Supporting Students in General Education Classrooms

A high percentage of children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) currently receive much of their instruction in general education classrooms with support from itinerant teachers. With the widespread use of early newborn hearing screening and access to early intervention, increasing numbers of DHH children are expected to be educated in general education classrooms, integrated with their hearing peers. The purpose of this chapter is to review the academic and social status of DHH students in general education classrooms, examine the factors that contribute to their success, and develop a framework for the kinds of support that they need from itinerant teachers. A review of the academic status and progress of DHH students in general education classrooms reveals that they achieve at a higher level and make more academic progress than that reported for the general population of DHH students. However, they may not perform academically as well as hearing students. The data on social behavior are scarce and the results are mixed. Nevertheless, recent research indicates that these students are not lacking in social competence, and may be as liked as their hearing peers. Based on the research on factors contributing to the success of these DHH students, we describe a framework for the kinds of support that itinerant teachers should provide in the areas of communication and literacy, learning strategies, self-advocacy, classroom participation, and social skills.