Question
What does it mean to be deaf or hard of hearing?
Answer
According to the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education and revisions made in 2017 to Guidelines for the Assessment and Educational Evaluation of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, deaf or hard-of-hearing, which may be referred to as hearing impairment, means
1. A disability that, with or without amplification, adversely affects the student's
- Ability to use hearing for developing language and learning
- Educational performance
- Developmental progress
2. The hearing levels may be
- Permanent or fluctuating
- Mild to profound
- Unilateral or bilateral
3. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing may use
- Spoken language
- Sign language
- A combination of spoken language and signed systems
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Working with Children with Disabilities: Inclusion Works!, in partnership with Region 9 Head Start Association, presented by Piret Leonetti, EdD.
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