One of the biggest challenges in educating students with hearing loss, is advocating for the need for self-advocacy and self-determination instruction especially, for students in the inclusive setting.  They will always miss more than their peers – effective self-advocacy is necessary for true inclusion. Individual Education Plans should include BOTH academic and functional skills that are necessary for the student to be successful in the inclusive setting.  While IDEA stipulates that students should be assessed using a variety of assessment measures, often times, academic skills take precedence over the need for development in functional skills such as self-advocacy.  IEP teams must assess and determine if the student is on track for mastering the skills necessary to go from a system of entitlement to a system of eligibility.  Students should not be dismissed from special education services (hearing support) just because academics are acceptable. This slippery slope can only be navigated with the support of professionals who are able to advocate with IEP teams about the need to educate students on appropriate self-advocacy skills.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “it’s never too late to advocate,” but is it ever too early to advocate? The simple answer is “no”, it’s never too early to teach children with hearing loss, to advocate for their needs. The Minnesota Compensatory Skills Checklist, the IOWA Expanded Core Curriculum , and our Guide to Self-Advocacy Skill Development have laid out the necessary skills for building a child’s advocacy toolkit.  Starting as early as pre-school, educators and parents can begin helping a child identify their needs and learn how to advocate for what they need for equal access in the school and community.

Self-advocacy skill development is hierarchical.  Therefore, what is appropriate to teach in the elementary years, is expanded on throughout the students’ K-12 (or age 21) years.  For example, in elementary school a teacher of the deaf and HH (TODHH) might work on helping a student develop their skills for understanding their hearing loss by encouraging the student to identify which ear is the “better” ear or locate sources of background noise, while that same student will be taught in high school, that they have rights under the Americans with Disability Act. They’ll learn how to advocate for their needs by being able to explain aided and unaided hearing loss or how their hearing loss impacts their ability to access information across a variety of environments. 

The key is ACCESSibility! Empowering students to know their rights and understand their needs related to hearing loss, is paramount in building and developing self-determination.

 “Some of the most critical soft skills (i.e., nontechnical, interpersonal skills that impact personal performance an environment such as school or the workplace) that students must acquire as they mature are the skills to act or cause things to happen in their lives. Providing instruction to increase these skills-all part of self-determination-has been found to predict better in-school and post-school outcomes.¹

As students learn about their hearing related needs, they should be able to develop the ability to self-advocate.  Once a student masters a skill, they should have the necessary supports to practice advocating in a variety of settings.  Having a support system is critical to the development of self-determination.  Students should be learning the skill, practicing the skill, then adjusting as necessary. According to an article in Odyssey Magazine,² promoting The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction, students develop skills in the categories of “decide, act, and believe.”  (Millen, et all., 2021)

• Decide:
  • Choice Making
  • Decision Making
  • Problem Solving
  • Goal Setting

  

• Act:
  • Goal Attainment
  • Self-Monitoring
  • Self-Advocacy
  • Problem Solving
• Believe:
  • Self-Awareness
  • Self-Knowledge

According to the article, Decide, Act, Believe: Teaching Self-Determination Skills, students should be able to identify goals based on their own preferences and abilities.  Having the students monitor their own progress allows students to be engaged in the process by seeing the results of their efforts. 

The Council for Exception Children³ updated the national standards for teachers of deaf and HH students, to include teaching and assessing students’ self-determination skills.

All students with hearing loss should have the opportunity to learn age/grade appropriate self-advocacy skills, that will enhance their knowledge of their hearing loss, hearing technology, communication, and to develop an understanding of appropriate social-emotional skills that are needed for advocacy and self-determination.   For more information go to the articles in the “For Professionals” tab, under self-advocacy skills for children with hearing loss or click HERE

References

1. Mazzotti, V., Rowe, D.,Sinclair, J.,Poppen, M.,Woods, W., & Shearer, M. (2016) Predictors of post-school success: A systematic review if NLTS2 secondary analysis. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 39(4), 196-215.
2. Bloom, Carrie Lou, et al. “Decide, Act, Believe: Teaching Self-Determination Skills.”Odyssey, vol. 22, no. 2021-22, 2022, pp. 1–92. 
3. Council for Exceptional Children. (2018). Initial specialty set: Deaf and hard of hearing. Retrieved from https://exceptionalchildren.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/Initial%20Specialty%20Set%20%20DHH%20%20Revalidated%202018.pdf

The post Don’t Wait-Self Advocate! first appeared on Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss.

As with the greater population of students, our students with hearing loss may be bullied in a variety of ways and circumstances. However, there are built in conditions that can make them feel singled out and isolated even when there is no bullying. If there is bullying on top of this, we must address it and help non-DHH professionals understand the needs of our students.

Real-Life Examples

Playground bullying situation:

My daughter was the first mainstreamed DHH student in our neighborhood school when she was in 2nd grade. Unfortunately, due to the need for CI revision surgery she started the school year in the general education class completely “off the air.” Early on in the school year she found herself being bullied by a group of boys on the playground. My 8-year-old daughter who could not hear anything at the time ended up surrounded by a group of boys taller than her, pushing her, saying things to her that she did not hear. The image of my little girl in that position is still paralyzing.

“Mean girl” bullying situation:

These students of mine are fully mainstreamed and have the benefit of not being the only student in their classes with hearing loss. Unfortunately, they told me at the beginning of 8th grade that all of 7th grade they were teased and humiliated by the “popular” students. They shared that when teachers were syncing their classroom equipment, students would make derogatory comments about their hearing loss that their teachers never heard. Additionally, in Physical Education class the “popular” students would take the teacher mic, walk away, and give commands into the mic like, “turn in a circle,” and “jump up and down.” The students felt like they were treated like pets. When asked why they didn’t say anything to an adult, they shared that they were  afraid that if they stood up for themselves, they would not be liked. None of this is actually the case, but that is how our students feel.

Classroom bullying situation:

This student was mainstreamed starting in Kindergarten. Her primary needs focused on self-advocacy. Unfortunately, the year she finally started to advocate for herself she was met with such push back that she ended up in tears at home every night for 2 months. When she advocated for a change of seat due to a peer who caused auditory distraction, her teacher shut her down and told her no. The peer then began to openly bully her and bring the other classmates into it. When she advocated for her accommodations she was told by her teacher that she needed to “do better.”

Deaf plus bullying situation:

This student has a hearing loss as well as physical and medical conditions that limit him. Some of his peers were verbally calling him names related to the fact that he is hard of hearing and also made derogatory comments about his physical condition. Luckily for us, he told his parents and didn’t hold it in. We were able to go to the administration immediately.

Middle school bullying situation:

Back to my daughter…. we had several situations of bullying due to the fact that she was the first oral deaf student and cochlear implant user in our town in the mainstream with no previous path to follow. In 8th grade she had an oral language facilitator assigned to her in order to facilitate communication in the educational setting. This person was and accommodation for her as an oral student the same way a sign language interpreter would facilitate communication for a student who uses ASL. Unfortunately, when the language facilitator left her alone in PE she was physically beat up by 3 boys because she “talked funny.”

What can be done to reduce victimization of students with hearing loss?

The first step is to inform and involve the parents, if they are not already aware. Every school now has clear policies about bullying. Find the bullying policy and be clear about how the student’s situation fits the definition of bullying per the school policy and the prevention and cessation practices already delineated. Once the administration clearly understands that a true bullying situation is occurring, try to increase their understanding of the extra vulnerability of students with hearing loss and the need to go above and beyond the action items spelled out in policy to truly address victimization of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. These activities can include:

1. Peer in-services: Proactively, the best way to create a circle of support around our students is to do peer in-services at the beginning of each year. I like to explain how amazing their peer with hearing loss is as a person dealing with a challenge. Answer all of the peer’s questions to take the mystery out of it, and at the same time give the peers a sense of ownership in understanding that in noisy situations when there is not teacher using an FM/DM system, their friend is going to have a harder time hearing. Make the inservice age appropriate and new every year. The requirement for peer inservice can be added into the IEP as an accommodation.

2. Grade level in-services: Some schools will do grade level presentations either directly related to the student with hearing loss and their unique circumstance or more of a focus on tolerance, empathy, and understanding differences. Kids are amazing!! They will almost always recognize that we all have something that makes us feel different and this helps to promote empathy for our students with hearing loss as well as for all of their peers.

3. Intervention in the moment: If there is bullying in the moment, pull the 2 students together and ask the student with hearing loss what they heard. This gives you the opportunity to work on communication repair and at the same time you are able to teach the typically hearing peer about how they may have been misunderstood or not heard at all. You can respond to the cause of bullying in the moment without ever directly addressing the typical peer.

4. Staff training: Talk with the school administration about the nuances of how hearing loss, listening in noise, and language issues can affect our students in social communication. You may want to ask for an opportunity to speak at a regularly scheduled staff meeting. This way you will be able to address the general education teachers as a group and get them on board with addressing bullying of students and add a focus on hearing loss specifically.

5. DHH Itinerant push-in services: If the teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing is currently only providing pull-put services, adding some push-in services in order to observe in class can lead to opportunities for intervention. Observe during regular instruction, specialist instruction (ie: Art, Music, etc.), and during unstructured times (i.e., PE, recess, lunch, etc.).

6. Goals for communication repair and self-advocacy: As this month’s Update topic emphasizes, about a quarter of typically hearing students are victimized whereas over half of students with hearing loss typically experience some type of bullying. While being bullied is not the fault of the student with hearing loss, you can prepare them to deal with the likelihood of being victimized by adding goals for communication repair strategies and self-advocacy. This way you can work directly with your student on how to handle situations in which they are being bullied.

Author: Melinda Gillinger, M.A., Special Education Consultant
Click here to download this article

The post My student is being bullied but the school isn’t taking it seriously! first appeared on Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss.

This article provides some resources to share with your students, their teachers, and peers.

VIDEOS

• This infographic video shows a version of the origin of American Sign Language. It is an engaging introduction (although it is NOT captioned). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=betAZeKRpR8 (3:20)
• This video shows how the football huddle started with a deaf team from Gallaudet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4gi5ZhcS4I (1:16)
• 5 Myths About What its Like to be Deaf. Provides good opportunities for discussion with your students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YcGev7B5AA  (6:15)
• Lou Ferrigno, the hard of hearing actor who played The Hulk, was interviewed after he received a cochlear implant in February 2021. From the ACI Alliance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhcvW9641z0&t=8s (20:13)
• The ‘Bad Lipreading’ NFL videos are always a fun way to show a short clip as an example of the challenge of relying on lipreading for understanding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxdaYxunZXg (8.07)

DISCUSSION STARTERS

Hearing Like Me has written an article, “Deaf Awareness Month: 10 Things to Know About Being Deaf,” that provides information on things to know about individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, and also how to spread awareness regarding individuals who are D/HH. (Guth, 2020). The 10 things are listed below. Go to the website link for further explanation of each point, and more information.

10 Things to Know about Deaf and Hard of Hearing People

1. If someone doesn’t respond to you, they most likely can’t hear you
2. Every deaf person has their own preferred methods of communication and language
3. Some deaf individuals may not identify as “Deaf”
   Read more: Celebrating the diversity of deafness
4. Social situations and various environments may be different for deaf individuals
5. No two deaf people are alike
6. Deaf does NOT mean “dumb”
7. Deaf people don’t often consider deafness as a disability
8. Using hearing assistive technology is a personal choice
9. Deafness is often invisible
10. You don’t need to feel sorry for our deafness

DEAF CULTURE & HISTORY LESSONS ON TAP

The Navigating Life with Hearing Loss Curriculum from the Texas Sensory Support Network at Education Service Center Region 11, in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, has 13 units including Deaf Culture and History (page 188-199). The lessons have links to external videos and materials, differentiated learning targets, targeted vocabulary, and different teaching strategies.

Lesson 12.1 Past to Present
Lesson 12.2 Important People in the Deaf Community
Lesson 12.3 Support in the Deaf Community

DeafTEC has created a four-unit STEM awareness curriculum for secondary teachers to guide students who are D/HH towards pursuing a career in STEM. In Unit 1, Lesson 3, titled Deaf People in STEM, YES!, students learn together about adults in STEM careers who are D/HH and then research one on their own.

ROLE MODELS

• https://deafdigest.net/scientists/ has a list of scientists who were deaf or hard of hearing and what they developed or why they became recognized scientists.
• Go to https://www.ai-media.tv/famous-deaf-people-15-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-people-who-changed-the-world/ for a list of 15 deaf and hard of hearing people who changed the world.
• Google ‘famous deaf people’ and find many lists of accomplished people with hearing loss.

REACH OUT

Reach out to your local community and invite a variety of adults who are deaf or hard of hearing to present to your class in person. You can also invite them via video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or even FaceTime.

References

• Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf/Hard [RMTC-D/HH]. (2021). High-leverage practices for students with disabilities. Tech Notes. https://www.rmtcdhh.org/tech-notes-archive/
• American Cochlear Implant Alliance
• Texas School for the Deaf Statewide Outreach Center: https://www.texasdeafed.org/Page/797
• DeafTEC: https://deaftec.org/stem-employment/deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-stem-professionals/

Author: Karen L. Anderson, PhD
Click here to download this article

The post Sept is Deaf Awareness Month first appeared on Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss.

What self-advocacy skills should be learned by what age? How can we assess these functional skills?

Minnesota Compensatory Skills Checklist for Students with Hearing Loss 

Source:
MN Department of Education, 9/27/18. Use this form for assessing hard-of-hearing students’ compensatory skills.

Supporting Self-Advocacy Skills in Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing 
A 2-page article directed to families from Minnesota Hands & Voices, May-June 2018 newsletter.

Through Deaf Eyes 
is an almost 2-hour video that portrays the history of deaf education and views of people who themselves are deaf. This video, or viewing portions with your students, may be valuable in Deaf culture studies and self-advocacy considerations.

What are some materials to use to help children develop self-advocacy skills?

View this
one-hour YouTube video produced by high-school junior, Zina Jawadi, who has a moderate-severe hearing loss. The video is narrated by Zina and features her
teachers speaking on how classroom teachers need to adapt and accommodate for the student with hearing loss. This very positive video is conveniently divided into 17 sections and the material provides an excellent outline for students to learn about the important points to get across to their teachers when self-advocating. It also provides an excellent role model for self-advocacy!

TED Talk by Justin Osmond – 

son of the famous Osmond singing family who has a severe/profound hearing loss (15 min)

The Listening Project – 
young adults with hearing loss revisit their experiences learning listening and spoken language (2 min)

Another great video comes from the Hampshire Regional Program in Massachusetts.

True Deaf Kids Shining Bright in High School
is a 14 minute video where four students talk about their hearing losses.

Want to do a fun activity with your elementary-age students to teach them the parts of the ear and how it works? Try the

EDIBLE EAR!
Use food items for fun and learning. See the Edible Ear for a list of materials and a visual of the finished ‘ear.’

Backseat Drawing Jr

This game is  recommended for practice listening to, and following directions in a fun way or to practice giving clear directions. A great activity to also practice communication repair skills if you cover your mouth, mumble or add noise that makes it challenging to understand the directions.

Click here
for a You Tube review and demonstration and

click here
for a written description regarding use for communication goals.

How can we systematically develop expectations for independence with hearing devices? 

The

 SEAM for School Success
(Student Expectations for Advocacy & Monitoring Listening and Hearing Technology) – The SEAM provides expectations for the level of independence a child should have with their hearing devices. It ranges from starting school (preschool or kindergarten) through high school. The student gradually takes on the responsibility for care and monitoring of hearing devices and also for assertively dealing with challenging listening situations. Below are materials that can be used to help students become more knowledgeable and independent with their hearing devices.

Developing Skills Related to Hearing Status

Audiology Self-Advocacy Checklist-ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (ASAC-ES)

Audiology Self-Advocacy Checklist-MIDDLE SCHOOL (ASAC-ES)

Audiology Self-Advocacy Checklist-HIGH SCHOOL (ASAC-ES)

These checklists contains skills that students should develop during elementary, middle and high school related to their hearing status. To complete the checklist, enter the date the topic is introduced and then track performance using the progress levels (1, 2, or 3). If the skill has not yet been introduced (NI) the item is included but does not receive a score. If the skill is not applicable for a student, note NA and eliminate that item in the overall scoring. Specific skills that are being addressed may also be recorded as objectives on the student’s IEP. Skills should be re-evaluated at least annually. Follow the scoring directions at the bottom to obtain an overall performance level. A mastery level of 90-100% indicates the student’s audiology self-advocacy skills are functioning at the proficient level. If proficiency is not reached when the student transitions to middle school, work should continue on the deficient skills.

A valuable resource for self-advocacy and ‘the hidden curriculum’ is

How can we address self-advocacy and other areas of the expanded core curriculum in core content standards based IEPS?

 Iowa’s new

Expanded Core Curriculum.
 This is a wonderful resource for IFSP and IEP team members when developing educational plans for a student who is deaf or hard or hearing.  This tool is designed for teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing and education audiologists to address these identified areas that are either not taught or require specific and direct teaching. Check out the 9 documents that comprise the Iowa ECC.

The
Minnesota Compensatory Skills Checklist  and the
Minnesota Social Skills Checklist are also helpful guides for professionals and parents as student skill areas and needs are considered.

How can we find out about what students think about their hearing loss and hearing devices?

Growing up with hearing loss isn’t always as easy as it is for children with typical hearing. How they feel about themselves can greatly affect their self-esteem and how willing they are to comfortably advocate for their communication needs. The

My World tool
 developed by the
Ida Institute is suggested as a way to help students explore their feelings and their challenging communication situations.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE MY WORLD APP. My World was originally designed as a board game to enable children to share their perspectives about their daily lives and experiences, give them a voice, and help DHH professionals uncover information about the child’s communication successes and challenges. The tool allows children to recreate their day and talk about how they communicate in different environments – at home, on the playground, or in the classroom – by populating the spaces with friends, family, and the things they enjoy. The new app was designed to make the tool globally available in an easy-to-access digital format. Download it for free in the
Apple App and
Google Play stores.

Refer to
Using the Ida My World Counseling Tool with Children: Suggestions for Use at Different Stages of Development, a one-page handout that suggests how, when, and why the tool can be used. My World can be of great benefit to enhance student understanding and growth at different psychosocial stages of development and as an adjunct to administering the
ELF, CHILD, LIFE-R, SAC-A and SOAC-A tests. Watch for more good things to come from the Ida Institute and use of My World.

E-BOOK: Self-Advocacy for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The second edition of this popular book is a 2012 e-version written by Kristina English, PhD, of the University of Akron.  The materials in this workbook consist of 12 lessons, organized into four units with three evaluations and a summative learning activity.

Thank you Kris!     
You can open each lesson individually by clicking on the Lesson link.

Unit 1: Introduction – What Is Self-Advocacy?

Page updated September 2019.

The post Self-Advocacy Skills for Students with Hearing Loss first appeared on Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss.

Self-determination is a person’s ability to take actions toward self-chosen goals. It is about making things happen in your life. The components of self-determination
include:

Choice making comes before decision making and is the process of selecting from two or more alternatives. Decision making is choosing the best option to reach one’s goals. Self-monitoring can include a student tracking or graphing their own progress while working toward goals. Shifting progress monitoring to the student can strengthen self-awareness, which is the ability to identify and understand one’s own needs, interests, strengths, limitations, and values. Throughout goal setting and attainment, self-reflection can increase self-awareness and development of an internal locus of control, which is when a student understands their actions cause results rather than attributing results to external factors. For example, a student with an external locus of control might say, “I didn’t do my homework because my brother was bothering me” while a student with an internal locus of control might say, “I didn’t finish my homework because I was playing video games and started too late.”

What is the difference between self-advocacy and self-determination?

Self-advocacy, or the ability to advocate for one’s one needs and interests, is actually one component of self-determination. Think of self-determination as an umbrella term that includes all of the skills listed above; the individual takes actions or makes choices toward what they want.

Why is self-determination important?

One disadvantage of the educational setting shift from center-based options to full mainstreaming is that DHH children are often the only students with hearing loss in their classes or in the entire school, underscoring the need for self-advocacy skills. In 2017, 88.3% of students with hearing loss were included in general education classrooms at least part of their school day compared with 57.8% in 1998.
In terms of the percentage of time students who are DHH are included in general education settings, 61.1% of students who are DHH were included at least 80% of their time in school in 2015 compared with 38.8% in 1998.

Self-advocacy is one component of self-determination and a facilitator of success in students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). However, a five-year longitudinal study with 197 students who are DHH revealed that 41% of them received no training in self-advocacy from their teacher of the deaf.

Self-determination is a predictor of in-school and post-school success

.

Self-determination is a predictor of in school and post school success and perceived quality of life for youth and young adults with disabilities. Despite the benefits, students with disabilities typically have insufficient self-determination skills, demonstrating the need for interventions to support the development of self-determination. However, there are significant educational attainment and employment gaps between individuals who are DHH and individuals who are typically hearing.

Working on developing self-determination skills with DHH students could address these academic and employment gaps and empower students to feel ownership of their own actions and lives. The national standards for preparing teachers of students who are DHH developed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) now require teachers to know how to work on and assess self-determination skills with students. The National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes has also created a handout summarizing the significance of self-determination skills for deaf youth:
CLICK HERE FOR HANDOUT.

INTERVENTIONS

Aim to use Evidence-Based Practices as these practices are based on rigorous criteria. If you see the terms
best, recommended, or
research-based practices, be wary as there are no established standards for these terms. To read about the quality of research for particular practices and interventions, visit the
What Works Clearinghouse website, developed by the U.S.

Department of Education Institute for Educational Sciences (IES).
The challenge within the field of Deaf Education is that there are few EBPs developed for or tested with students who are DHH due to the low incidence of hearing loss in children. Although most EBPs may have been designed for students with disabilities or all students generally, the evidence is stronger than using strategies that are simply suggested to you by another teacher.

SELF-DETERMINATION INTERVENTIONS:

The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI)

The
SDLMI is an evidence-based intervention (EBP) that was designed for students with and without disabilities. It is an iterative goal setting process through which students can set goals in any context (e.g., math, self-advocacy) and allows for development of self-determination skills.

The SDLMI Teacher’s Guide is a resource that includes materials for teachers to use the SDLMI with students. It is geared toward middle and high school students, but you can adapt the language to the needs of your students.
The SDLMI focuses on students setting their own goals, and creates opportunities for students to revise goals, as they learn what is and might not be achievable. The process is used repeatedly so students can then set goals more aligned with their strengths and needs when they have increased self-awareness. Find the SDLMI and other great resources here

Student Involvement in the IEP Process

When students increase involvement in their Individual Education Program (IEP) process, and even lead it, this is an excellent opportunity to practice self-determination skills. Self-Advocacy Strategies: Student Involvement in the IEP Process Developing Self-Determination You can utilize
these resources for increasing student involvement. Students who direct their own IEP process talked more and increased their leadership activities, positive perceptions about the meeting, and memory of their goals.

The Self-Advocacy Strategy

The Self-Advocacy Strategy (available on Amazon) is an evidence-based practice (EBP) that was developed for students with disabilities to work on self-advocacy skills. Students who used the Self-Advocacy Strategy had 86% of goals they most valued in their IEPs compared with 13% of self-chosen goals in IEPs of students who did not use the
Self-Advocacy Strategy.

SELF-DETERMINATION INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE DHH

Map It Transition Curriculum- Specific to DHH Students!

The

Map It Curriculum
is available through the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) website (dcmp.org). There is a
Map It: What Comes Next? Module with video vignettes in American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English with transcripts. You can also access the
Map It Teacher Curriculum that provides lesson plans and materials for educators.

Self-Advocacy For Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Developed by Dr. Kristina English, the
Self-Advocacy Strategy for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a resource that teachers can use to differentiate between passive, active, and aggressive self-advocacy, helping students understand and practice appropriate self-advocacy skills. The chapters in their entirety can be found on the Supporting Success website,
Self-Advocacy page.

Guide to Access Planning

The Guide to Access Planning (GAP)
was developed by Drs. Carrie Spangler and Cheryl DeConde Johnson and is available through the Phonak website. You can access the Personalized Transition Notebook including the
I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist and the Audiology I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist for teachers to complete.

Deafverse

Deafverse is an online game accessible in ASL available here through the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes. The Deafverse Teacher Strategy Guide is described it as an interactive game inspired by the choose-your-own-adventure genre of storytelling. This game supports the development of self-advocacy skills as players respond to challenges and conflicts that are part of the deaf experience. These challenges and conflicts are often encountered throughout life, not just in the school environment, thus the need for strong self-advocacy skills. The game is free and can be played on computers or mobile devices used at home, in the school environment, in transition programs, or even vocational rehabilitation settings. The
Deafverse Teacher Strategy Guide includes learning objectives on page 6.

Self-Determination as a Daily Practice

Skills such as writing, playing an instrument, or participating in a sport, are strengthened through practice. The more time spent practicing, the more opportunities there are to develop skills. Self-determination skills are also fostered through practice. In addition to utilizing evidence-based interventions, adults can informally create opportunities for students to work on self-determination throughout the day, every day. This list of ideas can help infuse practice into typical daily activities in school and at home. Some parents shared they would never make it out the door in the morning if they had their child make choices or problem-solve for everything. We need to find the balance between providing some opportunities and maintaining an appropriate schedule.

Ages 3-5/Preschool

There are four areas of focus that are recommended in the early childhood ages for practicing self-determination. 
Areas of focus:

• Choice making (e.g., clothing, choosing an activity or item)
• Problem solving (e.g., searching for a lost hearing aid, “You spilled your milk, what could you do to clean it up?”)
• Goal setting (e.g., potty training, self-feeding)
• Self-monitoring (e.g., rate yourself…)
• Self-awareness (e.g., discussing differences when using hearing equipment vs. not wearing it, discussing ASL signs they learned/which signs they know)

Elementary and Middle School

Some ideas for daily or weekly practice of self-determination during the elementary school ages include:

• Choice making (e.g., choosing to wear FM/DMs by having the student collect data on their communication or academic performance when using the FM/DM compared with not wearing it, choosing extra-curricular activities such as sports)
• Problem solving (e.g., responding to negative peer behavior, time management, troubleshooting hearing equipment, resolving communication challenges)
• Goal setting using the student/child’s goals (e.g., academic subjects, practicing positive self-talk, self-advocacy, extra-curricular activities)




• Self-monitoring (e.g., students can use teacher-created assessment forms like in the figure to track their own progress, students graph their own progress then reflect on changes to increase self-awareness, monitoring when to change hearing equipment batteries) Reflection form | Team Questionnaire | Elem Student Eval Tool
• Self-advocacy (e.g., asking for repetition or clarification, asking for captioned media)
• External versus internal locus of control (e.g., “My dog ate my hearing aid!” vs. “I should have put my hearing aid in a safer place.”)
• Self-awareness (e.g., students reflect on their strengths and needs, write about interests and likes, discuss when they need help, learn about their hearing loss, communication implications, and hearing equipment)

• Choice making (e.g., choosing classes, choosing accommodations, choosing summer jobs or activities)
• Decision making (e.g., using transition resources to think about the future, making decisions about life after high school)
• Problem solving (e.g., addressing social challenges at school or home, working with teachers who have misperceptions about accommodations)
• Goal setting (e.g., planning for the future and using interventions like the SDLMI to actively take steps toward goals, self-advocacy or other skill goals, grades, extra-curriculars, planning activities with friends)
• Self-monitoring (e.g., tracking progress in school and at home toward their own goals)



• Self-advocacy (e.g., asking for repetition with friends or social settings, contacting the disability resource center at a future college to inquire about and plan accommodations)
• Internal locus of control (e.g., connecting academic performance with daily habits/growth mindset rather than thinking they are not intelligent or something else is preventing success, accepting responsibility for actions outside of school)
• Self-awareness (e.g., understanding hearing loss, equipment/troubleshooting, and communication needs, understanding their strengths, needs, and interests)

COACH

Self-Advocacy & Transition Skills for Secondary Students with Hearing Loss who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
is a guide to discussing and practicing critical problem-solving skills for middle and high school students.

What if my student/child does not respond when I provide opportunities?

With any self-determination skill, consider using an “I do, we do, you do” format. First, model the skill, then practice the skill together, and finally, the child or student tries the skill independently. For example, if you have a pre-school student who will not make a choice between two or three activities when you provide the chance to work on choice-making skills, start by modeling. It could look like this:

Modeling Choice-Making (“I do”):

• • Teacher: “Which center activity would you like to try first?”
• (Student shrugs shoulders or doesn’t respond after providing wait time.)
• Teacher: “Hmm, we have the sand and water center, or the music center over here, or you could choose the block center.”
• (Student still does not indicate a choice when provided with time to think.)
• Teacher: Model choice-making by saying, “Let’s see, if I feel like getting wet and messy, I might choose the sand and water center. Or, if I want to explore sounds, I might try the music center. Or, if I love to build things, I would try the block center.”
• (Student is still not making a choice.)
• Teacher: “Well, I like to see what happens when I stack blocks. There are so many cool things we can do with them. Let’s try that together to start!”

Scaffolding Choice-Making (“We do”)

• Teacher: “Good morning! Which center would you like to try?”
• (Student does not make a choice.)
• Teacher: “Do you feel like getting wet and messy, playing with sound and instruments, or building things?”
• Student: “Play in the water.”
• Teacher: “Okay, great! It sounds like you want to start with the water and sand center. Let’s check it out.”
• (Student and teacher go to center together.)

Practicing Choice-Making (“You do”)

• Teacher: “Which center would you like to try?”
• (Student walks over to a center and begins exploring).
• If the student/child can easily make a choice in one context, provide opportunities for choice-making in different contexts (e.g., choosing a book, choosing a color, choosing whether to sit on a pillow or the floor).

Friendships and Social Opportunities

Self-determination and friendships are positively correlated in teens who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) . Although we don’t know if one increases the other, we know that students with more friendships and higher quality friendships have higher self-determination scores. Consider how you can encourage and get students and children involved with extra-curricular activities, social opportunities, and summer camps where they can develop friendships. Specifically, seek opportunities where students can meet other kids who are deaf or hard of hearing. In general education settings, students who are DHH are often the only students with hearing loss in their class or school. Thus, they face challenges related to their hearing loss every day.
Connecting with peers who understand these experiences is crucial for reducing feelings of isolation and increasing social support.

SELF-DETERMINATION AND IEP GOALS

Formal Assessment

The Self-Determination Inventory (SDI)

The

Self-Determination Inventory
is an online assessment that was developed by a team at the University of Kansas (KU). If you visit the website, you may use the assessment with individual students and view their scores at the end, along with a report explaining the scores. If you’d like to use it for many students and for progress to be tracked online, you can contact KU to set up an account to manage your student data. The SDI allows for progress monitoring. You can use it as an assessment at the beginning of the school year to write IEP goals, multiple times during the year to track progress, then determine if annual IEP goals were met. There is a student-report version (SDI:SR) where students rate their own skills as well as a parent/teacher report (SDI:PTR) where parents and teachers can rate student skills and compare to their self-ratings. The SDI is available in American Sign Language, written English, and Spanish and includes accessibility features and in-text definitions for vocabulary terms.

The following screen shot shows what the score report looks like:

Self-Advocacy Assessments

These assessments were developed specifically for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many items are geared toward students who use hearing technology, but you can adapt the assessments to the needs of the students with whom you work. Examples include:
I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist and the
Audiology I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist for teachers to complete.

Informal Assessments

Links to other self-determination assessments
can be found here.

If you can’t find a resource that fits the needs of the students with whom you work, you can make adaptations or create your own. Here are preschool and elementary self-determination assessments created by teachers: Example | Reflection form | Team Questionnaire | Elem Student Eval Tool

SAMPLE IEP GOALS

You can find
excellent examples of self-determination IEP goals and objectives for students with disabilities in online. Here are some sample self-determination goals that are geared more toward students who are DHH.

IEP Annual Goal Example 1 (self-awareness and self-advocacy):

I will be able to explain my hearing loss, communication needs, and hearing equipment by the May 2021 IEP meeting.

IEP Objectives

• 1.1 I will demonstrate my understanding of hearing and my hearing loss by being able to describe all components in the “Understanding hearing and hearing loss” section of the
  
  I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist
  .
• 1.2 I will describe my communication needs including what I need from other people in writing, speaking/signing, and in 8/10 self-advocacy opportunities when meeting new people at the beginning of the spring semester.
• 1.3 I will be able to describe my hearing equipment including every component of the “Use of individual amplification devices” and “Use of assistive technologies” sections of the
  
  I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist
  .

IEP Annual Goal Example 2 (goal setting):

I will increase my self-determination skills 10% by the May 2021 IEP meeting as determined by the
Self-Determination Inventory.

IEP Objectives

• 2.1 I will use the
  Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) on a weekly basis to identify and work toward my own goals throughout the school year.
• 2.2 I will increase my
  Self-Determination Inventory Score by an average of 2.5% per quarter by the end of the school year as measured by assessments at the beginning of each quarter and end of the school year.
• 2.3 At the end of the school year, I will be able to identify ten goals I set for myself during the school year including a reflection on my goal attainment, what I learned using the SDLMI, my strengths and goals for the next school year.

SAMPLE DATA COLLECTION AND PROGRESS MONITORING

IEP Goal Example 1:

• Initial Assessment to Determine Baseline
  • ◦ 1.1 and 1.3 Use the
    
    I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist
    to determine skills at the start of the school year.
  • 1.2 Ask the student to write and/or speak or sign their communication needs to determine baseline skills.
• Progress Monitoring Assessment (Determine the frequency)
  • 1.1 and 1.3 Re-visit the
    
    I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist
    once every quarter with the student to help them identify their progress.
  • 1.2 Create an observation checklist and observe the student during 10 meetings with new teachers, coaches, and/or peers and determine if the student can describe their communication needs to each person.
• Final Assessment to Determine if IEP Goal was Met
  • ◦ 1.1 and 1.3 Use the
    
    I CAN Self-Advocacy Checklist
    at the end of the school year with the student to help them identify if they met their goal.
  • ◦ 1.2 Using the same observation checklist, repeat the observation of the student during 10 meetings with new teachers, coaches, and/or peers and determine if the student can describe their communication needs to each person.

IEP Goal Example 2:

• Initial Assessment to Determine Baseline
  • 2.1 N/A
  • 2.2 Use the
    Self-Determination Inventory at the beginning of the school year to determine baseline self-determination skills.
  • 2.3 Use a written (or spoken or signed) student reflection to assess self-awareness of strengths and needs at the beginning of the school year.
• Progress Monitoring Assessment (Determine the frequency)
  • 2.1 Create a weekly checklist to determine if the student worked through the three phases of the SDLMI every week of the school year. If there are some weeks when phase three was not reached and carried to the following week, but progress was met, this is okay.
  • 2.2 Use the
    Self-Determination Inventory once each quarter to measure progress.
  • 2.3 Use a mid-year assessment, asking the student to reflect about five goals.
• Final Assessment to Determine if IEP Goal was Met
  • 2.1 Use the weekly checklist to determine if the SDLMI was used each week.
  • 2.2 Use the
    Self-Determination Inventory at the end of the school year to measure growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
  • 2.3 Ask the student to write a self-reflection about ten goals from the school year including strengths, lessons learned, and goals for next year.

References

1. 1. Wehmeyer, M. L. (1995).
   The Arc’s Self-Determination Scale: Procedural guidelines. Washington, DC: The Arc of the United States.
2. 2. Reed, S., Antia, S. D., & Kreimeyer, K. H. (2008). Academic status of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in public schools: Student, home, and service facilitators and detractors.
   Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education,
   13(4), 485-502. doi:1093/deafed/enn006
3. 3. Antia, S. D., & Rivera, M. C. (2016). Instruction and service time decisions: Itinerant services to deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
   Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 21(3), 293-302. doi:10.1093/deafed/enw032
4. 4. Mazzotti, V., Rowe, D., Sinclair, J., Poppen, M., Woods, W., & Shearer, M. (2016). Predictors of post-school success:  A systematic review of NLTS2 secondary analyses.
   Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals,
   39(4), 196-215.
5. 5. McDougall, J., Evans, J., & Baldwin, P. (2010). The importance of self-determination to perceived quality of life for youth and young adults with chronic conditions and disabilities.
   Remedial and Special Education,
   31(4), 252-260. doi:1177/0741932509355989
6. 6. Shogren, K. A., Kennedy, W., Dowsett, C., Garnier Villarreal, M., & Little, T. D. (2014). Exploring essential characteristics of self-determination for diverse students using data from NLTS2.
   Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals,
   37(3), 168-176. doi:10.1177/2165143413486927
7. 7. Garberoglio, C.L., Palmer, J.L., Cawthon, S., & Sales, A. (2019). Deaf People and Educational Attainment in the United States: 2019. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes.
8. 8. Garberoglio, C. L., Cawthon, S., & Sales, A. (2017). Deaf people and educational attainment in the United States: 2017.
   Washington, DC: US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes.
9. 9. Council for Exceptional Children. (2018). Initial specialty set: Deaf and hard of hearing
   
   .
10. 10. Cook, B. G., & Cook, S. C. (2013). Unraveling evidence-based practices in special education.
    The Journal of Special Education,
    47(2), 71-82.
11. 11. Institute for Educational Sciences (2019)
    
    What works clearinghouse: Select topics to find what works based on evidence
    
    .
12. 12. Shogren, K. A., Raley, S. K., Burke, K. M., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2019).
    The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction Teacher’s Guide. Lawrence, KS: Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities.
13. 13. Martin, J. E., Van Dycke, J. L., Christensen, W. R., Greene, B. A., Gardner, J. E., & Lovett, D. L. (2006). Increasing student participation in IEP meetings: Establishing the self-directed IEP as an evidenced-based practice.
    Exceptional Children,
    72(3), 299-316.
14. 14. Mueller, T. G. (2009). IEP facilitation: A promising approach to resolving conflicts between families and schools.
    Teaching Exceptional Children,
    41(3), 60-67.
15. 15. Van Reusen, A. K., Bos, C. S., Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (2002). The self-advocacy strategy for enhancing student motivation and self-determination.
    Lawrence, KS: Edge Enterprises.
16. 16. Lancaster, P. E., Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (2002). The development and validation of an interactive hypermedia program for teaching a self-advocacy strategy to students with disabilities.
    Learning Disability Quarterly, 25, 277-302.
17. 17. English, K. (2012). Self-advocacy for students who are deaf or hard of hearing: Second edition. Akron, OH: The University of Akron/NOAC.
18. 18. Palmer, S. B. (2011).
    Advocating for children’s social emotional well-being in educational settings: Tips for families. Impact Feature issue on supporting the social well-being of children and youth with disabilities.
    Impact,
    24, 5.
19. 19. Millen, K., Dorn, B., & Luckner, J. L. (2019). Friendships and self-determination among students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
    American Annals of the Deaf,
    163(5), 576-595. doi:10.1353/aad.2019.0004
20. 20. U.S. Department of Education. (2019).
    
    Digest of education statistics,
    2017
    .
21. 21. U.S. Department of Education. (2000).
    
    Digest of education statistics,
    2000
    .

April 2020 © Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss. Author: Kaitlyn Millen, M.Ed., teacher of students who are deaf/hard of hearing, PhD Candidate at the University of Northern Colorado.

The post The ULTIMATE Goal – Self-Determination first appeared on Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss.

IEP Individualized Education Program Teaching Words 3d Render Illustration

Too often we hear, “He has good grades, so he won’t qualify for special education.” It is true that there must be a relationship between a child’s disability and school performance to qualify for services, however, IDEA specifies educational performance, not grades. There are characteristics associated with having a hearing loss that impact school performance, like missing or misunderstanding more communication than their peers. This is the basis for ongoing language and vocabulary issues and underlies the need for self-advocacy. Accommodations cannot close all ongoing communication gaps. It truly is necessary to teach self-advocacy skills to enable students to fully participate in the classroom and act appropriately when they know they have not fully received or understood information.

The ‘bread and butter’ of itinerant support to students with hearing loss is often considered to be ensuring communication access, supporting language development to allow expected academic progress, and self-advocacy skills training. While access relates to ADA requirements, and supporting language is linked to academics, training in self-advocacy is too often considered to be non-academic and therefore not necessary.

Students do not know what they didn’t hear because they didn’t hear it – yet they are held accountable for receiving and fully understanding this information.

Full participation in the classroom requires that a student recognize when a communication breakdown occurs, and self-advocate for their listening and learning needs. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing must have the knowledge and skills to access accommodations and support in any setting and as an integral part of an independent adulthood. Ideally, students would have instruction in self-advocacy from preschool through grade 4 (about age 10). As they reach the tween and teen years, focus should change on supporting the student’s ability to problem-solve communication issues as part of their self-determination of future goals.

The Iowa Core Curriculum states, “students who are deaf or hard of hearing have specialized needs not covered in the general education curriculum. Hearing loss adds a dimension to learning that often requires explicit teaching, such as information gained through incidental learning. It has been estimated that for persons without hearing loss, 80% of information learned is acquired incidentally. No effort is required. Any type of hearing loss interrupts this automatic path to gain information. This incidental information must be delivered directly to students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Most teachers without specialized training related to hearing loss do not have the expertise to address the unique needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Therefore, IFSP & IEP team collaboration with educational audiologists and teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing is necessary in addressing academic and social instruction and the assessment of these areas. In order to close this information gap, the Expanded Core Curriculum for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing was developed.”

Legal Considerations

In determining whether a child has educational performance needs that require specialized support IDEA specifies that team must: iv) Consider the communication needs of the child, and in the case of the child who is deaf or hard of hearing, consider the language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communication with peers and professional personnel in the child’s language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child’s language and communication mode… 34 CFR 303.324(2). Hearing loss of any degree impacts and reduces the amount of communication students fully receive.

The American’s with Disabilities Act is a discrimination law that, in summary, requires schools to ensure that students with hearing loss have communication that is as effective as it is for others. If not, auxiliary aids and services must be provided to “level the playing field” or allow equal access. Since we KNOW that there is no amplification that fully closes the ‘listening gap’ for students in a classroom and we KNOW that incidental language will be missed, and we KNOW that classroom or group discussions are especially challenged then the FACT that students with hearing loss will not perceive information as fully as hearing peers will be one of their (full range of) needs.

IDEA has indicated that a child’s disability condition must have an adverse educational effect to be considered eligible for specialized services. Note – IDEA did not say the child must have poor grades. Self-advocacy skills, if the student knows how and when to appropriately use them, facilitate full participation and greater levels of comprehension, thereby allowing full access to the general education curriculum.

Components of Self-Advocacy: Following are basic questions that students with hearing loss typically require instruction in so that they can understand their hearing needs and respond appropriately.

Self-Advocacy

1. 1. What does it mean to have a hearing loss?
2. 2. Why do I have problems understanding (relate to hearing loss and language issues)?
3. 3.  How does my hearing loss affect me (school, socially)?
4. 4. When do I have problems understanding what people say?
5. 5. How important are my hearing devices?
6. 6. How do I know when my hearing devices are not working?
7. 7. What should I do when they are not working?
8. 8. What can I do when I know I have not heard what was said (specific self-advocacy & communication repair strategies)?

Self-Determination

1. 1. How much am I willing to have the hearing loss impact how well I do in school (planning/future goals)?
2. 2. When is it critical for me to disclose my hearing loss (problem solving)?
3. 3. What are my legal rights to access, supports, and services?

From the US Office of Civil Rights:

We need to encourage students to understand their disability.

• They need to know the functional limitations that result from their disability.
• Understand their strengths and weaknesses. Be able to explain their disability to others.
• Be able to their difficulties in the past, and what has helped them overcome such problems.
• This should include specific adjustments or strategies that might work in specific situation.
• They must practice explaining their disability, as well as why they need certain accommodations, supports, or services.

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Transition of Students With Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators, Washington, D.C., 2007

He does not know what he did not hear.

This reality underlies the requirement to teach self-advocacy, specifically teaching the student about what he does hear, does not hear and under what conditions, and how to use situational awareness to recognize when he likely missed information. Some knowledge of hearing loss teaching and assessment resources:

• 1. Advocacy in Action Self-Advocacy Curriculum
• 2. Audiology Self-Advocacy Checklist – Elementary School  Middle School  High School
• 3. Building Skills for Success in the Fast-Paced Classroom
• 4. ELFLing
• 5. Monkey Talk Self-Advocacy Game
• 6. Functional Listening Evaluation (FLE)
• 7. Steps to Success Sequence of Skills for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Teaching Hearing Device Use and Troubleshooting

Some knowledge of hearing device use teaching and assessment resources:

1. 1. Race to the Brain Game
2. 2. Advocacy in Action Self-Advocacy Curriculum
3. 3. Building Skills for Independence in the Mainstream
4. 4. SEAM – Student Expectations for Advocacy & Monitoring Listening and Hearing Technology (PDF)
5. 5. Steps to Success Scope and Sequence of Skills for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Teaching Self-Advocacy Strategies

Some knowledge of self-advocacy skills teaching and assessment resources:

1. 1. Advocacy in Action Self-Advocacy Curriculum
2. 2. Building Skills for Independence in the Mainstream
3. 3. Building Skills for Success in the Fast-Paced Classroom
4. 4. COACH: Self-Advocacy & Transition Skills for Secondary Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
5. 5. Guide to Self-Advocacy Skill Development: Suggestions for Sequence of Skill Attainment (PDF)
6. 6. Phonak Guide to Access Planning
7. 8. SCRIPT 2^nd Ed: Student Communication Repair Inventory & Practical Training
8. 9. Steps to Success Scope and Sequence of Skills for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
9. 10. What’s the Problem Game

Success in the general education setting requires ongoing instruction in self-advocacy skills needs, including hearing device independence for students who are hard of hearing, as part of the IEP or 504 Plan.

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If a student who was low vision was continually knocking into people, desks, and classroom walls due to the inability to clearly see everything, a vision specialist would likely be called in to assist the student in developing appropriate orientation and mobility skills. A student with hearing loss often incompletely hears, misses spoken information, or misunderstands what is said. Self-Advocacy training is to a student with hearing loss what orientation and mobility training is to a student with visual impairment.

Students do not know what they didn’t hear because they didn’t hear it – yet they are held accountable for receiving and fully understanding this information. Full participation in the classroom requires that a student recognize when a communication breakdown occurs, and self-advocate for their listening and learning needs. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing must have the knowledge and skills to access accommodations and support in any setting and as an integral part of an independent adulthood. Ideally, students would have instruction in self-advocacy from preschool through grade 4 (about age 10). As they reach the tween and teen years, focus should change on supporting the student’s ability to problem-solve communication issues as part of their self-determination of future goals.

Components of Self-Advocacy: Following are basic questions that students with hearing loss typically require instruction in so that they can understand their hearing needs and respond appropriately.

Self-Advocacy

1. 1. What does it mean to have a hearing loss?
2. 2. Why do I have problems understanding (relate to hearing loss and language issues)?
3. 3. How does my hearing loss affect me (school, socially)?
4. 4. When do I have problems understanding what people say?
5. 5. How important are my hearing devices?
6. 6. How do I know when my hearing devices are not working?
7. 7. What should I do when they are not working?
8. 8. What can I do when I know I have not heard what was said (specific self-advocacy & communication repair strategies)?

Self-Determination

1. 1. How much am I willing to have the hearing loss impact how well I do in school (planning/future goals)?
2. 2. When is it critical for me to disclose my hearing loss (problem solving)?
3. 3. What are my legal rights to access, supports, and services?

From the US Office of Civil Rights:

We need to encourage students to understand their disability.

• They need to know the functional limitations that result from their disability.
• Understand their strengths and weaknesses. Be able to explain their disability to others.
• Be able to their difficulties in the past, and what has helped them overcome such problems.
• This should include specific adjustments or strategies that might work in specific situation.
• They must practice explaining their disability, as well as why they need certain accommodations, supports, or services.

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Transition of Students With Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators, Washington, D.C., 2007

He does not know what he did not hear.

This reality underlies the requirement to teach self-advocacy, specifically teaching the student about what he does hear, does not hear and under what conditions, and how to use situational awareness to recognize when he likely missed information. Some knowledge of hearing loss teaching and assessment resources:

1. 1. Advocacy in Action Self-Advocacy Curriculum
2. 2. Audiology Self-Advocacy Checklist – Elementary School  Middle School  High School
3. 3. Building Skills for Success in the Fast-Paced Classroom
4. 4. ELFLing
5. 5. Monkey Talk Self-Advocacy Game
6. 6. Phonak Guide to Access Planning
7. 7. Recorded Functional Listening Evaluation Using Sentences (FLE)
8. 9. Steps to Success Sequence of Skills for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Teaching Hearing Device Use and Troubleshooting

Some knowledge of hearing device use teaching and assessment resources:

1. 1. Advocacy in Action Self-Advocacy Curriculum
2. 2. Building Skills for Independence in the Mainstream
3. 3. SEAM – Student Expectations for Advocacy & Monitoring Listening and Hearing Technology (PDF)
4. 4. Steps to Success Scope and Sequence of Skills for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Teaching Self-Advocacy Strategies

Some knowledge of self-advocacy skills teaching and assessment resources:

1. 1. Advocacy in Action Self-Advocacy Curriculum
2. 2. Building Skills for Independence in the Mainstream
3. 3. Building Skills for Success in the Fast-Paced Classroom
4. 4. COACH: Self-Advocacy & Transition Skills for Secondary Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
5. 5. Guide to Self-Advocacy Skill Development: Suggestions for Sequence of Skill Attainment (PDF)
6. 6. Monkey Talk Self-Advocacy Game
7. 7. Phonak Guide to Access Planning
8. 8. SCRIPT 2^nd Ed: Student Communication Repair Inventory & Practical Training
9. 9. Steps to Success Scope and Sequence of Skills for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
10. 10. What’s the Problem Game

Success in the general education setting requires an ongoing instruction program in self-advocacy skills needs, including hearing aid independence, to be a part of the services provided to students with hearing loss as part of their IEP or 504 Plan.

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For more than 45 years, researchers have demonstrated how transition from school to postschool environments can be affected. The keys to success in transition are not many, and they are not complex. Nonetheless, few schools “do” transition successfully. The National Deaf Center has links to Postsecondary Outcomes of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing in each state. Nationally, only 48% of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing are employed and employment rates increase with education and training. Good Teen Transition services mean better readiness for post-secondary success. How did students in your state do in postsecondary achievement?

Transition services means a coordinated set of activities that are outcome oriented, based on the student’s individual needs and preferences, to prepare them to face life as an adult. In 2007, the Office of Special Education Programs required states to develop a comprehensive state plan on 20 specific indicators; Indicator 13 dealt with Transition. The questions that the IEP team should ask of each student’s education program at Transition are:

1. Are there appropriate measurable postsecondary goals in the areas of training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills?

2. Are the postsecondary goals updated annually?

3. Is there evidence that the measurable postsecondary goals were based on age appropriate transition assessment(s)?

4. Are there transition services in the IEP that will reasonably enable the student to meet his or her postsecondary goals?

5. Do the transition services include courses of study that will reasonably enable the student to meet his or her postsecondary goals?

6. Is (are) there annual IEP goal(s) related to the student’s transition service needs?

7. Is there evidence that the student was invited to the IEP team meeting where transition services were discussed?

8. If appropriate, is there evidence that a representative of any participating agency was invited to the IEP team meeting?

From the National Deaf Center, a 2-page transition guide specifies Essential Transition Questions:

• What kinds of extracurricular experiences will provide opportunities to learn social and problem-solving skills?
• What kind of classes will prepare the student for postsecondary programs and/or employment?
• Will the student work in high school?
• Will the student participate in general education classes or will they need more intense training to achieve their postsecondary goals?
• What types of accommodations are needed in different situations?

Per the Minnesota Transition Guide for Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (see Goodies below), throughout transition planning students should continue to increase their self-advocacy skills:

• Ability to describe their own skills and needs
• Ability to set their own goals and create a plan to reach them
• Knowing the how, who, and when to ask for assistance
• Ability to make decisions and take responsibility for the consequences of those decisions

Teaching Transition Skills

1. Refer to C.O.A.C.H. for specifics on how to work with tweens and teens to teach these skills! Self-advocacy skills are taught beginning in preschool through grade 4, switching to problem-solving for self-determination by age 12. If you only teach self-advocacy without teaching problem-solving for self-determination you are doing only half the job! See the self-advocacy webpage for more information on skills and age expectations.

2. The Ida Institute has free Transition Management resources to enhance teaching tweens and teens

a. Telecare for Teens and Tweens assist students in formulating questions for their audiologist, describing their hearing loss to others, getting family members involved in supporting communication needs, learning communication strategies, and learning how to self-manage their hearing loss.

b. Transitions Management is a suite of materials, including nice videos, that relate to different transition periods in the life of the child with hearing loss. Check out the Being a Tween and Being a Teenager videos and the other well-designed materials this extensive website has to offer. Although the videos feature British children, they are captioned and provide a rich resource for discussion and learning.

c. 12 free lessons for teens on legal rights, self-advocacy, personal and interpersonal skills. Thanks to Dr. Kris English for making her e-book, Self-Advocacy for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing freely available on the SSCHL website. Scroll to the bottom of the self-advocacy webpage to access each of these lessons

Communication skills and access to communication are critical to success in employment settings. Being well versed in communication strategies to support successful interactions is an important skill that needs to be further honed during the transition years. Transition-aged students should have a good understanding of their hearing loss and have practiced explaining its impact in preparation to do so with an employer or coworkers. Other communication skills include:

• sharing communication strategies that were previously successful in other settings,
• showing employer inexpensive options for making environmental cues visible,
• asking available resources to offer deaf awareness training for employers, and
• knowing about and communicating workplace accommodations.

In addition to meeting academic requirements, students need to have strong self-advocacy, time-management, money management, and independent living skills to be successful in postsecondary settings. By using the Postsecondary Competency Skills Checklist (see Goodies below), IEP teams can help the students evaluate their readiness for postsecondary settings.

Transition for Students Who are “Low Functioning Deaf”

In 1999, an estimated 2000 students in the US who were deaf or hard of hearing were identified by state vocational counselors as “low functioning deaf.” This term is defined as having reading levels under second grade, low math, reading and other subjects (second to fourth grade), and/or have a secondary disability. These students drop out of school at a higher rate than other students with hearing loss. They require a much greater emphasis on vocational and independent-living skills than is now provided in most secondary schools. Read the article by Bowe, below, for more information. With many similarities to programs for higher functioning students, transition programs for lower functioning students with hearing loss should include:

• training students in job-specific skills, preferably on site
• prepare them to make good decisions and advocate for themselves
• emphasize the “unwritten rules” of the workplace and key skills of good team members
• introduce students to available vocational rehabilitation resource to support career transitions
• develop an understanding of civil rights (Americans with Disabilities Act) on the job and in the community
• help students appreciate the opportunities and limitations of government supports (i.e., Supplemental Security Income)

A Step Toward Post-High School Readiness

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Communication Studies and Services Department provides a broad range of support to expand post high-school student’s communication skills. Contact RIT to receive a $65 voucher your students can use toward one of RIT’s summer camps for middle or high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing (grades 5-12).

References

• National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (2017). Transition Planning. https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/sites/default/files/asset/document/Transition%20Planning.pdf
• Bowe, F. G. (2003). Transition for deaf and hard of hearing students: A blueprint for change. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 8(4), 485493.
• Minnesota Transition Guide for Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (2012)
• Ida Institute: https://idainstitute.com/toolbox/
• Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss, Self-Advocacy: 12 free lessons for tweens and teens
• Rochester Institute of Technology Summer Camp Program http://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/koc/

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The post Teen Transition – A Necessary Part of Future Success first appeared on Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss.

Apps are a convenient, brain-based, motivational learning strategy for parents and professionals working with students with hearing loss.  Within our field there are multiple uses for apps such as language, literacy, auditory and self-advocacy skills development.

Focusing specifically on self-advocacy skills, Rule the School apps can be used to teach and practice specific vocabulary and the social language that students need to use to get their needs met and maintain access in their educational environments.  Three apps are specific to amplification:  Hearing Aid TicTacToe Bingo and 2 FM Bingos featuring Phonak’s inspiro and Roger Pen FM (also available as digital products).  These apps are designed for 2, 3 or 4 players and implement either Bingo or TicTactoe Games.  There are 3 sets of cards in each game to select from:  pictures of the parts, labels and functions so they can be used with ages 4 and up.

The original Rule the School Self-Advocacy Board Game is available as an app or a digital product.  You can use it as a vocabulary check as well as to see the students’ knowledge of communication repair, equipment management, securing accommodations and preferential seating.

Last is a fun Hangman Game.  Vocabulary is selected from one of five word banks:  Accommodations, Hearing Aids, Hearing Testing, Cochlear Implants and FM.

Data sheets and sample IEP goals are available for all apps by going to www.rule-the-school.com, clicking on the “Apps are Here” tab and click download on the resource needed.  Apps are available in iTunes.

Thanks to Monica Faherty for sharing this information on apps with Supporting Success! Monica is the developer and owner of Rule the School self-advocacy products.

Posted Jan 2016.

The post Self-Advocacy Apps! first appeared on Supporting Success For Children With Hearing Loss.