New Study: Babies Learn Language By Lip-reading
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012All babies lip-read from about 6 months of age, to learn mouth-shapes for the sounds they hear, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University.
When a baby gazes intently at a speaker’s mouth, this indicates they are working to learn to form syllables for themselves, instead of just babbling.
Read the piece >> Babies Learn Language By [...]
Technology Bridges The Deaf And Hearing Worlds
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011The Tech section of Malaysia’s New Straits Times broadsheet newspaper recently ran an interview with a female, deaf IT graduate and blogger, who outlines exactly how technology helps bridge the deaf and hearing worlds.
Read the piece: Sound Her Out >>
Employers, tertiary-education providers and IT firms can gain from reading this piece, which notes how regular [...]
Communication Technology Solutions – By Design
Monday, November 28th, 2011“Communication technologies [for] people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing are just as much for the general hearing public… in that they foster communication between both groups.” **
Think of SMS texting on mobile phones, web-chat (via text, video or voice), and Facebook posts as everyday solutions for universal access. Real-time captioning (CART) and captioned web-videos similarly [...]
Technology Has Revolutionised Deaf Education
Thursday, September 15th, 2011The teaching of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing has altered as a result of technologies such as cochlear implants and speech-to-text tools, according to a recent report from Project Forum, at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, in the United States (see summary).
Technology Has Changed The Teaching Of Deaf Students
Notable findings [...]
Budgeting For Schools ICT Implementations
Monday, September 12th, 2011A recent news story cited the Virginia School for Deaf and Blind (VSDB), to show how an IT implementation can go wrong. One very surprising aspect of the story, is that it happened in the United States, which leads Ireland in the availability of technology and resources to deaf & hard-of-hearing children.
The story details how [...]
What Tertiary Supports Do Deaf Students Need?
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011Statistically, more and more deaf and hard-of-hearing students are enrolling in mainstream tertiary institutions in the US (Raue & Lewis, 2011). The same is happening in Ireland, due to a convergence of factors that includes Trinity College Dublin’s DS3 (Deaf Support in Third Level) program.
Different tertiary education supports are needed for students who:
have hearing aids and [...]
What To Do If Your Child’s Support Hours Are Cut
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011The parent of a deaf student emailed IDK. Her child’s secondary-school teaching support hours were cut during Transition Year, when the regional SENO said this was not the case. A deadlock had resulted, so our advice was sought. Here’s what we suggested.
Get a statement of resource teaching &/or SNA hours at the start.
All arrangements with [...]
What Exactly Does Oral-Deaf Education Involve?
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011Confirming your child has hearing issues or profound deafness is a big shock, but prospects for the children are different in recent years. Parents are finding their child has hearing difficulties ever-earlier, thanks to raised public awareness, and the screening technologies available to their children.
Existing misconceptions lead many to believe that deaf and hard of [...]
SNA Provision: The DES Value For Money Review
Thursday, July 21st, 2011The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme in schools in Ireland was assessed in value-for-money terms by the Department of Education from 2007/8 to 2010. Their June 2011 report is online.
In the report, concern emerges that “excess [SNA] support may lead to an over-dependence by the student on … support, [with] loss of opportunity for the student [...]
The Effective Use Of IEPs In Irish Classrooms
Sunday, July 17th, 2011Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are not mandatory in schools in Ireland, but are a practical way to structure and document a child’s learning progress. Parents & educators will soon use web-based documents for regular, collaborative contact and record-keeping.
When devising an IEP (Individualised Education Plan) for a new school year, it is important to think about your child’s [...]