This document provides guidance for general educators on accommodations and modifications that can help deaf and hard of hearing students access instruction. It notes that most districts have itinerant teachers for deaf students, so general educators are primarily responsible for educating these students. The document defines accommodations as changes that don't alter expectations or content, while modifications do. It then lists and describes many different types of accommodations and modifications teachers can implement related to the environment, instruction, assessment, behavior and social skills. It emphasizes matching adaptations to individual student needs and not being afraid to ask for help.

1. Accommodations and
Modifications for Students with
Hearing Loss
Heather Hall
KVEC
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

2. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
 Deaf and hard of hearing students have unique
educational needs.
 Their hearing loss can and often does impact all
instruction that uses language as a base.
 In our area most districts have an itinerant teacher
for the deaf and hard of hearing, who travels
through out the district or even multiple districts.
 This leaves the education of these students
depending on not just the teacher of the deaf and
hard of hearing but the general educator as well.

3. Responsibility for Educating Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Students.
 Because most districts have itinerant
teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing the
child spends most of his or her day without
them.
 This means general educators must provide
the bulk of education for these students.
General educators usually are the primary
teachers for these students.

4. I Can’t Sign What Am I Suppose to Do
Now?
 Some general educators can feel overwhelmed
when they get a student with a hearing loss in their
classroom.
 General educators can feel that they can not
effectively communicate with these students to take
on the role of primary teacher.
 Most colleges do not adequately prepare teachers
to work with students with hearing losses in the
general classroom or the significant language
delays associated with it.
 Some may feel that if I can not talk to the kid how
am I suppose to teach him or her.

5. Myths About Hearing Loss
 Hearing aids do not fix the hearing loss!
 Sign language interpreters do not fix the
language problems in school!
 The hearing impaired student is not the
teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing
kid!

6. I Have a Hearing Impaired Kid, What Do
I Do Now?
 First don’t panic! They are not aliens and are really
just students with some special needs.
 Be open to the suggestions of the teacher of the
deaf and hard of hearing, after all they are very
familiar with these students and their needs.
 Don’t see them as a new problem to deal with but as
a new frontier to explore.
 Ask questions and for help that is why the deaf and
hard of hearing teachers are there.
 Arm yourself with knowledge about the student and
their disability, it will help you help them.

7. How Can I Help My Student During
Instruction.
 Students with hearing losses need some
special accommodations and modifications to
have access to the instruction.
 Using these accommodations and
modifications help your student learn in the
general education classroom.
 Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

8. Defining the Different Types of
Adaptations
 There is a difference in the types
of adaptations (accommodations
and modifications) that are used in
the classroom, so lets start by
defining them both.

9. Accommodations:
 Accommodations focus on how students access and
demonstrate learning (Colorado Department of Education, 1995).
Accommodations do not significantly change the instructional
level, content, or the performance criteria. The changes in
process are made to provide a student equal access to learning,
and equal opportunity to demonstrate what they know.
 For example, for the standard "The student reads effectively to
understand a variety of material," appropriate accommodations
might include: preferential seating; acoustical treatment of the
room; use of an interpreter to explain the instructions for the
reading assessment; extended time limits; and allowing students
to sign their responses to an interpreter.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

10. Modifications
 Modifications substantially change what students
are expected to learn and demonstrate. These
changes are made to help students participate
meaningfully and successfully in learning.
 Examples of modifications for the standard "The
student reads effectively to understand a variety of
material" might be to allow the student to read a
passage at a much lower grade readability level, or
to use an interpreter to sign the entire reading
passage to the student.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

11. Lets Look at Some Adaptations in the
General Education Classroom
 Now that we have discussed what your role is
and defined the different adaptations you
use.
 REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO MATCH THE
ADAPTATION TO THE STUDENT. IT IS
NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL THING!
EVALUATE EACH ADAPTATION TO SEE IF
IT IS EFFECTIVE.

12. Environmental
 Seat student in best place to permit attending and
participation.
 Give student a swivel chair on casters.
 Use a semicircular seating arrangement.
 Reduce noise and reverberation with carpeting,
draperies, acoustic ceiling tile, and/or acoustical wall
treatments.
 Use flashing lights along with bells for signaling
class schedule.
 Use flashing lights for safety alarms (e.g., fire,
tornado).
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

13. Input
 Use a radio frequency transmission unit (FM) system.
 Stand where the student can read lips.
 Face the student when talking.
 Use an overhead projector.
 Employ an educational interpreter.
 Team teach with a teacher of students who are deaf or hard of
hearing.
 Preteach important vocabulary and concepts.
 Modify class schedule to reduce fatigue (e.g., include
opportunities for active involvement).
 Provide a study guide of the key concepts, questions,
vocabulary, and facts when introducing new material. Include
page numbers where information can be found in textbook.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

14. Input (Con)
 Provide a copy of the teacher's notes.
 Highlight key words or concepts in printed material.
 Supplement lesson with visual materials (e.g., real objects,
pictures, photographs, charts, videos).
 Use graphic organizers to present material.
 Provide manipulatives for multi-sensory, hands-on instruction or
activities.
 Use peer tutoring.
 Use a notetaker.
 Use cooperative learning experiences.
 Develop learning centers.
 Use games for drill and practice.
 Use concise statements or simplified vocabulary.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

15. Input (Con)
 Use a "Buddy System" whereby another student restates the
directions or helps the student who is deaf or hard of hearing
stay on task.
 Cue student visually to indicate that someone is talking during
class discussions or during intercom messages.
 Repeat information that has been expressed by a person out of
view or delivered over the intercom.
 Write short summaries of the lesson or of the chapters of the
textbook.
 Use a peer tutor, paraprofessional, or volunteer to review work,
important concepts, vocabulary, and facts with the student.
 Use commercial software to provide practice and review
material.
 Use captioned movies and television programs.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html
Microsoft
Word Document

16. Input (Con)
 Divide and organize lengthy directions into multiple steps.
 Demonstrate directions to clarify what needs to be undertaken.
 Check for understanding by having the student restate the
directions.
 Break long-range projects into short-term assignments.
 Post the date on the board when assignments and projects are
due. Remind frequently.
 Increase the number of practice examples of a rule, concept, or
strategy prior to assigning seatwork or homework.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

17. Input (Con)
 Shorten length of assignments and provide
additional opportunities for practice.
 Teach organizational skills and assist student to
generalize these skills.
 Teach student reading comprehension strategies
(e.g., textbook structures such as headings,
subheadings, tables, graphs, summaries).
 Provide duplicate sets of materials for family use
and review.
 Have student summarize at the end of the lesson.
 Use thematic instruction to unify curriculum
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

18. Output
 Allow more time to complete assignments.
 Allow students to make models, role play, develop
skits, and create art projects to demonstrate their
understanding of the information.
 Allow written or drawn responses to serve as an
alternative to oral presentations.
 Allow student to use computer/word processor.
 Use cooperative learning experiences to develop
cooperative small group projects.
 Use peer tutors, paraprofessionals, or volunteers to
work with student on task.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-oct98/luckner.html

19. Social
 Teach hearing students to sign.
 If the student uses an oral approach, teach hearing students how
to position themselves so the deaf or hard of hearing student can
lipread.
 Make books about hearing loss and deafness available.
 Invite deaf or hard of hearing adults to come to school and share
stories.
 Implement a circle of friends program
 Structure activities and experiences for deaf and hearing
students to work together.
 Teach units on social topics (e.g., friendship, avoiding fights,
emotions, stealing, dating, dealing with divorce).
 Provide direct instruction on specific social skills (e.g., starting
conversations, giving compliments, responding to criticism).
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-
oct98/luckner.html

20. Behavioral
 Provide consistent expectations and consequences
with regard to classroom routines and rules.
 Place general rules and behavior expectations on
charts displayed in the room or on a sheet of paper
placed on the student's desk.
 Use interest inventories to identify positive and
negative reinforcers for each individual.
 Use assignment books and/or folders to increase
organizational and memory skills.
 Provide regular feedback and check progress often.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-
oct98/luckner.html

21. Behavioral (Con)
 Home-school contracts -- develop a contract with student's family
whereby when specific behaviors are demonstrated in school,
the student receives a specified reinforcer at home.
 Send a daily or weekly report card home.
 Use corrective feedback (e.g., "I would like you to take out a
book and read when you finish your work, rather than bothering
the person sitting next to you.").
 Increase frequency of descriptive praise (e.g., "You really paid
attention and stayed in your seat for the past 15 minutes.").
 Use a behavioral contract (written agreement between teacher
and student regarding student behavior and agreed-upon
consequences).
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-
oct98/luckner.html

22. Behavioral (Con)
 Use response cost procedures (taking away
a privilege, points, or reward).
 Use time out.
 Limit the number of distractions by
establishing an isolated work/study area.
 Teach student anger control strategies.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-
oct98/luckner.html

23. Evaluation
 Use peer tutor, paraprofessional, or volunteer to
work with student to review for test.
 Allow test items to be signed to the student and the
student to respond in sign.
 Allow tests to be taken with teacher or
paraprofessional who works with students who are
deaf or hard of hearing.
 Provide extra time to complete tests and quizzes.
 Allow test items to be read to the student.
 Modify vocabulary used in test items to match
student abilities.
 Modify the number of test items.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-
oct98/luckner.html

24. Evaluation (Con)
 Provide short tests on a more frequent basis.
 Chart progress or lack of progress.
 Provide additional information to explain test questions and
instructions.
 Allow student to use notes/study guide/textbook on tests.
 Evaluate daily work/participation in addition to tests.
 Use projects or portfolios in lieu of tests.
 Provide graphic cues (e.g., arrows, stop signs) on answer forms.
 Give alternative forms of the test (e.g., matching, multiple choice
questions, fill in the blank, true/false questions, short answer
questions, essay questions).
 Teach test-taking skills.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-
oct98/luckner.html

25. Grading
 Use IEP as the criteria for grade.
 Develop contract as basis for grade.
 Use a pass/fail system.
 Write descriptive comments and give
examples regarding student performance.
 Use a checklist of competencies associated
with the course and evaluate according to
mastery of the competencies.
http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/Products/Perspectives/sep-
oct98/luckner.html

26. No That is Not All
 I have presented only a few adaptations that
may be used for deaf and hard of hearing
students there are many more out there.
 See what works for your student, it may take
some experimentation to figure this out.
 Don’t be afraid to ask for help or suggestions
if you get stuck.
 Share the wealth, if you have found
something that helps the student.