Systematic Review of Curriculum-Based Measurement with Students Who Are Deaf.

This review systematically identified and compared the technical adequacy (reliability and validity evidence) of reading curriculum-based measurement (CBM) tasks administered to students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). This review included all available literature written in English. The nine studies identified used four CBM tasks: signed reading fluency, silent reading fluency, cloze (write in missing words given blank lines within a passage), and maze (circle the target word given multiple choice options within a passage). Data obtained from these measures were generally found to be internally consistent and stable with validity evidence varying across measures. Emerging evidence supports the utility of CBM for students who are DHH. Further empirical evidence is needed to continue to explore technical properties, identify if student scores are sensitive to growth over short periods of time, and examine whether CBM data can be used to inform instructional decision-making to improve student outcomes.

Signing Exact English Transliteration: Effects of Speaking Rate and Lag Time on Production Accuracy.

This paper is the third in a series concerned with the level of access provided to deaf and hard of hearing children who rely on interpreters to access classroom communication. The first two papers focused on the accuracy and intelligibility of educational interpreters who use Cued Speech (CS); this study examines the accuracy of those who use Signing Exact English (SEE). Accuracy, or the proportion of the message correctly produced by the interpreter, was evaluated in 12 SEE transliterators with varying degrees of experience at three different speaking rates (slow, normal, and fast). Results were similar to those previously reported for CS transliterators: (a) speaking rate had a large negative effect on accuracy, primarily due to increased frequency of omissions, (b) the effect of lag time on accuracy was also negative, but relatively small, accounting for just 8% of the variance, and (c) highly experienced transliterators were somewhat more accurate than transliterators with minimal experience, although experience alone did not guarantee accuracy. Lastly, like their CS counterparts, the overall accuracy of the 12 SEE transliterators, 42% on average, was low enough to raise serious concerns about the quality of transliteration services that (at least some) children receive in educational settings.

Speech-Language Clinicians Working with Deaf Children: A Qualitative Study in Context.

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) increasingly attend local public schools, in which speech and language clinicians (SLCs) may lack experience with the individualized needs of a heterogeneous student population. This study explored the experiences of SLCs with students who are DHH in three different types of educational settings. Fourteen SLCs were interviewed and discussed a case study. Responses were transcribed, data coded, and emergent themes identified. Analysis was verified through triangulation of data and trustworthiness strategies. Results indicated that the skill sets of SLCs working with children who were DHH were dependent on contextual factors, such as educational placement and communication mode used, and that development of these skills requires direct experience, collaboration, and structural supports. Institutions across the deaf education spectrum should consider forming alliances to improve information-sharing and collaborative learning in order to improve service delivery in all settings.

Unregulated Autonomy: Uncredentialed Educational Interpreters in Rural Schools.

Although many rural Deaf and Hard of Hearing students attend public schools most of the day and use the services of educational interpreters to gain access to the school environment, little information exists on what interpreters are doing in rural school systems in the absence of credentialing requirements. The researcher used ethnographic interviews and field observations of three educational interpreters with no certification or professional assessment to explore how uncredentialed interpreters were enacting their role in a rural high school. The findings indicate that uncredentialed interpreters in rural settings perform four major functions during their school day: preparing the environment, staff, and materials; interpreting a variety of content; interacting with numerous stakeholders; and directly instructing Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Generally, educational interpreters in rural districts operate with unregulated autonomy, a situation that warrants further research and a national standard for all educational interpreters.

National Provisions for Certification and Professional Preparation in Low-Incidence Sensory Disabilities: A 50-State Study.

A multimethod study examined the 50 U.S. states' preparation and licensure practices regarding students with low-incidence sensory disabilities (LISD). The researchers used document review and structured interviews with state education agency representatives. It was found that institutions of higher education (IHEs) in 38 states offer at least one LISD preparation program; 12 states offer no programs at all. Further, program intensity, a measure of state capacity to serve students with LISD, varies from 0 to about 3 programs per million state residents. States also differ by the regime used to qualify teaching candidates, using either licensure or endorsement. Nationally, being an LISD licensure regime is, all else being equal, negatively correlated with number of LISD programs. The findings suggest that many states lack the capacity to supply enough trained professionals to serve students with LISD. Recommendations are framed for states, national organizations, and IHEs.

It takes two: the role of family-centered practices in communication intervention / Se necesitan 2: el papel de las prácticas centradas en la familia en intervención de la comunicación

Based on an ever-growing body of research, family-centered practices are a recommended, evidence-based principle of early childhood intervention provided by speech-language pathologists and audiologists, as well as by all other disciplines involved in providing supports and services to young children with delays and disabilities and their families. Despite this, research also suggests that (1) the concept of family-centered practices is often misunderstood, and (2) a gap continues to exist between recommended and the actual use of family-centered practices across all disciplines. In this article, we describe the evidence behind family-centered practices, how and why family-centered practices have become a key aspect of evidence-based early childhood communication intervention, and the defining characteristics and components of family-centered practices. In order to accomplish this goal the authors did an extensive research review of the literature. As a result of findings from the studies revised, the role of the SLP in early childhood intervention is calling for a shift from direct work with an individual child to teaching, supporting, and building the capacity of the child's communication partners, with the ultimate goal of the child becoming more successful in how he/she participates and communicates in interactions and routines throughout the day and within natural contexts. These recommendations have been incorporated by important scientific and professional organizations such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in their guidelines for providing early evidence-based communication intervention. Concluding we underlined the importance of viewing family centered practices as a capacity-building endeavor required for quality EI practices (AU)

Apoyadas en un cuerpo cada vez mayor de investigación, las prácticas centradas en la familia y basadas en la evidencia constituyen un principio de intervención recomendado para la logopedia y audiología y otras disciplinas que intervienen proporcionando apoyos y servicios a niños con retrasos y discapacidad y a sus familias. Sin embargo, la investigación sugiere que 1) el concepto de prácticas centradas en la familia es a menudo mal entendido, y 2) continúa existiendo un desfase entre las recomendaciones y el uso real de las prácticas centradas en la familia en todas las disciplinas. En este artículo se describe la evidencia detrás de las prácticas centradas en la familia, cómo y por qué estas prácticas se han convertido en un aspecto clave para la intervención en la comunicación en la primera infancia, y las características que la definen y componen. Con el fin de lograr este objetivo los autores hicieron una extensa revisión de la literatura. Como resultado de los hallazgos de los estudios revisados se está pidiendo un cambio en el papel de los logopedas de atención temprana, que va desde un trabajo directo con un niño a la enseñanza, apoyo y fortalecimiento de la capacidad de comunicación de los padres, con el objetivo final de que el niño tenga cada vez más éxito en la forma en que él/ella participa y se comunica en las interacciones y las rutinas durante el día y en los contextos naturales. Estas recomendaciones han sido incorporadas por las organizaciones científicas y profesionales más importantes, tales como la Asociación Americana de Habla, Lenguaje y Audición, quien las incluye en sus guías para proporcionar intervención temprana basada en la evidencia en la comunicación. Para concluir, se ha subrayado la importancia de considerar las prácticas centradas en la familia como un esfuerzo de construcción de capacidades requerido para una práctica de intervención temprana de calidad (AU)

Increasing Cultural And Linguistic Diversity In Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Programs.

As the field of education of the d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) continues to diversify, postsecondary institutions must pay close attention not only to the changing needs of d/Dhh students but to the practitioners they are preparing to serve this population. Students who are d/Dhh and come from homes where a language other than English or American Sign Language is used--d/Dhh Multilingual Learners (DMLs)--constitute 19.4%-35.0% of the d/Dhh student population (Gallaudet Research Institute, 2013). In the present article, part of a special American Annals of the Deaf issue on DMLs, the authors review demographic trends, examine the theory behind teacher effectiveness and culturally responsive teaching, provide examples from research on effective components of teacher preparation programs and discuss how they align with the field's certification standards, and recommend practices for programs and teachers to meet these standards within the field's ever-changing landscape.

Hearing Aid Patient Education Materials: Is There Room for Improvement?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the readability of patient education materials (PEMs) from leading manufacturers of behind-the-ear style hearing aids and popular hearing aid information Web sites to determine if they meet guidelines recommended by public health agencies. RESEARCH DESIGN: Analysis of hearing aid PEMs. METHODS: Printed user guides from six of the leading manufacturers of BTE hearing aids and 15 of the most popular hearing aid-information Web sites were accessed online and analyzed for readability using the Gunning-Fog Index, New Fog Count, Raygor Estimate Graph, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Flesch Reading Ease score. RESULTS: Overall average grade-level readability for all six printed manufacturer user manuals was calculated to be written at a 10th grade reading level. Overall average grade-level readabilities for all 15 popular online hearing aid-information Web sites representing professional organizations, suppliers, and health information services were calculated to be written at 10th, 10th, and 11th grade reading levels, respectively. Average Flesch Reading Ease scores for all printed guides and online patient information Web sites were calculated to fall within the fairly difficult category for readability. CONCLUSIONS: PEMs provided by top hearing aid manufactures and popular hearing aid Web sites are written well above the reading level recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Consideration should be given toward simplifying these materials in order to enhance user experience and increase compliance among behind-the-ear hearing aid users.

Single-Case Design Research: Building the Evidence-Base in the Field of Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.

The field of education of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students has a paucity of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to guide instruction. The authors discussed how the research methodology of single-case design (SCD) can be used to build EBPs through direct and systematic replication of studies. An overview of SCD research methods is presented, including an explanation of how internal and external validity issues are addressed, and why SCD is appropriate for intervention research with DHH children. The authors then examine the SCD research in the field according to quality indicators (QIs; at the individual level and as a body of evidence) to determine the existing evidence base. Finally, future replication areas are recommended to fill the gaps in SCD research with students who are DHH in order to add to the evidence base in the field.

Longitudinal Receptive American Sign Language Skills Across a Diverse Deaf Student Body.

This article presents results of a longitudinal study of receptive American Sign Language (ASL) skills for a large portion of the student body at a residential school for the deaf across four consecutive years. Scores were analyzed by age, gender, parental hearing status, years attending the residential school, and presence of a disability (i.e., deaf with a disability). Years 1 through 4 included the ASL Receptive Skills Test (ASL-RST); Years 2 through 4 also included the Receptive Test of ASL (RT-ASL). Student performance for both measures positively correlated with age; deaf students with deaf parents scored higher than their same-age peers with hearing parents in some instances but not others; and those with a documented disability tended to score lower than their peers without disabilities. These results provide longitudinal findings across a diverse segment of the deaf/hard of hearing residential school population.

Evaluating Teachers' Preparedness to Work With Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing With Disabilities.

A national survey was conducted to determine the needs of teachers and service providers working with students who are deaf and hard of hearing with disabilities (DWD). Quantitative and qualitative questions were asked regarding knowledge of, training with, and strategies used with students who are DWD. Responses from 264 professionals working with this population are reported. Results are reviewed and tied to previous research before and after the 2008 revalidation of the Council on Education of the Deaf standards for teachers of the deaf. Final recommendations are made for (a) virtual learning opportunities, (b) hands-on field experiences and course work in teacher preparation programs, and (c) empirically based research. By understanding the needs of professionals who are currently working with students who are DWD, researchers can help improve teacher preparation programs as well as improve the educational systems currently in place for these learners.

[Alterations in the status of a child with a cochlear implant in the course of rehabilitation].

The objective of the present publication was to demonstrate changes in the socio-psychological status of the children with cochlear implants in the course of postoperative psycho-pedagogical rehabilitation. Another objective was to draw attention to the necessity of the acquisition of the new professional skills by the teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing subjects, speech and language pathologists. Special attention is given to the substantiation of dynamic psycho-pedagogical classification of the children with a cochlear implant that should reflect the process of professional reorientation of the aforementioned specialists in the course of rehabilitation of their patients.

[Ethics and clinical practice guidelines: newborn hearing screening and early deaf childcare]. / Éthique et recommandations de bonne pratique : à propos du dépistage précoce de la surdité et de l'accompagnement de l'enfant et de sa famille.

A national program for newborn hearing screening is gradually spreading throughout France, coming at a specific historical time: French sign language was recognized as a French language only in 2005, after almost a century of this language being banned in French educational institutions. Therefore, social views on deafness vary considerably depending on hearing status--deaf or hearing--and on the language used: spoken language, sign language, or bilingual. To help professionals take these different perspectives into account, the ethical questions raised during the French Authority for Health clinical practice guidelines development on deaf child care were retrospectively analyzed based on the Childress and Beauchamp principles: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. This analysis showed that the steps followed during the guideline development were very similar to those devised by J.M. Gomas's model for ethical decision making and were respectful of R. Ogien's minimal ethics principles: equal consideration for everyone, neutrality toward conceptions of what is good for oneself, and interventions limited to cases of obvious harm caused to others.

Análisis de la actuación docente del maestro de audición y lenguaje en Almería / Analysis of the educational performance of speech and hearing teachers in Almeria

Habiendo transcurrido 20 años de andadura y desarrollo profesional desde el surgimiento del maestro de audición y lenguaje itinerante, parece conveniente reflexionar sobre el papel que ha venido desempeñando esta figura con objeto de aprehender las consideraciones oportunas que mejoren los planteamientos a adoptar de cara a promover la calidad de su actuación educativa. Por otra parte, nos encontramos inmersos en la actualidad en un proceso de reforma universitaria que afectará al conjunto de los roles profesionales de los docentes del siglo XXI , siendo necesario realizar aportaciones que delimiten y refuercen el ámbito de la atención a la diversidad en la formación inicial de los maestros al desaparecer las especialidades universitarias que se encargaban de dicha actuación. Con este estudio se pretende contribuir a la comprensión de la realidad de la acción educativa de estos profesionales realizando un recorrido por los contenidos y objetivos de su actuación educativa y la relación que los mismos guardan con el currículo de las áreas establecidas a lo largo de la etapa (AU)

The figure of the itinerant speech and hearing teacher emerged 20 years ago. Given the career and professional development since that time, it seems appropriate to reflect on the role of these teachers in order to improve the quality of their educational performance. In addition, a process of university reform is currently underway, which will influence the professional roles of teachers in the 21st century. Consequently, contributions are required to define and reinforce attention to diversity in initial teacher training, since specialized university courses on this topic have disappeared. This study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the reality of the educational performance of these teachers. To do this, the present investigation will revise the contents and aims of their educational performance, focussing on their relationship with the curriculum of the different areas established through the stages (AU)

One size does not fit all: individualized instruction in a standardized educational system.

This essay is based on a keynote address, "A Tour of the Horizons," presented to the 2012 annual conference of the Association of College Educators/Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACE/DHH), held in Atlantic Beach, Florida.

Diseño, desarrollo y evaluación de un sistema Brain Computer Interface (BCI) aplicado al control de dispositivos domóticos para mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas con grave discapacidad / Design, development and assessment of a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system applied to control domotic and electronic devices in order to improve the quality of life of people with severe disabilities

Objetivo: El objetivo del presente trabajo consiste en diseñar, desarrollar y validar una aplicación de control domótico a partir de la señal de electroencefalograma (EEG) empleando un sistema Brain Computer Interface (BCI) basado en potenciales P300 para incrementar la autonomía de las personas dependientes en el hogar. Material y métodos: Se ha implementado una aplicación domótica a partir de un sistema BCI basado en potenciales evocados P300 empleando la señal EEG del usuario. El sistema se aplicó a nueve usuarios con grave discapacidad, procedentes del Centro de Referencia Estatal (CRE) de Discapacidad y Dependencia de León. Resultados: La mayoría de los usuarios fueron capaces de controlar la aplicación con una precisión superior al 65%. Tres de ellos, incluso, superaron el 85%. Estos resultados son notablemente mejores que los obtenidos mediante un sistema BCI basado en ritmos sensoriomotores. Conclusiones: Los sistemas basados en P300 no necesitan etapa de entrenamiento ni un alto nivel de atención sostenida. Por ello, la mayoría de los usuarios consiguieron un buen control de la aplicación propuesta que permite controlar dispositivos del hogar, aumentando así su independencia y calidad de vida (AU)

Objective: The aim of this study is to design, develop and assess an application for automatic control through the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal using a P300 evoked potentials-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system, in order to increase the autonomy of dependent people at home. Material and methods: An application for automatic control, by means the user’s EEG signal, through a P300- based BCI system was developed. The system was applied to nine subjects, users of the National Reference Center on Disability and Dependence from León (Spain). Results: Most of the subjects could control the application with an accuracy of 65% and upward. Three of them achieved even more than 85%. These results are significantly higher than the results achieved using a motor imagery-based BCI. Conclusions: P300-based systems require neither a training period nor an extremely high level of attention. Due to this reason, most of users were able to control suitably the developed application, which allows them to control devices at home, improving their independence and quality of life (AU)

Accommodations quality for students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

Students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing often receive accommodations that are intended to increase access to the educational environment. The authors provide the results of a large national study of accommodations use in secondary and postsecondary settings. The article focuses on three aspects of accommodations use: access, quality, and consistency. The participants were 1,350 professionals working with a diverse group of students who were d/Deaf or hard of hearing in a variety of roles, including educators, administrators, interpreters, vocational rehabilitation agency staff, and allied service providers. Data were collected from both a national survey and a series of focus groups conducted over a 1-year period. The authors discuss the results in light of the crucial nature of accommodations during the transition into a variety of educational, training, and employment options.

States' reading outcomes of students who are d/deaf and hard of hearing.

Historically, researchers have identified that reading outcomes for students in upper grades who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) have typically rested around the late 3rd to early 4th grade. In recent years, wide-scale state-level testing has called into question these prognostications. The authors conducted a descriptive, multiunit, embedded-designs case study of 7 states' data from multiyear annual assessments of reading of participants in grades 3, 5, and 8, and in high school. Participants, states' definitions of reading outcomes, and states' reported reading results are described. The authors, who found that many students are reading at levels above the perceived 3rd-to-4th-grade "glass ceiling," build the case for a more hopeful look at reading outcomes for these students than that of the past and recommend approaches for acquiring wide-scale data that will allow professionals in the field to better understand reading outcomes in this population.

A national perspective on teachers' efficacy beliefs in deaf education.

Teachers' sense of efficacy, or the belief that teachers have of their capacity to make an impact on students' performance, is an unexplored construct in deaf education research. This study included data from 296 respondents to examine the relationship of teacher and school characteristics with teachers' sense of efficacy in 80 different deaf education settings in the US. Deaf education teachers reported high overall efficacy beliefs but significantly lower efficacy beliefs in the area of student engagement than in instructional strategies and classroom management. Teachers' years of experience showed a significant relationship with efficacy beliefs, yet it was the teachers' perceived collective efficacy of their educational setting that ultimately predicted teachers' sense of efficacy. These findings lend credence to the need for further examination of school processes that influence teacher beliefs and attitudes in deaf education settings.