Hearing Impairment

Deaf–Hard of Hearing

"Deafness" means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects the child’s educational performance. 34 CFR § 300.7 (c) (3)

"Hearing Impairment" means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section. 34 CFR § 300.7 (c) (5)

Resources

Educational Interpreting Services (PDF)
Fast Facts IEP Special Factors: Considerations for Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Word)
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding New Qualifications for Educational Interpreters In State Regulations (Word)
Guidelines For Working With Students Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing In Virginia Public Schools (PDF)
- Virginia Communication Plan (Word)
Sample Eligibility Forms (Word) – sample forms to assist in documenting eligibility determinations.
Strategies for Teaching Mathematics to Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (PDF)
Training & Technical Assistance Centers (T/TAC) – funded by VDOE, work to improve educational opportunities and contribute to the success of children and youth with disabilities (birth - 22 years).

Outside Resources

Instructional Resources
- Achieving Goals: Career Stories of Individuals Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Captioning ⁄ Transcribing Readiness Checklist (Word)
- Cornerstones Building Blocks of Literacy – (a division of PBS Read Beween the Lions) offers online, research-based literacy units for teachers of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and use sign language.
- Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature – offers a list of books with characters who are deaf, websites, author interviews, and book reviews.
- Federal Resources for Educational Excellence – links to many other websites containing hundreds of instructional units and activities in all subject areas, from Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
- Ideas for teaching reading, math, science, history, and other subjects
- The Itinerant Connection resource specifically for itinerant teachers working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Lesson Plans – offered by the International Reading Association
- Methods and Materials for Teaching Science to Deaf Students – lesson plans, strategies for differentiating instruction, signed dictionaries of science lexicon, and more.
- OSEP website – designed to provide easy access to information from research to practice initiatives that address the provisions of IDEA and NCLB. This website will include resources, links, and other important information that supports OSEP’s research to practice efforts.
State & National Organizations & Resources
- Alexander Graham Bell Association – the world's oldest and largest membership organization promoting the use of spoken language by children and adults with hearing loss.
- American Society for Deaf Children—organization of parents who are advocates for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association – professional and consumer resources from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Contains a career FAQ and a glossary of terms.
- Boys Town Center for Hearing Loss in Children – Boys Town National Research Hospital's resource for parents of babies who have just been diagnosed with a hearing loss or for families of any child who is deaf or hard of hearing.
- Hands and Voices – established by parents of Colorado Home Intervention Program supporting all communication options for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Information for Parents of Children with Hearing Loss: Virginia’s Resource Guide for Parents (PDF)
- Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center – at Galluadet University, working with children who are deaf worldwide.
- Listen-Up! – specializing in information for the deaf and hard of hearing, and especially geared to the needs of hearing impaired children and their families.
- National Association of the Deaf – provides services and support for deaf individuals and their families. Includes local chapter links and articles.
- National Cued Speech Association – raises awareness of Cued Speech and its applications, provides educational services, assists local affiliate chapters, establishes standards for Cued Speech and certifies Cued Speech instructors and transliterators.
- PEPNet (Postsecondary Education Programs Network) – online training for 1.) students ages 14 to adult who are deaf or hard of hearing and preparing to transition out of high school and 2.) those serving college students who are deaf or hard of hearing (but great for those serving all ages).
- Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia – an association of over 700 audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
- Technical Assistance for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Partnership for People with Disabilities, VCU – funded by VDOE to provide training and technical assistance in the area of hearing impairment and deafness.
- TTAC Online – A community linking people and resources to help children and youth with disabilities.
  - Enhanced Scope and Sequence Plus – lesson guides featuring model differentiated lessons for SOLs
- Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology – the Board of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology oversees the laws and regulations that govern the practice of speech language pathologists and audiologists in Virginia.
- Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) – works to reduce the communication barriers between persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families and the professionals who serve them.
- Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services
- Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, Virginia Department of Health – the goal of Virginia's Newborn Hearing Screening program is to identify congenital hearing loss in children by three months of age and enroll them in appropriate early intervention by six months of age.
- Virginia Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf – the Virginia affiliate chapter of Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
- VA Relay – enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or speech disabled to communicate by TTY or another assistive telephone device with anyone who uses a standard phone.

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