Role of the Itinerant

The hearing itinerant works with students who are deaf and hard of hearing and their classroom teachers on a regular basis to meet the student's individual needs as outlined on the IEP.

The areas appropriate for instruction with students having a hearing loss are the basic skills necessary for functioning in the standard educational environment. These may include:

1.     Auditory training
2.     Speechreading
3.     Language and vocabulary development
4.     Compensatory listening and communication
       strategies
5.     Self-advocacy skills
6.     Synthesis of auditory and visual cues
7.     Adjustment, orientation, and management of
       assistive devices, including hearing aids.

Itinerant teachers can pre-teach and reinforce vocabulary and concepts taught in the general education classroom. They can help provide the student with independent skills necessary to learn those concepts in the classroom.

Itinerant teachers keep close contact with parents and classroom teachers in order to monitor the impact the hearing loss may be having on the student's educational progress.

Itinerant teachers monitor the student's educational performance as it relates to his/her hearing loss. Any changes in medical status or educational placement can result in a need to change the level of service.

In-servicing and providing ongoing support to classroom teachers and support staff regarding the characteristics and impact of hearing loss is an essential part of the Itinerant's role.

The Itinerant teacher may conduct classroom observations. Observations provide an opportunity for the Itinerant to evaluate the student in the following areas: attending skills, speech reading skills, coping/repair strategies, use of residual hearing, and assistive devices.

A variety of formal and informal assessments may be utilized for purpose of three-year evaluations and annual reviews.