Relative to Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI), New Mexico struggles with multiple points of referral into early intervention in the same way most states do. Referrals are not systematized through a single point of entry. The Step*Hi (statewide Parent-Infant) Program of the New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD) receives referrals from…

In this issue of "Odyssey," Joanne Corwin describes New Mexico's statewide partnership among several agencies for the provision of early intervention services to infants and children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families (Effective Partnering of State Agencies to Achieve Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Benchmarks, p. 20).…

In this issue of "Odyssey," Joanne Corwin describes New Mexico's statewide partnership among several agencies for the provision of early intervention services to infants and children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families (Effective Partnering of State Agencies to Achieve Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Benchmarks, p. 20). A…

The Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) has two missions. One is to provide educational services to deaf and hard of hearing students and their families on the Austin campus--this is the traditional, face-to-face, center-based service model. The other is to serve as a resource center for the state, providing information, referral, programs, and…

In 1990 Katie was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss at 26 months of age. Her communication skills were delayed and a hearing loss had been suspected earlier. Several months later, Katie received hearing aids. Her mother was also referred to the county's Birth to 3 Program. In Wisconsin, Birth to 3 Programs were based out of the Department of…

A shortage of well-prepared professionals imposes limits on access to comprehensive and effective early intervention services to deaf and hard of hearing children. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act expects states to ensure that professionals working with infants and toddlers have relevant skills, however, there are very few…

A considerable amount of learning, especially in the early years, is incidental learning. What is incidental learning? It is learning that occurs simply through exposure to the environment--what people hear, see, and experience. It takes place in the natural course of events, without intentionally directed instruction about how or what to learn.…

Making schools for the deaf inclusive settings for deaf students with disabilities is important for their all-around development. The consequences of disregarding this need may be severe. In this article, the author describes a boy's experience at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) which shows it is possible to make inclusion at a…

Parents of children who are deaf and who have disabilities often face barriers in ensuring that their children receive the services they need. Some of these barriers include lack of awareness about deafness-disability constellations, shortages of professionals knowledgeable about how deaf children learn or the impact of the disability on deaf…

Parents of deaf and hard of hearing children in the special education system may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they need to learn. This article aims to give parents a place to begin in the effort to work with the school to ensure that their child receives an appropriate education. There are three broad areas that parents need to be…

Normally functioning sensory systems develop through sensory experiences. Children are stimulated through their senses in many different ways. Even though a person's sensory system is intact, he or she may have a sensory processing disorder (SPD), also known as sensory integration dysfunction. This means the person's brain does not correctly…

In this article, the author discusses pet therapy, using therapy dogs, as a new way of reaching students with additional disabilities. Therapy dogs aid in instruction in a variety of ways. They are particularly suited to work with preschool-aged children and special needs populations where the curriculum most easily can incorporate a therapy dog…

Educating deaf and hard of hearing students is a rewarding yet complex endeavor. Students are the beneficiaries when educators consistently reflect on and dialogue about teaching strategies, curriculum, student expectations, and school culture beliefs and practices. In the Union Street School for the Deaf and the Hackensack High School Program for…

Ideally, all students would experience direct, multidimensional communication in the K-12 setting. This experience is generally considered to be more efficient, effective, and empowering. Interpreted communication, because it involves a third party, tends to be more linear. This makes it critical that quality standards for interpreting services be…

In the fall of 2008, the authors began team teaching in a bilingual American Sign Language (ASL)/English classroom. They faced the same challenge teachers everywhere face: a new year with new goals and a classroom of students with diverse learning needs. This article discusses how the authors address students' language needs in a bilingual ASL and…