Related Services for Vermont\u27s Students with Disabilities

The purpose of Related Services for Vermont’s Students with Disabilities is to offer information regarding related services that is consistent with IDEA and with Vermont Law and regulations. It also describes promising or exemplary practices in education, special education, and related services. The manual’s content applies to all related services disciplines which serve students with disabilities, ages 3 through 21, who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP)

Admission of Deaf Soldiers to the Military: Rethinking the Undifferentiated Soldier Paradigm

Keith Nolan, a deaf man with undergraduate and graduate degrees, asked to be admitted to military training to become a uniformed American soldier. The military said no, and the issue was joined. Nolan’s application presents the Department of Defense (DOD) with an opportunity to reconsider its historical bar to people who are deaf. The Article suggests a new paradigm in thinking about the selection criteria used to screen out deaf applicants for military service, a paradigm rooted in a disability studies framework. With a few exceptions in the Civil War, the United States armed forces have barred people with disabilities, including those who are deaf, from serving in the military. The current recruitment model is based on the “undifferentiated soldier,” which requires an applicant for military service to become combat-ready, that is, someone who can serve on the front line of fighting even if ultimately the soldier never enters the theater of war in his or her military career. As Keith Nolan’s case demonstrates, the military assumes deaf applicants are incapable of military service because they cannot become combat ready. These assumptions underline a DOD report to Congress last year that militates against deaf soldiers in the United States armed forces. It is time to rethink these assumptions

The Glass Ceiling and Persons With Disabilities

Glass Ceiling ReportGlassCeilingBackground2PersonsWithDisabilities.pdf: 8336 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

School-to-Work Transitions for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in America

Transition from school into the world of work can be difficult. Literacy, communication, and technology skills must be well-developed to enter and remain on the job. Strong school preparation opportunities can help ease the transition. In 1994, as part of the national movement for educational reform. Congress passed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA), which recognized the importance of including every student from kindergarten through grade 12, with special focus on the needs of women, minorities, and disabled individuals. The Act, linked with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires that educational programs develop school to work (STW) transition plans for all disabled students 16 years of age and older. STWOA stipulates that, in addition to work, trade school or college placement is also considered employment. Transition plans can ensure better preparation for both college and work. Alumni surveys from Gallaudet University and Rochester Institute of Technology suggest that salaries and career opportunities for Deaf individuals are correlated with continued education. Transition opportunities are state and locally based and are seen as incorporated within school, family, business, and community partnerships. These partnerships, along with effective staff development for teachers, professionals, industry participants, and motivated students promote successful transitions into the world of work. Transition teams will be required to work with the deaf and hard-of-hearing student toward achieving appropriate levels of marketable skills to enter tomorrow\u27s workplace

The identification of special competencies of deafness specialists in postsecondary education programs

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the special competencies of deafness specialists in postsecondary education. This was accomplished by an extensive review of related literature and feedback from a panel of content experts. A list of special competencies was identified. This study was also implemented to study any differences in perception of the special competencies according to selected practitioner and programmatic variables, including hearing status, major area of study, program size, andstaff size.A post hoc survey was designed to gather data from a population of 1,103programs for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. A total of 237 responses from a sample of 422 provided an overall response rate of 56% on the Special Competencies ofDeafness Specialists in Postsecondary Education Settings Inventory that was distributed via the U. S. Postal Service. The Special Competencies of Deafness Specialists inPostsecondary Education Settings Inventory consisted of the competency listing and rating scale and a background segment for gathering demographic, programmatic, and institutional information.Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to reportdemographic, programmatic, and institutional information. The analysis of the survey items included a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) procedure to determine any areas of significant difference among the competency clusters in the three competency domains (Direct Services to Students, Knowledge and Background, andVIProgram Management) and four independent variables (hearing status, major area of study, program size, and staff size).Major findings of the study were: (a) as program size grew, respondents valued the need for effective communication skills more, (b) respondents with specific training in the field of deafness recognized the ramifications of deafness and impact on the student in a post secondary setting and valued the need to participate in ongoing professional development and share information with others, (c) when there were several staff members designated to work specifically with students who are deaf or hard-of hearing,more emphasis was placed on having a better understanding of the social,cultural, and educational implications that hearing loss may have on a postsecondary student, (d) when there was at least one staff member designated to work specifically with students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, more emphasis was placed on maintaining up-to-date knowledge about issues and strategies and on sharing information with faculty and staff who may have worked with students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and (e)when there was at least one staff member designated to work specifically with students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, more emphasis was placed on disseminating programinformation to students and on conducting outreach activities

An Exploratory Study of Characteristics Associated with Postsecondary Educational Attainment in Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

It is well documented that attrition in the postsecondary settings for students who are deaf or hard of hearing is greatly due to their academic and communication skills, as well as pre-entry attributes. However there is little evidence that indicates why students who are deaf or hard of hearing are successful in the postsecondary setting. This study tested a hypothesis that demographic, family, psychological and educational variables have a relationship with postsecondary attainment. The variables included in the study were gender, race, math literacy, reading literacy, high school academic setting (public/residential), communication modality (sign language/oral speech), cochlear implant user, parental academic expectation, parental educational attainment, self-determination, self-concept, self-advocacy, and friendship interaction. This study analyzed a sample of students utilizing existing data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2). The findings from this study supported the hypothesis that demographic, family, psychological and educational variables highly influence postsecondary completion. The only exception was no significant relationship was found between cochlear implant use and high school academic placement with postsecondary attainment. Findings from this study will help professionals to bridge the gap from research to practice. Results will directly impact how programs approach career planning and advising. Finally, the knowledge from this study will directly impact career planning and career advising as well as inform program development for retention of deaf or hard of hearing students in persistence to graduation

Teacher-Student Relatedness: The Importance of Classroom Relationships for Children with Hearing Loss

There is evidence to suggest that there is a strong relationship between psychosocial development and academic performance. The school is an important setting for developing social skills, and students function optimally in the context in which their needs are satisfied. A large amount of research has examined the importance of the teacher-student relationship as an important, contributing factor to student wellness, peer relationship development and academic success. Early identification of hearing loss, early habilitation and new hearing technology have moved the majority of deaf and hard of hearing students into their neighborhood schools. This study explored the facilitators and barriers to the teacher-student relationship for students with hearing loss in mainstream classrooms. Surveys and interviews were used to gather information from teachers, parents, and students on their experiences with the teacher-student relationship and their early elementary classroom. Results revealed five main constructs that were crucial to promoting the teacher-student relationship, and therefore supported the development of relatedness of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. They were transitions, social skill development, teacher understanding of hearing loss, classroom inclusion, and the importance of the teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing. This study found that parents were doing a great deal of work to ensure that the needs of their deaf or hard of hearing child were being met in their mainstream classroom. Teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing were also found to be instrumental because they supported parents, teachers and the student with hearing loss. This work identified a set of requirements to facilitate a successful teacher-student relationship and it is important that parents are equipped with this knowledge as early as possible

Curriculum for a 3 day IEP seminar

This seminar has been created to teach future teachers, like yourselves, how to create an effective educational plan for students with disabilities, with a strong emphasis on Deaf students