Communication Options
and Educational Placements
As a family raising a child with hearing loss, you will navigate your way through a variety of challenging decisions. You may find the two most daunting to be: which mode of communication is best for my child and our family; and what is the best educational placement for my child. The varied and often opposing viewpoints held by professionals, friends and family members can create anxiety as you strive to make the right choices for you and your child.
Download the Communications Options Chart
Educational Placements
The following descriptions are meant to provide a brief introduction to the most common options available in the United States. Families are encouraged to explore their options and to seek the support of trusted professionals while making their decisions. A desirable setting may not be offered in every school district, in which case the family may choose to challenge their limited selection. It is important to remember that each child has unique strengths and challenges, which may change as he/she moves through the school years. Educational laws are designed to allow families to re-evaluate their child’s educational setting and, with help from the school, make appropriate changes.
Inclusion
The student attends all classes with hearing peers, usually in their home school district. The school provides appropriate support services that help the child succeed in school. While some children will need a lot of support, others will need less. These services may include: speech and language therapy, assistive listening systems, interpreters, curriculum and test-taking accommodations, resource services, physical or occupational therapies, as well as others that have been identified as necessary. Children educated in an inclusionary setting typically communicate using either spoken language, an English-based sign language, or Cued Speech. This is not a common setting for students whose language is based in American Sign Language (ASL).
Self-Contained Classroom
The student is in a class made up entirely of children with hearing loss, which is taught by a Teacher of the Deaf. Often times, the class is within a larger public school with typically hearing children. Children educated in this type of setting communicate using either spoken language, Cued Speech, or sign language.
Partially Mainstreamed
The student spends part of the day in a self-contained class and part of the day in an inclusionary setting.
Reverse Mainstream
This refers to a class that includes a balanced mix of students with and without hearing loss. The class is typically taught by a team of one Teacher of the Deaf and one general education teacher.
School for the Deaf – day program
The entire student body is comprised of children with hearing loss. The children are generally bussed from their home district to a program that serves a wide regional area. These programs base their educational approaches on one of the following: auditory/oral, ASL, or total communication philosophies.
Residential School
The student attends and lives at a school for the deaf. These schools also follow one of the three philosophies listed above.
*It is important to note that families who adhere to the Auditory-Verbal approach will not typically place their child in a specialized program. The very nature of an auditory-verbal philosophy specifies that the child attend a fully inclusionary educational setting with necessary support services.
Questions for families to ask when exploring an educational setting
- What are the school’s expectations for a student with hearing loss?
- What is the school’s philosophy with regards to auditory development for a child with hearing loss?
- If it is a school for the deaf, what opportunities are there for interaction with hearing peers and/or mainstream classrooms?
- How much experience does the school have with educating students with special needs?
- What is the school’s policy regarding classroom observations by parents and other team members?
- Is the staff willing to work with professionals from a different facility?
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MED-EL’s BRIDGE to Better Communication program offers several support materials that can help parents and teachers determine an appropriate school placement. The Picture Perfect Preschool kit helps a parent choose an appropriate preschool setting, particularly when parents are looking at typical neighborhood preschools. And, the Mainstream Assessment of Readiness for Children Over Five (MARCOF) can provide valuable information about whether a child is ready for full inclusion or partial mainstreaming after participating in a self-contained program |
it is important to remember that each child has unique strengths and challenges, which may change as he/she moves through the school years.
