Family Environment and Deaf and Hard-Of-Hearing Students with Mild Additional Disabilities

A national survey of teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing students was conducted to determine the incidence and characteristics of dysfunctional family background among deaf and hard-of-hearing students with mild additional disabilities. The results of the survey indicated that there is a higher incidence of dysfunctional family environment among deaf and hard-of-hearing students with mild additional disabilities than among deaf and hard-of-hearing students in general. The results of the survey suggest several challenges with regard to teacher preparation and service delivery for deaf and hard-of-hearing students with mild additional disabilities who come from dysfunctional families.

The Development of Knowledge and Skill Statements for Teachers of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

This article describes DCCD's involvement in a project to develop a list of knowledge and skills for all beginning teachers of students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH). The list is designed to function as a resource to CEC's Professional Standards and Practices Committee (PSPC), the Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) and other national organizations concerned with improving education of students who are D/HH through teacher credentialing. Representatives from various national organizations concerned with the education of students who are D/HH collaborated with the Division to generate statements; survey a wider pool of professionals, teacher trainers, administrators and consumers; and finalize the list of statements for review by CEC committees. This article provides some historical background to DCCD's involvement in the project, and describes the process by which it developed its list of knowledge and skill statements. Essential knowledge and skill statements are included. Implications for their use are discussed.