Curriculum+Modification+and+Individualization

toc =I. Adaptations to Curriculum = In terms of curriculum changes and individualization, all changes and every IEP is unique to the student at hand. As it has been explained, the range of hearing impairments is a vast spectrum. As a result, there are no blanket adaptations that will help hearing impaired students. A curriculum is a guide that details the subjects and topics that a teacher must cover in a given school year. A curriculum covers so much information that it is at times, too much to cover for students that do not require special education. Tina Wakefield argues that "For the majority of children with special education needs there were problems with the amount of content that had to be covered. The additional help needed by deaf children outside the strict definition of the curriculum, e.g. language work, listening activities, communication therapy, meant that while engaged in these activities they would miss other, legally determined, areas of the curriculum". For teachers, this means balancing the curriculum he or she is legal obligated to teach as well as ensuring the hearing impaired student(s) receive the skills and knowledge they need to be successful both in school and as members of society. Wakefield also explains that teachers must negotiate the expectations and goals they must reach as well as the development of the child. Furthermore, teachers must balance teaching a variety of communication skills, the reinforcement of basic core skills, and deaf awareness. 

According to the Educator's Resource Guide  , improving communication is the main area of need for students who experience hearing impairments no matter how old they are. This is area that may be focused on in an IEP or can be something worked on in the classroom without an IEP. Communication skills are an integral part in both the classroom and society. Due to the difficulties the hearing impaired have with expressing themselves, communication is an area in which educators should focus on. The Educator's Resource Guide outlines a few areas to cover. > Many students who have partial or full hearing loss require curricular modifications to enable them to meet the appropriate grade level goals. For most students, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is created to tailor the curriculum or re-create the curriculum in such a way that they can meet the goals. There are a variety of areas and changes to consider when constructing an IEP and they will be discussed in the following section .
 * 1) Vocabulary
 * 2) Speaking Skills (This includes working on voice quality, volume, pitch, rhythm etc.)
 * 3) Grammar (Areas to be considered are verb tense, sentence types, written sentences, hypothetical questions, etc.)
 * 4) Understanding & Using Communication (Educators should work with students in middle years to develop opinion, sarcasm, persuasion, higher level thinking and reasoning skills. This work should be with both verbal and written communication.)
 * 5) Communication Social Skills (This portion teaches hearing impaired students to how to participate in conversations. This involves learning how to take turns, participate respectfully, listen to other opinions respectfully, and use the language of their peers.)
 * 6) ASL Etiquette (This includes grammar, vocabulary, and culture specific and unique to ASL.)

=<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">II. IEPs = <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">** What are IEPs? ** Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are unique education plans act as either additional or replacement curricula for students who require special education. They outline the goals for that specific student to achieve that year as well as any supports that student will need to achieve those goals. Any student whose needs are not being met through the regular curriculum is a candidate for a personalized IEP. IEPs & the Hearing Impaired ** The initial step involves setting up a team of specialists that can create the best IEP for the student. This can involve the classroom teacher, the principal, the parents, the students, interpreters and other specialists that can assist the hearing impaired. Generally, the school’s resource teacher manages the IEP and sets up the meetings to form the document as well as the meetings to manage the progress. IEPs involve a combination of information which includes background information, diagnostic information, medical information, learning approaches, interests and activities, areas of strength, areas of difficulty or needs, current levels of performance and long term goals Based on this information, IEPs are created with student specific outcomes as well as performance outcomes for that school year. The IEP also needs to explain who will help the student, what resources and strategies will be used and how, when etc. the outcomes will be assessed.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> The details of an IEP are specific to each student and should be treated with great care and respect. However there are some general guidelines that should be considered when creating an IEP for a hearing impaired student. The IEP should determine the importance of the following areas: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> Specialists have emphasized that communication is the biggest problem area for deaf or hard of hearing students no matter their age or grade level. The IEP can focus on any of the following areas: vocabulary, speaking skills, grammar, understanding and practical use, and ASL or other alternate forms of communication. These areas have been discussed above in detail but its emphasis should not be under played. It provides the foundation for each student’s success both throughout their school career and later in life. It is important that language and communication development be a focus of an IEP. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">
 * 1. **** Language Skills **

Naturally, because students with hearing impairments struggle with communication and must devote extra time to developing communication skills, attention must be paid to their academic achievement. Fostering growth, development, and setting academic goals are important aspects of an IEP. Just as students are given the resources they need to hear, they must also be given the resources to help them achieve academic success. Just because a student is hard of hearing does not mean they cannot achieve the same academic goals as their peers. It simply means that more attention must be paid in helping them arrive at those goals. An IEP should outline what changes or modifications, if any, will be made to help the students meet the academic curricular goals.
 * 2. **** Academics **

This area is crucial for students who experience any level of hearing loss. Since it is harder for them to listen, students need to be taught how to listen. Some listening skills include the ability to detect different pitches, volumes, length etc. and recognizing what these differences signify. Listening skills should be taught orally and worked on in a variety of settings. Advanced listening skills will also help hearing impaired students pick up social cue better and relate better to their peers not to mention the greater academic achievements possible.
 * 3. **** Listening Skills **

It goes without saying that hearing impaired students encounter obstacles through their personal and academic lives. There are many resources available to these students to help them achieve their goals and create the life they desire. In order to achieve their goals and be advocates for their own success, those experiencing hearing impairments need to understand their hearing loss and how it will impact their life. Firstly, students with hearing loss need to know and be taught the "...parts of the ear and how it works; cause of hearing loss, parts of the hearing aid/implant/FM and how they work, how they help and their limitations..." . Secondly, (and this coincides with the communication domain) students need to be their own advocates because no one understands their abilities or their capabilities like they do. Students also need to be aware of the supports available to them and how to access them.
 * 4. **** Independence/Self-Advocacy **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;">Transitioning is the process through a student is moved from, for example, each grade level, middle years to senior years, or high school to post secondary. For students with hearing impairments, "Transition planning today is a complex process requiring intensive evaluation of each deaf student, including the coordination of a variety of educational and employment services". Transition planning for post secondary or life after school should start during the middle school years. Transition planning will prepare students effectively and equip them with the skills, knowledge, information, and resources needed to make the experience a success.<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> When writing an IEP there are two types of outcomes to consider. The first one is Student Specific Outcomes (SSPs). These are year end goals that the IEP hopes students will achieve. They are written in a variety of domains including communication, academic, motor, vocational etc. As a guide, they should be written **SMART**ly: » **S**pecific – written clearly. » **M**easurable – achievement must be measureable. » **A**chievable – realistic. » **R**elevant – the goal should be meaningful. » **T**ime-related – it is possible to achieve the outcome by the end of the year. The second type of outcome in an IEP is Performance Objectives (POs). They are intermediate goals that the IEP team must determine the strategies, resources, specialists, etc. that the student will utilize to achieve the POs. As a brief, general guide, the content of IEPs should include the following: – Direction of IEP – establish the IEP team members (parents, student, teacher, resource teacher, principal, interpreters, ASL specialists, etc.) – Student Profile – gather information on the student both background and current (medical, diagnostic, etc.) – Formation of the IEP – identify and prioritize needs, develop student specific outcomes, develop performance objectives, delegate responsibilities and expectations for IEP team members. – Implementation – review and revise regularly and re-evaluate every year.
 * 5. **** Transitioning **
 * Writing An IEP** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">IEP Handbook This link provides a number of resources when creating an IEP including a checklist for IEP members, questions for parents, and assessment suggestions **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">. **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">When developing an IEP it is important to remember that fair is not always equal. A person who can't read the black board would not be denied their reading glasses to help them see. The same applies to those students who need the resources and accommodations outlined in an IEP.

=<span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">III. Reading and Writing =

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;">It is important to note that although students with hearing impairments require some assistance and accommodations, they are still highly capable. However, hearing impaired students may encounter difficulties with reading and writing. Learning to read and write is a challenging task all on its own however hearing loss adds additional obstacles to this process.

One of the reasons students with hearing loss struggle with learning to read and write is that they "...are often bound by the literal meaning of words and often have difficulty with semantics, syntax, morphology, and irregular rules of grammar". According to the Educator's Resource Guide, deaf and/or hearing impaired students may struggle at the following levels: word (vocabulary), sentence (grammar), and paragraph (sequencing, main idea). Secondly, students that have any levels of hearing loss continue to experience difficulties because they do not keep pace with their peers. This emphasizes the problem areas in hearing impaired students communication skills. Reading and writing is traditionally considered to be a part of the ELA curriculum. However, because deaf or hearing impaired students struggle with communicating in these forms it affects their achievement in all curricular areas (math, science, social studies, and ELA). Achievement is based on being able to read and write in a variety of contexts. As a result, it is important that educators employ a variety of strategies to help these students achieve success.

There are a variety of strategies educators can use to help students achieve their goals, both in the IEPs and the ones outlined in the curriculum. One specific way to reach students who are hearing impaired is to make their learning meaningful. This means going the extra mile to ensure that what students are writing or reading about means something to them or simply a topic that they care about. It is the first step to encourage students and demonstrate the importance of being able to read and write. This also encourages higher level thinking because it is easier for the student to connect the material to themselves, their experiences, and society in the big picture. Providing students with visual or graphic organizers before and during each task encourages them to "Use semantic webs, story maps, and other visual organizers to build concepts and link language ... (which emphasizes the) development of schema and prior knowledge before reading".

Whether teaching students to read and/or write, it is important to assist students with direct instruction and organization. It is crucial to not assume that students who are hard of hearing know what to do. Things such as the sequencing of main ideas do not come easily for deaf students. Educators need to instruct hearing impaired students on how to write notes, make outlines, format essays, science reports, etc. so they can meet their goals. This is another area where graphic organizers can be very helpful.

It is important when teaching a student who has hearing loss to have visual resources on hand. If a student has some level of hearing loss that is not full, they can learn to read and write through a combination of auditory and visual cues. However, students that have lost all hearing need to be taught using visual cues such as pictures, physical movement, and expressions. Once single letters and words have been learned, a variety of pictures can be expanded to form a visual sentence. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The following links direct you to websites that I have found that provide more information about teaching students with hearing impairments to read and write.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> Strategies for Teaching Students with Hearing Impairments This website provides general tips and suggestions for teaching deaf students as well as helpful tips and links for teaching reading and writing.

Methods for Teaching Deaf Children to Read <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Links to other websites and helpful videos can be found on this website. A variety of teaching strategies are outlined for educators.