Specially Designed Instruction for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Teacher Perceptions

Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TODHHs) regarding specially designed

instruction and its use with students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). There is a lack

of evidence-based intervention strategies for education of students who are DHH. Without

the use of SDI, students who are DHH are at risk for social and academic failure. This

problem is further significant due to inconsistent role expectations for TODHHs. An online

survey of more than 70 TODHH's in the United States and Canada was used to explore the

research question, "What are the perceptions of TODHHs regarding specially designed

instruction for students who are DHH?" The survey was based on current literature in the

field of special education; specifically, the high leverage practices (HLPs) identified by the

Council for Exceptional Children. Survey items consisted of both forced choice and open

ended items and asked participants to rate their knowledge and use of SDI with students

who are DHH, including their confidence in implementing it with fidelity. The poster

provides an overview of participants' responses and identified trends in the data and

emerging relationships and discrepancies amongst participants with diverse characteristics

(e.g. years of experience, itinerant or classroom based). Finally, conclusions and

recommendations for applying the results of this study to both preservice and inservice

TODHHs is discussed.