Working with Multiply-Involved DHH Students

Working with Multiply-Involved DHH Students • Peg Oliver, DHH Teacher • Intermediate District 287 • Cooperative school district serving the 13 school districts in western Hennepin County 763-550-2115 mroliver@district287.org

Working with Multiply-Involved DHH Students My opinion is that it is the right of all students to receive a great education. All students are truly unique.

Background • Thirty + years ago, I was sitting exactly where you are today • While in high school, I worked at Cambridge State Hospital as an Aide after school and during the summer • My mother worked in a Federally Funded Project called “Project Teach” which took some of the students off the ward and into a classroom for 1 to 1 attention.

Experiences • Started teaching at CSRC in 1974 – a federally funded program • State Hospitals were being closed and patients were being moved into Group Homes • P.L. 94-142 had come into existence which mandated a free and appropriate education for all students K - 12 • Students came from our 13 member districts as well as Minneapolis and several other western districts

It was set up as a High School for TMR (Trainable Mentally Retarded) students. • Instead of English and Social Studies, the students took classes such as Money, Time, Cooking, Arts & Crafts, Photography, Bus Training, Edmark Reading, and etc. • We had eight Deaf students with a wide range of additional disabilities. • In addition, I worked with nonverbal students who were learning sign language as an alternative mode of communication along with staff and families.

Since then, I have worked in a several different capacities all within Intermediate District 287 • Sign Language Consultant to TMR students & staff • Resource Room at the Junior and Senior High level • Vocational Outreach Services • Alternative Learning Centers • Working with pregnant teens • Transition Program • EBD/DHH Program • Itinerant K – 12 • Early Childhood Special Ed/DHH

Presently, I provide Itinerant Services to a caseload which contains: • Early Childhood Part C (Birth to age 3) and Part B (ages 3 – 5) • Part C – 4 students • Part B – 5 students • Itinerant K – 12 • 9 Students • DCD Students • 6 Students in four programs

EVALUATION • FORMAL VS. • INFORMAL • There is power in your eyes!!

Let’s Begin………….. • Questions to answer……….… The fun begins……….. • What is their hearing loss? • What is the etiology? • Is it mild, moderate, severe, profound? • Have they been tested using Pure Tone Audiometry or ABR only? • Does the description match behaviors? • Conductive, sensorineural, or mixed? • Does it fluctuate? • Do they use amplification….. • At home? • At school? • How does the hearing loss appear to impact them? • Do they respond to their name? • Do they respond in specific environments? • Do they respond to environmental sounds? • How do they respond to family vs. school staff? • Do they have basic pragmatic communication skills?

How do staff and parents communicate with them? • Do they just DO???????????????? • Do they have communicative expectations? • What are their future expectations for the student? • Work • Living Arrangements • Are they using gestures, family signs, or sign language?

How are they communicating? • Do they point or vocalize? • Do they use any switch devices? • Do they sign? • Close or Gross Approximations • Do they take your hand and bring you to what they want? • Do they become agitated or tantrum? • Are they passive and just wait?

What are they communicating? • Do they label things verbally or by sign? • Do they ask for help? • Do they request to get their basic wants or needs met or are they dependent on others? • If dependent on others, do they use differentiating vocalizations or facial expressions to inform ? • How do they show preferences?

How much can they understand? • Verbally and/or Sign? • Receptive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test • Bracken or Boehm Test of Basic Concepts • Carolina Picture Vocabulary Test for DHH • Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test • Assessment of Children’s Language Competence (ACLC) • An old evaluation tool but uses an excellent format with a very controlled vocabulary

Goals and Objectives……… • Early Childhood through Age 13 • Goals and Objectives written in the Family Outcomes, Sensory and/or Communication Areas • Ages 14 – 21 • Goals and Objectives written as appropriate within the Transition Areas • Post Secondary Training • Employment • Combined Daily Living Skills

Materials……………. • Be Creative, but Functional----- • Handmade • File Folder Activities • Mayer Johnson Board Maker • Mayer Johnson Writing with Symbols • Clicker 4 – Stories • Web Sites • www.aslpro.com • Google American Sign Language and go to ASL Browser • learningplanet .com • Starfall.com • www.literacycenter.net

Summary • Keep your focus……… FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE BASED REPETITIVE PREDICTABLE FUN

Working with Multiply-Involved DHH Students