DHH Standard 11: Collaborative Partnerships

In addition to the Special Education Program Standards: Effective Communication and Collaborative Partnerships, each candidate demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively with families, support providers (i.e. interpreters, audiologists, speech/language pathologists, paraprofessionals, and other members of the educational team), general education professionals, community agencies, and the d/Deaf community, recognizing and respecting their roles and responsibilities in meeting the needs of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, including those who are deaf-blind and/or those with additional disabilities.

Candidates demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with their peers through group assignments and projects throughout the teacher training program.  Strategies for working collaboratively with parents are presented in CDDS 201 Interviewing and Counseling in Communicative Disorders.  Extensive information regarding assessment of hearing loss, hearing instruments, cochlear implants, equipment checks, and Early Intervention prepare candidates to work audiologists in CDDS 202 Aural Rehabilitation. CDDS 262 Seminar: Speech provides foundational knowledge of speech and language development in students who are deaf and hard of hearing and strategies for coordinated services between DHH teachers and speech language pathologists.

Candidates are encouraged to volunteer at a local deaf and hard of hearing service center and are required to attend at least two events of the local Deaf community.  Candidates in the Fresno area are encouraged to attend Deaf-Blind Support Service Provider Training workshops at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center, Fresno office. Topics include: Deaf-Blind Culture and Etiquette, Communication Modes, Human Guiding, Becoming an effective Support Service Provider, Causes of Deaf Blindness, Deaf-Blind Perspective Panel.

The program instills knowledge of local, state, and national resources through visits to California State Schools for the Deaf, campus visits from national leaders in Deaf Education, accessing resources through the Internet, and encouraging students to attend the annual California Educators of the Deaf professional conferences.

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