In your child's IEP, under the Special Factors
section, we are required by law to describe all opportunities that children
with hearing loss have to directly communicate
with peers and adults in their language or communication mode. Let's dissect what this actually means. Direct communication means face to face
communication with peers or adults in whatever language the child uses WITHOUT
the use of an interpreter or other facilitator.
Peers refer to children with normal hearing AND children with a hearing
loss. Adults refer to any person a child
may encounter at school, both hearing AND deaf or hard of hearing. Therefore, IDEA mandates that students who
have a hearing loss be given opportunities throughout the school year to chat
with hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing children and adults without the use of
an interpreter in whatever communication mode that child uses. What this means is that a child who is oral
must be allowed opportunities to talk verbally with other kids and adults (who
have and do not have hearing losses). A
child who signs must have chances to chat in sign with other DHH and hearing children
and adults who sign. IDEA does not,
however, define how often this is to happen.
Why
would IDEA require these direct communication opportunities? In my opinion, there are two reasons
why. First, in order to be competent
communicators, all children - hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing - must have
many varied occasions to interact.
Language develops in all children by watching adults converse, by
interacting with adults, and by chatting with other children. IDEA recognizes that DHH children must have
these varied opportunities throughout their school day and year in order to
become competent language users.
I
also believe that this IDEA requirement was put into place for the social and
emotional well-being of children with hearing loss. Humans are social creatures; we thrive on the
relationships we develop. Every person
seeks out people they relate to, have similar interests with, use the same
language as. This is true for DHH
children. They need to connect with
other DHH children. Have you ever gone
to the store and your child sees a person wearing hearing aids and gets
excited? Have you ever been at a
restaurant where a deaf couple are there eating and your child can't keep his
or her eyes off of them because they are signing like he does? Children with hearing loss have an innate
need to find other children or adults who also have hearing losses. Their self image flourishes when they know
they are not the only person in the world who cannot hear. This is especially true for those children
who may be the only child with a hearing loss in their school or district.
For
many years, teachers across Kentucky have planned events specifically for DHH
children as a way for students to connect with similar peers. Events such as Hands Alive, Regional Spelling
Bees, Xtreme Xperience, HEAR US, and Kids Like Me, are a few examples of how teachers
and parents are working together to give students chances to develop
relationships with other DHH children. These
events have lasting impacts on children, parents and teachers. Here are their words.
· A
child: "I like going to these events because I don't feel different. I'm the only kid in my school that wears
hearing aids. I wish there were more."
· A
child enters a DHH event for the first time and turns to his teacher:
"There are other kids with hearing aids like me."
· A
teacher: "This event has helped my student be less shy about his hearing
loss."
· A
teacher: "Events help the DHH students build their self-esteem and
confidence to know there are other people out there like them and therefore
they feel better about themselves."
· A
parent after his second experience with his son at a DHH event: "He is
young and may not appreciate this, but I saw the older kids looking after him,
practicing with each other, and supporting each other. These events will
be a good influence on him."
· A
parent: "When I talk to the deaf high school students and learn about all
they are doing, I have much hope for my child."
Schools
spend so much time focusing on academic achievement. However, we MUST do what we can to focus on
the whole child. Children who are deaf
and hard of hearing need us to make sure we do whatever we can to allow their
language, self image, and emotional well-being to flourish.
