Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Education

Itinerant teachers for Deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) students of Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES are certified professionals who provide instructional services designed to meet the D/HH child’s individual needs as determined by assessment and the Committee of Special Education.  Services are available for ages 0-21. The primary mode of communication for D/HH students may be auditory-verbal or sign language. Over 75% of D/HH students in the United States are mainstreamed in public school programs. The Deaf Education program provides an itinerant approach for students who are instructed in their home school or in a special education class. Services, roles, and responsibilities that are provided by itinerant teachers of D/HH students are significantly different than those of special education teachers working in resource rooms, self-contained classrooms or those who co-teach with general education teachers.

Services and Goals

Itinerant teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (TOD/HH) not only provide services to students, but to teachers and other professionals as well. Services with students can be either direct or indirect. Ongoing consultation is provided to teachers and staff working with D/HH students. Training is provided in order to adequately support the students by making accommodations and modifications. This allows them to effectively access communication, academic content, as well as the social interactions that take place in the general education classroom. The TOD/HH also serves as a liaison between school, audiologist, and parents. The goal of deaf education is to improve skills so that the students will be independently successful in the classroom, at home and later in the workplace. Development of receptive and expressive communication skills (using sign language and/or auditory-verbal skills), self-advocacy skills as well as strategies for communication repair are emphasized.