Deaf / Hard of Hearing

A student who is deaf or hard of hearing is one who exhibits a hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, that interferes with the acquisition or maintenance of auditory skills necessary for the normal development of speech, language, and academic achievement. Students may have mild to profound hearing losses. Academic instruction, auditory training, oral and tonal communication instruction, and hearing aid training receive specific attention.

Students with hearing disabilities may exhibit the following behaviors in a general education setting:

• irritability after extensive auditory efforts
• delayed language
• lack of intonation, flat speech
• inability to follow auditory instructions
• may need sign language