Many attempts have been made to determine what factors are most important in one’s potential for learning to read. These have been investigated for the purpose of determining effective instructional procedures. This chapter on literacy development aims to problematize instructional approaches that emphasize children’s deficits and, instead, make more visible approaches that build on children’s strengths, regardless of their individual differences. A fundamental belief must be that literacy is teachable and, for all children, learnable. This chapter will delineate those aspects of literacy that are malleable, evidenced by case studies and research review, and will suggest pathways (i.e., skills, strategies, and procedures) that are most effective for teachers and researchers to pursue. It describes connections to the broad field of deafness and literacy development and implications for teachers, administrators, service providers, and others concerned with the literacy success of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Due to gaps in literature exploring communication outcomes in Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children with access to more than one spoken language, limited agreement on optimal language use for DHH children, and an ongoing cultural and linguistic loss in this population, the aim of this pilot study was to further the literature and comprehensively explore the impact of oral bilingualism in DHH children. Participants were self-selected and recruited primarily through relevant social media. Speech and language development in children were observed and quantified at two time points (at the time of enrollment into the study and subsequently after 3-4 months of initial assessment), through administration of standardized questionnaires and twenty minutes of conversational play language samples between the parent and child. Specific language constructs such as the mean length utterance, number of total words, number of different words, and rate of spoken words per minute were analyzed. Speech production skills were assessed by identifying the sounds the child was able to produce during the conversational play sample to compare to monolingual norms. The data from the five case studies presented in this paper indicated that DHH children with access to more than one language were able to develop language skills on par with their typical hearing peers when factors such as early acoustic access, linguistically rich environment, and active parent advocacy were present.

The goal of this thesis is to support the automated identification of accessibility in user reviews or bug reports, to help technology professionals prioritize their handling, and, thus, to create more inclusive apps. Particularly, we propose a model that takes as input accessibility user reviews or bug reports and learns their keyword-based features to make a classification decision, for a given review, on whether it is about accessibility or not. Our empirically driven study follows a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. We introduced models that can accurately identify accessibility reviews and bug reports and automate detecting them. Our models can automatically classify app reviews and bug reports as accessibility-related or not so developers can easily detect accessibility issues with their products and improve them to more accessible and inclusive apps utilizing the users' input. Our goal is to create a sustainable change by including a model in the developer's software maintenance pipeline and raising awareness of existing errors that hinder the accessibility of mobile apps, which is a pressing need. In light of our findings from the Blackboard case study, Blackboard and the course material are not easily accessible to deaf students and hard of hearing. Thus, deaf students find that learning is extremely stressful during the pandemic.

Σκοπός της παρούσα διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η μελέτη της ακαδημαϊκής και κοινωνικής ένταξης των κωφών μαθητών που φοιτούν σε σχολεία γενικής αγωγής δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης. Μελετώνται επίσης οι παράγοντες που την επηρεάζουν καθώς και οι μεταξύ τους συσχετίσεις. Αρχικά γίνεται ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας που σχετίζεται με την κοινωνική και ακαδημαϊκή ένταξη των κωφών μαθητών που φοιτούν στα γενικά σχολεία της δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης και των παραγόντων που την επηρεάζουν. Δείγμα της ερευνάς αποτελέσαν 57 εκπαιδευτικοί γενικής αγωγής που έχουν έστω έναν κωφό μαθητή. Το ερευνητικό εργαλείο που χρησιμοποιήθηκε ήταν ερωτηματολόγιο. Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων έγινε με το στατιστικό πρόγραμμα SPSS (Πρόγραμμα Στατιστικής Επεξεργασίας Δεδομένων Κοινωνικών Επιστημών). Μέσα από την ανάλυση των δεδομένων προέκυψε το συμπέρασμα πως τόσο η κοινωνική όσο και η ακαδημαϊκή ένταξη των κωφών μαθητών στα σχολεία γενικής αγωγής της δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης δεν έχει επιτευχθεί. Παρόλα αυτά υπάρχουν παράγοντες, όπως ατομικά χαρακτηριστικά των μαθητών, οι οποίοι επηρεάζουν το βαθμό της ένταξης και είναι καθοριστικοί για την επιτυχία της ή όχι. Επιπλέον, το πλαίσιο της ένταξης και πιο συγκεκριμένα ο χρόνος παραμονής του μαθητή στην γενική τάξη και η υποστήριξη που πιθανά έχει είναι καθοριστικοί παράγοντες για την επιτυχία της. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ακόμα ότι η ακαδημαϊκή ένταξη αποτελεί ένα βασικό παράγοντα για την επιτυχία της κοινωνικής και αντίστροφα. Τέλος είναι επιτακτική η ανάγκη διεξαγωγής αντίστοιχων ερευνών οι οποίες θα διαφωτίσουν ακόμα περισσότερο τα παραπάνω ζητήματα. / The purpose of this dissertation is to study the academic and social inclusion of deaf and hearing impaired students (D/HH) who study at secondary general education schools. The factors which can affect them are carefully studied along with the different relationships between each factor. In the first part of this work we review the related literature in the area of academic and social inclusion of deaf students from secondary general education schools and the factors that affects them. This study is based on data collected through a questionnaire from 57 different high school teachers of the mainstream schools who had in their class at least one deaf student. The results revealed that both academic as well as social inclusion of D/HH students in secondary, regular schools have not been achieved. Despite this however, there are factors, such as personal student characteristics, which affect the degree of inclusion and which also determine success or failure. Other factors which include the framework of inclusion and, more specifically, the amount of time the student spends in regular classes and their support they receive in them are related to their successful inclusion. Furthermore, academic inclusion is an important factor that determines social inclusion and visa-versa. Finally, it is of critical importance that more studies are done in the area of inclusive education of secondary school students in order to determine all the critical factors and issues related to this important subject.

In the present thesis, computer-assisted reading intervention with a phonics approach was examined in deaf and hard of hearing children (DHH) aged 5, 6 or 7 years old using cochlear implants, hearing aids or a combination of both. Children with normal hearing (NH), matched for non-verbal intelligence and age, served as a reference group. Deaf and hard of hearing children constitute a heterogenetic population regarding cognitive and academic achievement. Many of them do not reach age appropriate levels in language and reading ability during their school years, with negative consequences for later training facilities and job opportunities. Finding relevant intervention methods to promote early language learning and literacy development that are easy to implement is therefore of great importance. In this thesis three aspects of cognitive ability (phonological processing skills, lexical access and working memory capacity), and reading ability was examined at three points in time; baseline 1, pre intervention and post intervention. Additionally, computer-assisted training delivered by  means of the Internet in the children’s homes was explored in order to determine whether it would be a useful and efficient method for the DHH population. Overall, the results from the present thesis support the notion that offering a computer-assisted intervention program delivered at home, is an alternative way to support not only NH children with reading difficulties but also to support DHH children’s phonological development and decoding proficiency. / I denna avhandling undersöktes fonologisk lästräning vid datorn för döva och hörselskadade barn 5, 6 och 7 år gamla som använde cochleaimplantat, hörapparat eller en kombination av båda. Barn med normal hörsel som var matchade avseende icke-verbal intelligens och ålder utgjorde jämförelsegrupp. Döva och hörselskadade barn utgör en heterogen grupp avseende kognitiv förmåga och skolframgång. Många av dem når inte kraven för åldern avseende språk och läsförmåga under skoltiden vilket får negativa konsekvenser för senare utbildning och arbete. Att hitta relevanta interventionsmetoder för att främja tidig språkinlärning och läsutveckling som är lätta att genomföra, är därför av stor betydelse. I avhandlingen undersöktes tre aspekter av kognitiv förmåga (fonologisk bearbetningsförmåga, lexikal åtkomst och arbetsminneskapacitet) och läsförmåga vid tre tidpunkter; förtest 1, före intervention och efter intervention. Dessutom undersöktes om datorbaserad intervention som genomförs via Internet i hemmet, skulle vara en användbar och effektiv metod för döva och hörselskadade barn. Resultaten i stort visar att fonologisk lästräning vid datorn i barnens hem är en alternativ metod att stödja inte bara barn i risk att utveckla lässvårigheter, utan även döva och hörselskadade barns fonologi och avkodningsförmåga.

Varje år byter ett antal elever som är döva eller har hörselnedsättning (D/HN) skolform under pågående grundskoleutbildning. Det har inte funnits en samlad bild av varför bytet sker och hur eleverna upplever omställningen. Vi har i denna studie genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio högstadieelever med syftet att bidra med kunskap om elevers erfarenheter av att byta skolform från en auditivt orienterad skolmiljö (grundskola) till en visuellt orienterad skolmiljö (regional specialskola). Den tematiska analysen har inspirerats av Schlossbergs (1981; 2011) transitionsmodell, vilken kan appliceras på alla typer av övergångar, förändringar och byten oberoende av om de är förväntade eller ej. Elevernas byte av skolform kan ses som en flytt från en språklig och kulturell kontext till en annan, och deras erfarenheter har delats in i tre huvudteman; flytta ut, flytta in samt göra sig hemmastadd. I intervjuerna framkom varierande erfarenheter, vilket visade att gruppen D/HN-elever som byter skolform var en heterogen grupp. Resultatet visade dock på en del likheter mellan eleverna, exempelvis att en majoritet av eleverna har upplevt ett socialt utanförskap i den auditivt orienterade skolmiljön där de inte känt sig jämlika sina skolkamrater eller fått likvärdiga möjligheter till fungerande lärsituationer. Byte av skolform har påverkat elevernas identitetsarbete och de flesta eleverna beskrev efter bytet en känsla av att vara samma som de andra, känna sig hemma och känna tillhörighet med andra D/HN-elever. Vidare visade resultatet även en förskjutning i elevernas syn på teckenspråk från att ha varit ett hjälpmedel till att vara en del av deras sociala och kulturella identitet. Bytet av skolform har lett till att elevernas identitetsarbete påverkats positivt, och eleverna har gått från att vara marginaliserade till att vara inkluderade. Slutsatser som drogs utifrån resultatet var att D/HN-elever behöver få möjlighet att utveckla en positiv social identitet istället för en marginell sådan, och för att kunna göra detta är tillgång till visuellt orienterade miljöer av vikt. / Every year a number of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students change school settings during their years in compulsory school. Why the decision is being made and how the students themselves experience the transition are questions that have not been asked when researching school placement for DHH students. This study aims to contribute with knowledge about DHH students' experiences in changing from an auditory oriented school setting (compulsory school) to a visually oriented school setting (compulsory special needs school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students). The thematic analysis is informed by Schlossberg's (1981;2011) transition model, which is a model that can be applied to any form of change or transition whether expected or unexpected. The change in school settings can be seen as a move from one linguistic and cultural context to another, and the students' experiences have been divided into three themes; moving out, moving in and making oneself at home. The interviews point to different sorts of experiences which show that this group of students is vastly diverse, although with some significant similarities. The change in school setting has had an effect on their identity work and the students describe it as feeling at home, being the same as the others and as a sense of belonging with other DHH students in the visually oriented school setting. The result shows that the students have gone from seeing sign language as a tool that can facilitate communication to recognizing it as a language that is a part of them and their social and cultural identity. As stated above there has been a positive effect on the students’ work on their identities and they feel included instead of marginalized. For DHH students to develop a positive rather than a marginal social identity, the students need access to visually oriented settings.

This phenomenological study investigated the nature and extent of the support parents received during IEP development. The study was informed by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Participants, located in a Northeastern state, were 10 hearing parents of children who had been diagnosed with hearing loss at birth and were between ages 5 and 12. Data were in-depth interviews that were analyzed, coded, and organized into themes using an inductive approach to analysis informed by Hatch. Results indicated that parents believed they needed more guidance on what to expect during the first IEP meeting, that advocating for appropriate accommodations for their child was important, and that education professionals communicate in a more compassionate and less business-like manner when speaking with parents. Parents also indicated increased anxiety due to their perceptions that education professionals have inadequate knowledge about issues relating to hearing loss and hearing amplification technology. Based on these results, special education professionals and policy makers can focus on increased understanding of hearing loss and amplification use in order to help children with hearing loss achieve more positive educational outcomes effecting positive social change.

This study aimed to explore sound design and sound representation techniques to strengthen the inclusion of players with sensory disabilities alongside non-disabled players. Additionally, it aimed to identify characteristics in inclusiveness components for video games. Tap Tone is a 3D action-adventure prototype with iteratively improved inclusiveness components based on research and requirements analyses. Twenty-five participants were recruited for user tests and divided into four groups: 1) non-disabled, 2) vision impaired, 3) deaf and hard of hearing, and 4) blindfolded players. Data were collected with a questionnaire and saved in-game data. The data was analyzed using statistical methods, including ANOVA and a t-test. Results indicate that the experience for deaf and hard of hearing is significantly different from the groups vision impaired and non-disabled. The results indicate similarities in experience for non-disabled and vision impaired players. Moreover, the player performance indicates similarities between the groups non-disabled, vision impaired and deaf and hard of hearing. Finally, the study identified and discussed key characteristics of the inclusiveness components. / Denna studie syftade till att utforska ljuddesign och ljudrepresentationstekniker för att stärka inkluderingen av spelare med sensoriska funktionshinder tillsammans med icke-handikappade spelare. Dessutom syftade det till att identifiera egenskaper i inkluderande komponenter för videospel. Tap Tone är en prototyp av ett 3D-action-äventyrsspel med stegvist förbättrande inkluderingskomponenter baserade på forskning och kravanalyser. Tjugofem deltagare rekryterades för användartester och delades in i fyra grupper: 1) ickehandikappade, 2) synskadade, 3) döva och hörselskadade och 4) spelare med ögonbindel. Data samlades in med ett frågeformulär och data sparad genom spelet. Datan var analyserad med hjälp av statistiska metoder, inklusive ANOVA och ett t-test. Resultaten tyder på att upplevelsen för döva och hörselskadade skiljer sig signifikant från grupperna med synskada och icke-handikappade. Resultaten indikerar likheter i erfarenhet för icke-handikappade och synskadade spelare. Dessutom indikerar spelarens prestation likheter mellan grupperna icke-handikappade, synskadade och döva och hörselskadade. Slutligen identifierade och diskuterade studien nyckelegenskaper hos de inkluderande komponenterna.

Children with disabilities are three to four times more likely to be abused than their non-disabled peers due to the impact of challenges related to behavior, cognition, language, social skills, and communication skills. In September of 2018, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) specifically noted the need to establish maltreatment prevention and response curricula and promote research and advocacy surrounding maltreatment of children with disabilities. One common curriculum recommended is Kidpower®. While Kidpower® shows promise in increasing people safety skills and offers some basic accommodations for use with disabled populations, a complete accommodation plan for deaf or hard of hearing students has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to explore how Kidpower® curriculum could be accommodated to meet the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing students from the perspective of the deaf education community, including deaf adults, deaf education teachers, deaf education teacher preparation faculty, and parents with deaf or hard of hearing children. A combination of focus groups and interviews were utilized to review lessons and homework from the Kidpower® curriculum. Participants gave feedback on obstacles and ideas for accommodations and modifications that would mediate the challenges. Data were inductively coded and analyzed for themes. Findings indicated the deaf education community believes the curriculum needs media components, language modifications and teaching strategies, enhanced visual information, and representation of people and situations related to the lives of deaf and hard of hearing children to be an effective curriculum for this population.

Studien undersöker vårdnadshavares erfarenheter av deras barns byte från grundskolan till specialskolan. Det är en intervjustudie med fem informanter som deltog i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studien undersöker vilka erfarenheter vårdnadshavarna har av de två skolformerna och vad som ledde till beslutet att byta från grundskola till specialskola. Grundskolan beskrivs som en verksamhet som vill väl men saknar kunskap och ekonomiska förutsättningar att kunna anpassas till DHH elever. Detta leder för samtliga till beslutet att byta till specialskolan. Studien beskriver även erfarenheter av ansökningsprocessen till specialskolan som snårig och svårnavigerad. Intervjuerna analyseras med hjälp av tematisk analys. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna är hörselnormen som utgår från att alla är hörande och att avvikare ska anpassa sig till detta. Vidare används begreppet mainstreaming för att problematisera inkludering specifikt för DHH elever. Mainstreaming grundar sig i ett kulturellt lingvistiskt perspektiv på dövhet, som vänder sig mot synen på döva som personer vilka behöver åtgärdas med hjälp av hörseltekniska hjälpmedel. Slutsatserna är att flera faktorer påverkar vårdnadshavares beslut när de väljer skola för sitt barn men att de ofta blir påverkade av ”experter” inom vård och skolas tyckanden. Studien visar också att föräldraskapet utmanas på flera sätt när man får ett dövt barn. Dessutom visar studien att grundskolans brister i inkludering leder till social utsatthet. I dessa familjer beslutar sig därför för ett skolbyte till specialskolan där barnet nu får sina behov tillgodosedda på ett bättre sätt.