Roles and Responsibilities of Itinerant Specialist Teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Abstract

The Roles and Responsibilities of itinerant specialist teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students were examined. Data were collected through surveys of practicing teachers, interviews, and school observations. Questions focused on tasks itinerant teachers perform most often in their jobs, where they learned these tasks, and whether they would be interested in continuing education for a particular task. Tasks most frequently listed by respondents involved direct work with deaf and hard of hearing students followed by consultation with regular education teachers, developing individualized education plans, coordinating meetings and support services, providing information to parents, and managing equipment such as hearing aids and FM systems. Only 17% of the respondents said they learned these skills through teacher preparation programs, compared with 65% who learned on the job, and many expressed interest in taking workshops or courses in specific skill areas.

Experiences of Teachers of Deaf and Hard- of- Hearing Students’ in a Special Needs School: An Exploratory Study

“…There has been evidence in special education to suggest that teachers who attend teacher education preparation programmes and become qualified teachers are more successful at promoting student achievement than their counterparts who do not attend teacher preparation programmes. The finding of the present study mirror those of previous studies (e.g., Adebayo & Ngwenya, 2015;Foster & Cue, 2009;Luckner & Howell, 2002;Hyde & Power, 2004;Werts, Carpenter, & Fewell, 2014), suggesting that there is knowledge, skills and experiences that teachers of the deaf and hard-of-hearing students need to be relevantly effective. Additionally, the finding that teachers working with the deaf and hard-of-hearing learners lacked adequate deaf language seems to echo what studies by (Adebayo & Ngwenya, 2015;Khumalo, 2014;Rodina, 2005) assert that teachers' lack of competencies in deaf education was a major deterrent in effective implementation of inclusive education due to lack of training.…”

Working Together: Communication Between Stakeholders During the Transition from Early Intervention to School for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

“…In addition, TODs frequently provide information and support to parents of the children with whom they work. This may include information about hearing loss, educational placement options, amplification systems, and the child's progress at school (Foster & Cue, 2009). A survey by Luckner and Ayantoye (2013) indicated that itinerant TODs rated consultation with professionals and parents as a highly important aspect of their job, second only to providing direct service to the student.…”

A literature review on how need-supportive behavior influences motivation in students with sensory loss

“…Positive findings with regard to teachers' autonomy support were brought out in the study by Foster and Cue (2009). It revealed To investigate social studies instruction in programs for students.…”

“…To encourage students' autonomy, it is important to support their self-advocacy, to teach them coping skills, and to teach them how to function independently. For DHH students, this can, for instance, include teaching them how to use their hearing aids or to ask for an interpreter (Foster & Cue, 2009). Just as in the studies on teachers' provision of autonomy support, the results for teachers' involvement were negative as well as positive.…”