Students who are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing

What will appropriate educational programming look like for my child?

All children can learn, but not all children learn in the same way, at the same time, or at the same rate. Learning is an individual process. There are many different ways of meeting a student's exceptional learning needs. What is right for one student may not be best for another.

A doctor's diagnosis of a specific condition does not provide enough information for planning for a child's individual needs. No two children are exactly alike; children with the same diagnosis often have different abilities and learning needs, and require different supports. A support team, including parent(s), classroom teacher and others will work together to identify your child's unique learning needs. The team will then determine and implement appropriate educational supports.

Educational options are available for Manitoba students who are Deaf and/or hard of hearing:

• Some parents choose to have their children attend their neighbourhood school in a typical classroom
• Some school divisions have specialized classroom placements that support Deaf and/or hard of hearing students from across the school division
• Some parents choose to have their children attend The Manitoba School for the Deaf (MSD) in Winnipeg. MSD offers an enriched bilingual, bicultural learning environment that helps students learn both American Sign Language (ASL) and English.

Students who attend their neighbourhood school may receive support from a:

• speech - language pathologist
• audiologist
• consultant for the Deaf/hard of hearing
• teacher of the Deaf/hard of hearing
• interpreter,
• computerized note-taker
• educational assistant

School divisions may also request support from members of the Manitoba Education Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Unit Provincial Outreach Team. This team may:

• support school and/or school division teams to facilitate
  • appropriate communication access and development
  • the use of appropriate teaching techniques and strategies
  • the instruction of students who are Deaf and/or hard of hearing
  • assessment and documentation of student progress
  • the use of technology with students, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, FM/ infrared systems and videoconferencing equipment
• co-ordinate services between the home and organizations such as the Manitoba School for the Deaf, SMD Services, The Central Speech and Hearing Clinic and the regional audiologist
• provide professional development opportunities for parents and school teams.

For more information

• Manitoba Education provides information about its services available for students who are Deaf and/or hard of hearing on the Manitoba Education website at:

www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/dhh/index.html

Manitoba Education Student Services Unit Winnipeg: 204-945-7912 Manitoba toll free: 1-800-282-8069 ext. 7912