The
School District of Waukesha has provided education programming for children who are deaf and hard of hearing for thirty years. Programming options for children included placement among a continuum of instructional services including:
- self-contained day classes taught by a certified teacher of the deaf
- partial placement in self-contained classes and in regular education classes
- full inclusion in regular education classrooms
Supportive services provided to students included speech and language intervention by a licensed educational speech and language clinician, audiological support on a consultative basis, and itinerant services provided by teachers of the deaf to students. Students also received extended school year programming when demonstrating need in an individual edcuation plan. Academic programming included utilization of district wide curricular matierals in the self-contained and itinerant programs for students.
The School District of Waukesha provided educational services in the self-contained program for children with hearing losses embracing a total communication philosophy. Instructional strategies incorporating the use of conceptually signed English, the teaching of speech, speechreading, language skills and auditory skill development were incorporated throughout the school day in self-contained classrooms.
During the last decade advances in hearing aid technology and in cochlear implants across the nation including southeastern Wisconsin, earlier identification of hearing losses and early intervention programs, provided students with identified hearing losses increased speech perception abilities, greater access to speech sounds, and increased auditory comprehension. Instructional strategies in the self-contained program were adapted to meet the increasing auditory, speech, and linguistic needs of learners enrolled in district wide programs.
"The staff at Lowell Elementary's early childhood program has unbelievable dedication and superb programming that is up to date, technical and very interactive. It's amazing how intense it is and definitely beneficial for our children with hearing loss. Children with a hearing loss have more of a disadvantage than most people realize since so much of their learning in these early years between birth and the first six years is incidental. The environment and programming offered in Lowell's Program for Children with hearing loss does an excellent job helping us as parents fill in the gaps for our children." Parent of a four year-old child in the auditory-oral program.
Thorough evaluation of student abilities through diagnostic teaching and formal assessment led to increased school programming in the areas of auditory, speech and oral language development. Increases in auditory comprehension of spoken language were identified in student learners. Student learners enrolled in self-contained classrooms at the preschool and primary levels demonstrated daily increased auditory comprehension.
As student learners demonstrated auditory competence, staff members responded to the changing needs of learners enrolled in self-contained classrooms for deaf and hard of hearing children in the following ways:
- Staff members recognized a need for staff development supporting auditory, speech, and language development in auditory learning instructional experiences for children who have hearing losses.
- Curricular materials supporting auditory skill development and spoken language development were researched, purchased, and integrated with curricular materials utilized by students enrolled in the School District of Waukesha.
- Acoustic enhancements and need were identified in classrooms for children with hearing losses and addressed program wide.
- Program design for children with hearing losses was reviewed and modified to include auditory-oral programming.
"Participating in the auditory/oral program has fostered his success in speech, language, and cognitive development. The experienced teachers and the intense focus on auditory-oral skills has been a key factor in achieving speech and language goals. We are thankful for the program and feel our son would not be where he is today without the auditory-oral focus. Being the parents of twins, one child with a hearing loss and one hearing child, I see the success both children acheived since the start of the program. The hearing peers in the auditory-oral program give the children with hearing losses a natural language model. The goals of the program are to achieve success in speech and language, so having hearing peers involved provides for the natural interaction that fosters their success." Parent of twin five year-old children
Children with hearing losses enrolled in the PRESCHOOL STATEWIDE AUDITORY-ORAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT are eligible to receive the following services as outlined on an individual educational plan:
Speech and Language Therapy services are available to all students demonstrating needs when administered formal assessments documenting speech, articulation, and language delays. Services are provided by certified speech and language therapists on an individual basis and /or in small groups. Our speech and language therapists provide consultative services to teacher of the deaf in the auditory-oral program when planning integrated instructional activities.
Auditory Therapy services are available to all students demonstrating a need for aural rehabilitation. Children with cochlear implants and children with hearing aids receive services from a teacher of the deaf who specializes in aural rehabilitation. Individual and/or small group sessions focus on phonetic listening, auditory discrimination, auditory memory, auditory sequential memory, and auditory comprehension skills. Consultative services are available from the educational audiologist consultant and the educational audiological team members at Koss Cochlear Implant Center/Medical College of Wisconsin.
Physical Therapy services are available to all students demonstrating a need based as identified through the development of an individual educational plan. Services are provided by licensed physical therapists who are familiar with the needs of children with hearing losses. Motor groups may be developed with the teacher of the deaf utilizing TEAM planning of motor, language, and listening needs to play small group games.
Occupational Therapy services are available to all students demonstrating a need as identified thorugh the development of an individual educational plan. Services may be pull out as needed or administered during classroom activities depending on the child's need and goals identified on an individual educational plan. The program occupational therapist is also familialr with the needs of children with hearing losses.
