Deafness

'Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), deafness or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation [e.g. mobility and independent living skills]ading support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Information on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health.' 
(SEND Code of Practice 2015, p.98.)

CYP with sensory and/or physical needs may be making progress, however, there is a risk that they may begin to fall behind. 

High-Quality Teaching and Inclusive Provision for meeting deafness needs:

• Put systems in place to regularly check specialist equipment (e.g. hearing aids) and allocate staff to do this.
• Ensure all relevant staff receive up-to-date training based on CYP's needs.
• Promote independence and social inclusion.
• Follow advice and recommendations from the Virtual School Sensory Support (VSSS).
• Adapt teaching and the environment to support access to learning, including:
  • Reducing background noise and improving room acoustics
  • Using hearing technology consistently
  • Differentiating learning to meet individual needs
  • Using repetition, pre/post teaching, and check understanding
  • Monitoring progress regularly
  • Providing small group or quiet learning opportunities
  • Using visual supports and vocabulary aids
  • Ensuring videos and online materials are accessible
  • Allowing rest breaks if needed
  • Maintaining high expectations for deaf pupils
  • Providing deaf awareness training for staff
• Use the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), which is free to join, for guidance on deaf-friendly practice, including:
  • Early years, primary, and secondary teaching
  • Supporting pupils with EAL
  • Teaching phonics to deaf children
• Ensure teaching supports resilience, social, and emotional development
• Promote independence and social inclusion through the curriculum
• Check and improve the learning environment for good listening (e.g. reduce noise, improve acoustics)
• Provide appropriate training to raise staff awareness.  Training may include:
  • Deaf awareness
  • Glue ear awareness
  • Training for teaching assistants
  • Bespoke training on supporting deaf pupils and their equipment

CYP with deafness commonly have barriers to learning in these areas:  

• Access 
• Communication 
• Environment 
• Personal, social and emotional development 

Provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions expected to be made by settings according to the ages and stages of the CYP.

Universal

• Use checklists if you have concerns around a CYP's hearing and talk to families to find out if the CYP has had a recent hearing test. 
• Ensure hearing aids and other assistive listening devices are used for all learning (e.g. radio aids, Soundfield systems) as appropriate and advised by Virtual School Sensory Support (VSSS).
• Ensure arrangements are in place for regular monitoring and checking of specialist equipment (e.g. hearing aids and radio aids). 
• Check that CYP are seated in the most appropriate place, ensuring seating, lighting and acoustics support hearing and lip-reading, and that the speaker's face is clearly visible, using natural facial expression and clear speech.
• Reduce background noise as much as possible.
• Ensure the CYP's attention is gained before speaking, using their name, visual cues or agreed signals.
• Avoid writing on the board or interactive whiteboard while speaking, as you will not be facing the CYP.
• Adopt the following teaching strategies when teaching CYP with deafness:
  • Use pre- and post-teaching to prepare CYP for lessons (e.g. explaining new words and concepts and checking understanding). 
  • Repeat instructions first in the same words, but then, if the CYP does not understand, simplify your language.  
  • Repeat or simplify instructions if needed.
  • Allow extra time for tasks and responses (e.g. 10-second thinking time).
  • Check understanding regularly, using appropriate strategies (e.g. asking the CYP to explain, demonstrate or respond, rather than relying on yes/no responses).
  • Support speaking and listening activities.
  • Support spoken information with visual cues (e.g. written key words, diagrams, images or gestures) to aid understanding.
• Adopt the following techniques to support inclusive practice:
  • Ensure one person speaks at a time and rephrase peer contributions.
  • Agree a private signal for when the pupil does not understand.
  • Teach and explain new vocabulary to the CYP clearly.
  • Share key vocabulary with parents.
  • When other CYP contribute, ensure that they speak one at a time and/or paraphrase their contributions back to the class.   
• Ensure CYP with deafness are included by:
  • Monitoring social and emotional wellbeing and inclusion.
  • Recognising the increased listening effort required and planning for regular breaks or reduced listening demands where needed.

Targeted

• If concerns still exist, make a referral to Just One Norfolk or GP.
• Use regular, personalised / small group learning to target identified areas of need.
• Deliver structured, evidence-informed language interventions to develop specific areas of need (e.g. vocabulary, narrative, sentence structure, listening and attention).
• Use a specialist language programme (e.g. Elklan) 
• Deliver a structured individual or small group reading programme (e.g. 3-5 sessions per week) tailored to the CYP's identified needs, including pre-teaching vocabulary, guided reading to develop comprehension, repeated reading to build fluency and confidence, and explicit teaching of phonics, decoding and comprehension strategies as appropriate.
• Explicitly teach and explore the meaning of new vocabulary and concepts as they are introduced.
• Provide additional support during speaking and listening activities. 
• Plan for and facilitate opportunities to practise and apply communication skills across different contexts, including lessons, routines and social interactions, supporting CYP to use these skills for a range of purposes (e.g. expressing needs, asking questions, participating in discussion and social interaction).
• Share new concepts and vocabulary with families to consolidate and extend learning at home. 
• Provide access to an appropriately trained key worker or additional adult support, as required and in line with the Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP (e.g. where additional assistance is required to access aspects of the curriculum, manage the condition and move around the site).