Purpose: It is well established that individuals with a communication disability, including being deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), experience inequities in health services and outcomes. These inequities extend to DHH children's access to psychosocial evidence-based interventions (EBIs). Behavioral parent training is an EBI that can be used to…

A defining feature of autism spectrum disorders is atypical behaviors, e.g., stereotypy, noncompliance, rituals, and aggression. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals with autism present a greater challenge because of additional issues related to their hearing status. One conceptualization of problem behavior is that it serves a communication…

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)--a group of developmental disabilities that cause severe problems with socialization, behavior, and communication--continues to grow. In 2008, the year that "Odyssey" focused on autism, the estimated prevalence of ASD for hearing children was 1 in 150 (CDC, 2007), while today estimates suggest…

Positive behavior interventions and Supports (PBIS) programs are being introduced in school districts throughout Illinois and the rest of the United States, resulting in decreased behavioral incidents and increased academic achievement. Programs for students who are deaf or hard of hearing benefit from implementation of this type of…

According to even the most conservative estimates, at least a quarter of deaf children have additional disabilities. Most teacher preparation programs do not sufficiently prepare teacher candidates for the challenges posed by these children. This article describes a professional development effort to prepare in-service educators of the deaf to…

At the most basic level, autism is a neurological disorder that most likely involves a distinct abnormality in brain structure and affects a child's abilities in two areas: communication and social development. It also is marked by repetitive or stereotypical behavior. Because of the variability in the causes of deafness as well as…

Teachers in a mainstream elementary school setting initiated a program called "Circle of Friends," to provide support for a student with deafness and behavior problems and for other students having difficulty making friends. Learning activities involved interpreting the term "friend," helping students get to know each other, celebrating their…

Discusses a previous study of the operational and sociomoral reasoning of 70 congenitally deaf children. Reports that, although the results indicated no differences between the hearing and nonhearing students on the development of sociomoral reasoning, the researchers still advocated intervention programs. (CFR)

The White House Conference on Child Health and Protection has recently pointed out how inadequately this country is providing educational opportunities for exceptional children. One-half million gifted children, another half million retarded children, three-quarters of a million children exhibiting serious behavior problems, three hundred thousand…