Community involvement information sharing (example- camps for D/HH, deaf community events/functions, Sign language classes)
Connecting with outside agencies such as Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and Community centers for Deaf.

Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Typical responsibilities of the itinerant teacher may include but are not limited to:

Providing in-service training for general education staff, and students regarding the specific communication, educational needs, and ways to include students who in various situations and group settings;
Supporting the general education teachers on teaching and test accommodations and accessibility in the school setting;
Recommending specialized services, curriculum materials, resources, visual aids and equipment to use in the general education classroom
Recommending and ensuring support needed by the student is provided in classroom activities; Providing specialized instruction about hearing loss, Deaf culture, assistive devices, various communication methods, and self-advocacy;
Facilitating opportunities to interact socially with other students who are D/HH and with deaf/hard-of-hearing role models;
Supporting the general education teacher on adapting curriculum to make subject matter accessible for the student implied on the IEP
Evaluating and recommending appropriate environmental conditions, such as lighting and acoustics, to meet students’ unique communication needs
Assessing students in the areas of academic achievement and assessing the language and communication skills to be collaborated with the SLP;
Collaborating with the general education teachers on making recommendations for IEP goals and objectives on academic achievement, language, and communication, and providing direct, specialized instruction in specific areas of need;
Participation in team decisions regarding the appropriate placement/setting of students;
Coordinating required services for students;
Assisting the student with maintaining their personal hearing aids, implanted devices, and assist with hearing assistance technology;
Collaborating with program coordinators or program specialists regarding programing for integrated students;
Meeting regularly with general education teachers and educational interpreters to discuss areas of concern of the student they service