Types of educational programs
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According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2009, 51.9% of DHH students are placed in a general education setting and 12.3% attend residential or day schools.
Residential schools - A residential school houses children for an entire school year. The child lives at the school and may go home for short breaks - similar to a college experience. Many times all children educated at this type of school are deaf or hard of hearing. Many schools serve children from pre-k through 12th grade, but not are all of this format. Students are encouraged to be a part of the Deaf community and communicate in ASL at all times. The Deaf culture is taught through the school including Deaf history, heritage, culture, etc. The children which attend these schools typically enter well into the Deaf culture, but have difficulty integrating with the hearing community. However, these children tend to have a strong base of deaf or hard-of-hearing peers which offers a social-emotional boost to students. The oral/aural and auditory/verbal methods are typically not seen in this school environment, although ASL, Total Communication, and a Bi-Bi approach may be seen.
Day Schools - a day school is similar to a residential school in that Deaf culture is a focus at the school. The major difference between residential and day schools is that students return home after the school day has ended. Many times these schools are also pre-k through 12th grade. ASL is used - typically exclusively within the school. As in residential schools, these children typically interact well with the Deaf culture but find it harder to merge into the hearing culture. The children that attend day schools also tend to have a strong base of peers to interact with. The oral/aural and auditory/verbal methods are not normally used in day schools, but these schools may employ ASL, Total Communication, or a Bi-Bi approach.
Residential and Day schools are the two major types of programs that emphasize Deaf culture. The other types of educational programs listed below do not focus exclusively on Deaf culture, but many times focuses on hearing culture, although this is not always true.
Day classes - the child is placed in a self-contained classroom for deaf and hard-of-hearing students within a hearing school. They stay in the same classroom for the whole day. Typically the class is taught in ASL, although this may differ by classroom depending on preferred communication method. Bilingual-Bicultural communication is also a popular method seen. Some Deaf culture may be taught, but also hearing culture. Children in this type of classroom have a base of peers to interact with, but may have difficulty interacting with others within the same building if it is a hearing school and the child communicates manually.
Resource rooms- the child attends a hearing school and may be partially mainstreamed. A room that is set aside for deaf and hard-of-hearing students is available. This resource room tries to adapt to the Total Communication approach for students, and sometimes may also try to be involved with the Bilingual-Bicultural method. This room is a good place for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to integrate with others who have the same condition, while they may be together for the duration of the school day. Children who have access to resource rooms typically use the oral/aural, auditory/verbal, or bi-bi communication methods. These children typically integrate well into hearing culture, but struggle to fit into Deaf culture. They may also have a lower sense of self-concept, because they are not always surrounded by peers with the same disability.
Itinerant programs - a teacher travels from school to school to work with children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. He/She typically assists the student who is placed in a mainstreamed setting and may assist the child on an individual basis or in a small group setting. The student may have access to the teacher once or multiple times per month, week, or day. The amount of time the teacher works with the child may be dependent on how many students the teacher works with and the needs of the child. These children may use any communication method, but often do not used cued speech. The child in this program typically follows the rules of hearing culture, but may have a lower self-concept because of the lack of like peers within their school.
Mainstream programs - a deaf or hard-of-hearing student may be mainstreamed with the help of an interpreter in some situations. If amplification is used by the student, and depending on the type of communication they use, technology such as an FM system or a Sound Field system may be used in the classroom. An FM system is a small boot that attaches to a student's hearing aid and amplifies the teacher's voice to the student. The teacher wears a small microphone and sound is transmitted over radio waves. A Sound Field system is one which amplifies sound for the entire classroom - traditionally through speakers. These two types of systems are only a small portion of the resources available to children within the mainstream classroom. These children typically use oral/aural or auditory/verbal communication methods and integrate themselves into hearing culture.
Interesting Statistics - GRI in 2008 conducted a study that found that 64% of students attending public schools are integrated into classrooms with hearing peers, and 33.6% are not integrated with hearing peers.
-Many support services may be offered to students. Of those offered - 23% of students utilize sign language interpreters, 1.2% use oral interpreters, 9% receive tutoring and 60.3% attend speech training.
Residential schools - A residential school houses children for an entire school year. The child lives at the school and may go home for short breaks - similar to a college experience. Many times all children educated at this type of school are deaf or hard of hearing. Many schools serve children from pre-k through 12th grade, but not are all of this format. Students are encouraged to be a part of the Deaf community and communicate in ASL at all times. The Deaf culture is taught through the school including Deaf history, heritage, culture, etc. The children which attend these schools typically enter well into the Deaf culture, but have difficulty integrating with the hearing community. However, these children tend to have a strong base of deaf or hard-of-hearing peers which offers a social-emotional boost to students. The oral/aural and auditory/verbal methods are typically not seen in this school environment, although ASL, Total Communication, and a Bi-Bi approach may be seen.
Day Schools - a day school is similar to a residential school in that Deaf culture is a focus at the school. The major difference between residential and day schools is that students return home after the school day has ended. Many times these schools are also pre-k through 12th grade. ASL is used - typically exclusively within the school. As in residential schools, these children typically interact well with the Deaf culture but find it harder to merge into the hearing culture. The children that attend day schools also tend to have a strong base of peers to interact with. The oral/aural and auditory/verbal methods are not normally used in day schools, but these schools may employ ASL, Total Communication, or a Bi-Bi approach.
Residential and Day schools are the two major types of programs that emphasize Deaf culture. The other types of educational programs listed below do not focus exclusively on Deaf culture, but many times focuses on hearing culture, although this is not always true.
Day classes - the child is placed in a self-contained classroom for deaf and hard-of-hearing students within a hearing school. They stay in the same classroom for the whole day. Typically the class is taught in ASL, although this may differ by classroom depending on preferred communication method. Bilingual-Bicultural communication is also a popular method seen. Some Deaf culture may be taught, but also hearing culture. Children in this type of classroom have a base of peers to interact with, but may have difficulty interacting with others within the same building if it is a hearing school and the child communicates manually.
Resource rooms- the child attends a hearing school and may be partially mainstreamed. A room that is set aside for deaf and hard-of-hearing students is available. This resource room tries to adapt to the Total Communication approach for students, and sometimes may also try to be involved with the Bilingual-Bicultural method. This room is a good place for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to integrate with others who have the same condition, while they may be together for the duration of the school day. Children who have access to resource rooms typically use the oral/aural, auditory/verbal, or bi-bi communication methods. These children typically integrate well into hearing culture, but struggle to fit into Deaf culture. They may also have a lower sense of self-concept, because they are not always surrounded by peers with the same disability.
Itinerant programs - a teacher travels from school to school to work with children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. He/She typically assists the student who is placed in a mainstreamed setting and may assist the child on an individual basis or in a small group setting. The student may have access to the teacher once or multiple times per month, week, or day. The amount of time the teacher works with the child may be dependent on how many students the teacher works with and the needs of the child. These children may use any communication method, but often do not used cued speech. The child in this program typically follows the rules of hearing culture, but may have a lower self-concept because of the lack of like peers within their school.
Mainstream programs - a deaf or hard-of-hearing student may be mainstreamed with the help of an interpreter in some situations. If amplification is used by the student, and depending on the type of communication they use, technology such as an FM system or a Sound Field system may be used in the classroom. An FM system is a small boot that attaches to a student's hearing aid and amplifies the teacher's voice to the student. The teacher wears a small microphone and sound is transmitted over radio waves. A Sound Field system is one which amplifies sound for the entire classroom - traditionally through speakers. These two types of systems are only a small portion of the resources available to children within the mainstream classroom. These children typically use oral/aural or auditory/verbal communication methods and integrate themselves into hearing culture.
Interesting Statistics - GRI in 2008 conducted a study that found that 64% of students attending public schools are integrated into classrooms with hearing peers, and 33.6% are not integrated with hearing peers.
-Many support services may be offered to students. Of those offered - 23% of students utilize sign language interpreters, 1.2% use oral interpreters, 9% receive tutoring and 60.3% attend speech training.