Supporting Educational Needs of Children in General and Special Education Settings

Deaf and hard-of-hearing children need specialized and individualized support throughout their early intervention and educational experience. Cochlear implants have significantly increased language and learning opportunities for children who utilize listening and spoken language as a primary component of their communication modality. To maximize their potential for age/grade level outcomes in language, literacy, and academics, the early intervention and educational teams including the parents must understand the importance and impact of early auditory stimulation and listening development on brain organization and ensure that all necessary strategies and technologies are employed to support language, cognitive, and social development. This chapter addresses the educational infrastructure, including pertinent regulations and practice standards, language and instructional supports, strategies for supporting students in mainstream school settings including students with co-occurring challenges, and the myriad of hearing and other assistive technologies that connect students with their learning environment and peers.