What are some ways teachers can help deaf and hard of hearing students make friends? I want to understand how these students interact with their peers and what teachers notice about their emotions and teamwork in class.
What do you think about organizing some activities to bring them together? It might help with friendships.
Dexter said:
What do you think about organizing some activities to bring them together? It might help with friendships.
I will create some more inclusive social activities, I hope that peer interactions help their emotional self-regulation, how will I know if the inclusive space becomes overwhelming?
@Emma1
Have you asked them directly? These students can communicate with teachers and others, right? If not, that needs to be included in their plan as soon as possible.
LearningFacilitator4 said:
@Emma1
Have you asked them directly? These students can communicate with teachers and others, right? If not, that needs to be included in their plan as soon as possible.
I thought the last teacher would have noticed how frustrated the child gets when there’s a communication barrier. The child came into the grade level with a communication tablet, but the speech pathologist only sees them twice a month.
@Emma1
That’s really concerning. Keep a record of what you’re observing, and share it with the team that reviews their plan. How can the student learn effectively and build friendships if they can’t talk to others around them?
@LearningFacilitator4
I am documenting everything, I’m thinking about creating a behavior intervention plan.
Does your school have occupational therapy? If yes, connect with your school’s occupational therapist for some ideas and strategies. Consider games that are fun and don’t require talking, like charades. Kids with hearing issues usually want to be part of the group, so any changes you make to include them will surely brighten their day. You should also look for articles on cochlear implants to learn more about what the Deaf and hard of hearing community thinks about them, especially if some of your students have them.
@Amalia
I don’t think my campus has OT, but I’ll check with local officials or hospitals to see if there are therapists who can help. I hope that inclusive activities will help with social skills, but it’s tough for me to tell if it’s working.
A university I worked at 15 years ago suggested texting students if the interpreters had issues understanding certain terms. I quickly learned that telling jokes didn’t work well since he would laugh so loud, it made everyone else confused.
Think about using materials that are easy to access, adding captions to videos, and changing communication styles. Work together with experts and be open to their suggestions.