Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Who is Eligible?

To qualify for deaf or hard of hearing program services, a child/student must reside in Marion, Polk, or Yamhill counties, have a hearing loss that meets the state eligibility requirements for hearing impairment, and be individually evaluated by an Audiologist and a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The requirements for eligibility are:

• Documented pure tone average loss of 25 dB or greater in the better ear for frequencies of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz or a loss of 35 dB or greater in the better ear for frequencies of 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 6000 Hz. The loss can be sensorineural or conductive (if not medically or surgically correctable)
• The hearing loss must have an adverse impact on the student's educational performance or child's developmental progress; and the child/student needs special education services as a result of the hearing impairment
• Children with unilateral hearing loss may be considered for eligibility on an individual basis only if the affected ear has a pure tone average loss of 50 dB or greater for the frequencies 500 Hz to 4000 Hz; the loss has an adverse impact on the student's educational performance; and the student needs special education services as a result of the hearing impairment.

How are Children Served?

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program through WESD provides family focused, home-based services for children who are birth-two years and preschool-based services for children who are three to five years old. School age services are provided to students in their educational setting. Depending on the student's educational needs, services can range from direct instruction to consultation for instructional staff. Students may be served in their neighborhood school, or at a center site where other deaf and hard of hearing students attend.

The center site programs provide comprehensive services to deaf and hard of hearing students within a single typical public school setting. A variety of options and support services are available for students with various degrees of hearing losses and communication needs. The educational services available are designed to meet the unique needs of each student with services ranging along a continuum from consultation to complete subject instruction to a self-contained classroom. Related services are also provided as directed by the student’s IEP. Current center sites are at Salem Heights Elementary School, Crossler Middle School and Sprague High School, all located within SE Salem.

Within the center site program services ranging from self contained classrooms to full inclusion are available.

Self Contained Classroom Services

These classrooms serve deaf and hard of hearing students who require a highly structured, predictable setting with consistent expectations and consequences. These students are those with lower academic skills who need more structure and modifications for academic success or students who need a more highly structured systems but may have higher cognitive skills.

These classrooms would incorporate instruction using all sensory modalities to accommodate the various learning styles of students. Instruction would be at the functioning level of each student. Provision of instruction and communication would be through sign language with auditory and verbal support.

While these classrooms would be self contained in nature, some inclusion between the general education classrooms as well as the deaf and hard of hearing resource room could occur. It would be anticipated that some of the students might transition back to the general education classroom once specific skills are developed.

Resource Room Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student

All of the center sites provide support which resource room provides specialized and individualized or group instruction for those subject areas in which the student is delayed when compared to his/her hearing peers. Services are provided for students as needed through tutorial support or complete subjection instruction. Additional support may be provided in the areas of communication skills, interpreter training, deaf awareness, literacy, auditory - vertal instruction, etc. Consultation and support is provided by the Deaf/HH Specialist to the general education teacher, interpreter, and other ancillary staff involved with the deaf or hard of hearing student.

Itinerant Services

Iternerant services are provided to students and school staff by a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing. Direct services may be provided to the student by the specialist through any of or a combination of placement options. Services may include but not be limited to:

• Providing academic/tutorial support for general education classes
• Teaching a content area class or classes
• Teaching to the IFSP/IEP goals and objectives

Consultative Services

The purpose of the consultative services is to closely monitor student needs/progress, and to facilitate a successful inclusion experience. Services would include:

• Consultation to the general education teacher(s) and other appropriate school staff
• Monitoring student’s academic and social progress
• Monitoring student’s personal amplification system
• Assessing and assisting with student needs for special and/or adaptive equipment and materials
• Classroom/staff orientation and inservice
• Participation as a team member on the IEP team
• Formal classroom observation of the student

Who Provides these Services?

Licensed Audiologists and Licensed Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

What Services are Provided to Districts, Agencies, Children/Students and their Families?

• Audiological evaluations and services
• Loaner hearing aid programming and fitting
• Instruction in the care and maintenance of hearing aids
• Electroacoustic analysis of hearing aids
• Cochlear implant support
• Assistive communication devices and equipment loan
• Evaluations
• Teacher consultation and inservice
• Curriculum, language and speech development
• Auditory skill development
• Deafblind services
• Self-advocacy skill development
• Resource library
• Sign language support
• Parent education

Websites for families include:

• Hand and Voices: A nation wide support and educational organization for families
• American Society for Deaf Children: A nation wide support and educational organization for families
• Alexander Graham Bell Organization nation
• Hearing Loss Association of America nation
• Captioned Media Program: For free captioned media access for schools and families with children with hearing loss
• American Academy of Audionlogy
• American Speech Language Association (ASHA)
• My Baby's Hearing
• Beginnings for Parent Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Listen-Up
• Causes & Types of Hearing Loss
• Opening Doors: Technology & Communication Options for Children with Hearing Loss (PDF)
• A Parents Guide to Genetics & Hearing Loss