Support for children with a Hearing Impairment

• The team of Specialist Teachers work with Children and Young People 0 to 25 years with or without Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in homes, mainstream schools (maintained and academies), some non-maintained nurseries, some specialist provision and in some colleges.

Who the service provides for

• The team support children, young people and their families.
• Support is provided for children who have a diagnosed hearing loss.

How the service is accessed

• Referrals are from audiology departments or ENT professionals following the diagnosis of a hearing loss.

Support may include

• Support with parents / carers / settings / schools to help them understand the implications of a hearing loss
• Help to develop a child’s listening skills
• Support with language development and communication
• Help to explain audiological information and liaise with audiology
• Monitor and record progress with written reports as necessary
• Contribute to annual review, review meetings and multi-professional meetings
• Loan of specialist equipment as appropriate
• Provide training and advice on maintenance and management of specialist equipment
• Input into SEN support plans
• Provide advice on the acoustic environment
• Work with the child/young person as appropriate
• Liaise with other professional services and agencies
• Provide opportunities for parents/carers to meet and share experiences at pre-school groups
• Advice and support at setting/school transfer
• Advice on classroom management strategies
• Support to ensure access to the curriculum
• Observe in the classroom to support and inform inclusive practice
• Work closely with the class teachers to assess children's educational needs