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Hudson Valley Teachers of the Deaf

Hudson Valley Teachers of the Deaf (HVTOD) is round table style forum that meets regularly. Meetings are held at Ulster BOCES on the first Tuesday of the month from October to June. (except January) Teachers may sign up on My Learning Plan.

The group is currently made up of teachers from Dutchess and Ulster counties. We are always looking for new members. Discussions have included current issues in deaf education, language issues, assistive technology, and how to improve services to students. Usually members share information on a specific topic each month.

Guest speakers have also made presentations. Psychologists, audiologists, cochlear implant specialists, and parent advocates have provided informative workshops. They volunteered their time. Anyone interested in speaking at our group, please contact us.

Assistive Devices

There is a wide variety of electronics and devices provide asssistance to people with hearing loss. Children can take advantage of many of these at an early age. One used in schools often is an fm system. They can also be used at home. They are especially helpful in the car so your child has better access to your voice while you are driving and they are in the backseat.

Vibrating alarm clocks and light flashing signals are also invaluable to people with hearing loss. The lights signal which type of bell is going off in a home. Vibrating alarm clocks help children become more independent when waking up on time for school.

There are several vendors available on line that sell these products and more. One is Harris Communicaitons. They have an on line catalog. You can also request a free printed catalog. Dawn Sign Press also has a variety of materials and books related to deafness. HearMore is another company providing alerting devices.

Technology is always changing and improving. Please check periodically. You will be amazed at the equipment that can simplify your life and give people more access to sound.

ESSP Conference

Check out the information for the upcoming ESSP (Educational Support Service Personnel) conference. There is a parent panel this year. There are also discounted rates for parents and students. It takes place in Niagra Falls, NY on April 29 and 30, 2011. The conference is an annual event usually around the first weekend in May. The location varies each year in different NYS regions. Check their website for more info.

Summer Camps

As the snow piles up outside, thoughts of summer start. February and March are times to start thinking about summer camps and plans. There are several summer camps for children with hearing loss in New York.
Here are some places to look for information.
The links are listed in the links section of this blog.

Clerc Center at Gallaudet University in Washington DC has a comprehensive list of camps for deaf and hard of hearing children of all ages across the country. All are linked to the camp’s website. This is a great place to start the search.

Rochester Institute for Technology (RIT) has a number of summer camps for children ages 8 to 18. It is located in Rochester, NY. Some camps include Explore Your Future, Techgirlz, Steps to Success.

Camp Isola Bella is located in the Berkshire Mountains in Connecticut.

Camp Mark 7 is a lakefront camp in the Adirondack mountains in Old Forge, NY.

Some of the organizations offer scholarships for attending camp. AG Bell has a scholarship program that can help pay for camp. Teachers of the Deaf have filled out the reference forms for the application process for camps and for scholarships.

Deaf camps are great way for our students to meet other people their age with hearing loss. Lifelong friendships can develop at these camps. Please check them out.

Interpreters

Our program provides interpreter services for individual student as determined by the Committee of Special Education. (CSE) Interpreters follow the Code of Ethics. They used the language and mode of communication of their assigned student. If a student communicated in English, American Sign Language (ASL), Total Communication or spoken English, the interpreter provides access to the auditory environment in that language.
Interpreters are part of the educational team. They have the most direct contact with the student. They are a valuable resource to the staff and the student. Interpreters main job is to provide access to the auditory environment for the student. They change the spoken language into sign language or spoken English to ASL. They interpret all sounds such as fire alarms, bells, knocks on the door, public address announcements, etc. They interpret every sound that the class has access.
Interpreters may change spoken English to sign language. This is called transliteration. They may translate spoken English into ASL. This is interpreting since ASL is a separate and distinct language from English. They may use Total Communication which involves signing the spoken message and explaining the concepts expressed in a way the student will understand. They may also emphasize and enhance the speech reading abilities of a student through oral interpreting. Interpreters can voice for the student as well if they do not voice for themselves. The student’s needs and preferences determine the type of interpreting used.
There is a natural lag time when interpreting. You will see that an interpreter is signing after the speaker finishes talking. Naturally, the interpreter is listening, processing the information, and translating it to signs for the student. There will be a delay.
Interpreters follow the RID Code of Ethics. Information between the student and interpreter is confidential. Interpreters are professionals. They are NOT tutors and should not be responsible to teach lessons to students. Interpreters do not work one to one with students on academics. They interpret the teacher’s words for the student. They interpret the other student’s words as well.
Interpreters blend in to a class after a short time. They are a conduit of communication. Their role is invaluable to the Deaf or hard of hearing student because they provide access and the ability to communicate with the hearing population of the school. They also share information about deafness and sign with hearing students in the class and can answer their questions.
When a student has an interpreter, talk to the student directly. The interpreter will sign what you say. Look at the student. Allow the interpreter access to you class. They should be slightly behind the speaker and in full visual range of the student at all times. This means they may move around the room as you do. They should not be seated in front of a window or light source since this puts them in shadow and the student cannot see them well. Each class is different and the student, interpreter, and teacher will find the best way to provide access on an individual basis. Breaks are needed since fatigue is a factor for both the interpreter and student.
The student with a hearing loss should be held to the same standards and expectations as the rest of the class. They are responsible for their assignments, behavior, and attitude. The interpreter is not responsible for enforcing the class rules and procedures. The interpreter should not be expected to keep a student on track or paying attention. They will capture and alert the student to get their attention when the teacher starts talking or when necessary. It is the teacher’s responsibility to enforce the rules and expectations.
Interpreters are a valuable member of the educational team. They provide access to the auditory environment. You will enjoy having an interpreter in your class. Teach as you normally teach. Few or minor adjustments may be needed but in general, classes proceed as usual.

FM Systems

Fm systems or fm amplification devices are often used in classrooms to help students with a hearing loss gain access to information. There are several types of systems. Generally students use an fm system that attaches to their personal hearing aids. Two boots or audio shoes are attached to their hearing aids with a receiver. This piece receives the signal from the microphone and sends it through the hearing aid. Only the student hears through this system. The teacher wears a microphone clipped to their shirt or hung around their neck. Some have boom mikes similar to those seen at concerts that are worn at the mouth level. The teacher’s voice is transmitted directly to the student’s hearing aids.

Another type of fm system is a sound field system. These provide amplification for the whole classroom or have a speaker that sits on a student’s desk. Other people can hear through this system. These are generally used for students with mild hearing loss or with students that have attention difficulties or other disabilities. Sound field systems also are used in general education classrooms to improve acoustics. Teachers find them extremely beneficial and find that their voices are not strained, they have less hoarse voices, and they are able to project better.

Why do students need this assistive device? Classrooms tend to be noisy. The background noise in a classroom competes with the preferred auditory information; the teacher’s voice or the other student’s voices. Background noise comes from the environment as well as the people in the room. Step into an empty classroom and listen. You will probably hear humming noises from the ventilation system, lights and computers. You may hear street noise or sounds from nature. You may hear hallway noise or the teacher in an adjacent or nearby classroom. All of these sounds are competing with the intended signal.

Now add the students and other adults in the room. The background sounds may be whispering, chairs moving, shifting in a chair, papers rattling, pencils tapping, coughing, etc. Even the best classroom management skills do not eliminate the extra sounds people make.

FM systems reduce the background noise and boost the speaker’s voice slightly to make it stronger and more easily heard. This increases the signal to noise ratio. Ideally the signal, the teacher’s voice, should be at least 15 decibels louder than the noise (background sounds) to be heard easily. This often does not happen in classrooms for a variety of reasons including those described above and the design of the school buildings. Hearing aids amplify all sounds including the background noises. The fm system helps hearing aid users by reducing the background noise which makes the signal more audible. Students with cochlear implants also benefit from this technology. This alone helps students pay attention better.

The other advantage of an fm system is that it allows mobility. Ideal communication distance for students with hearing aids or cochlear implants is four to six feet. Teachers would have to stand directly in front of these students and at their eye/ear level to have optimal distance to be heard. Think about how much more difficult hearing becomes when you are further apart from the speaker. Most people with typical hearing will move closer to hear better. Obviously a teacher cannot stand in one place all the time and it would not be natural to maintain the appropriate speaking distance. With the fm, the teacher’s voice maintains approximately the same strength and volume at any distance. If the teacher walks to the opposite end of the room and speaks, the student will hear their voice at the same level as if they were speaking 4 feet away. For students that use speech reading and visual cues, this helps when a teacher turns their head. At least they can still hear what is being said and would have a better chance to fix errors or make sense of the message.

How do you use an fm system? Fm technologies have come a long way over the years. Most systems are very easy to use. Teachers wear a microphone around their necks or attached to their shirt and clipped on their belt. They turn it on and speak normally. At the end of the day, the microphone needs to be charged. Plug it in as you would a cell phone and you are ready for the next day. The student attaches the receiver to their personal hearing aid or implant. It runs off the batteries in their device. The fm usually needs more battery power than the hearing aid or implant alone so they will have to change the battery more often. Depending on the age of the student, the receivers can remain on all day or can be taken off for recess and lunch so they are not lost.

Teachers wear the microphone about 6 inches from their chin.

Turn off the mike when not speaking to the group or directly to the student using the fm. It will transmit from a distance. If you have it on and go to the bathroom or out to the hall, they will hear you. Many private conversations or embarrassing situations can be avoided by turning off the mike!

Students can also hear static when out of range. Students with hearing aids are generally able to switch the fm off at their ear level if they hear noise. Some cochlear implant fm systems and some younger students may not be able to change the settings on their own.

Plug in the mike to charge it at the end of the day. Turn it off before plugging it in.

Use it consistently. Report problems to the teacher of the deaf or to the audiologist.

Fm systems are generally set up by audiologists. They have access to the latest and most appropriate equipment. They are also able to set them to their hearing aids.

For more information and links, see the links section of this blog.

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What is the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program?

The BOCES Deaf and Hard of Hearing program provides Teacher of the Deaf and interpreting services to school age students in grades Kindergarten to 12 and up to age 21. School districts request services through the CSE process. Services include direct teaching and consultant services.

During the 2009/2010 school year, we have 8 full time Teachers of the Deaf providing services to over 40 students in the component school districts. Five full time interpreters provide services in several districts.