Sign language usage of deaf or hard of hearing Sri Lankans.

In Sri Lanka, about 300,000 Sinhala speaking people are either deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and would benefit from a common Sinhala sign language, technological resources such as captioning, and educational and social support. There is no fully developed common sign language for members of the Sinhalese community, a severe shortage of sign language interpreters, and few resources for teachers. This exploratory study was undertaken in all nine provinces of Sri Lanka into the use of sign language, access to education for people with disabilities, and the availability of trained or qualified educators to work with the DHH people. Data were gathered via interviews and focus groups with Special Education Assistant Directors, Principals and Teachers in Deaf Schools, and Teachers of Special Education Deaf Units in mainstream schools. The DHH members of Sri Lankan society are marginalized, under-supported, and require urgent attention to their educational and social needs. This study provides a basis for much needed attention and reform.

Primary school teachers' readiness in identifying children with dyslexia: A national survey in Sri Lanka.

Primary school teachers should be able to identify struggling learners who may have dyslexia type learning difficulties, in order to facilitate early intervention. Considering this importance, a nationwide survey was conducted in Sri Lanka with 705 primary school teachers among randomly selected schools in order to investigate teacher readiness to identify learners with dyslexia. Teacher readiness was measured based on three variables (a) teachers' self-reported basic knowledge of dyslexia, (b) their self-reported awareness of local tools and processes used to identify dyslexia and (c) their self-reported attitudes towards engaging in identifying dyslexia. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the participants had minimal readiness to engage in identifying learners with dyslexia. However, most of them showed positive attitudes towards actively engaging in identifying dyslexia.