Teacher of the Deaf (ToD)
What is a Teacher of the Deaf?
Teachers of the Deaf are specialist teachers who do crucial work alongside deaf learners and their families, helping them overcome the barriers they face in the critical early years and in education.
They provide information and support to families about deafness, help young children develop key language and communication skills, provide one to one tuition for deaf pupils, and advise schools on how to make sure they are deaf friendly. They work with all deaf children, whether their deafness is profound, severe, moderate or mild until they leave school.
The support from a ToD is wide ranging. It can include:
- carrying out specialist assessments
- monitoring hearing aids and cochlear implants
- advising on the use of technology such as radio aids
- developing listening, spoken language or signing and communication skills
- supporting children with their social skills and self-advocacy
- accessing activities and preparing for adulthood.
Partnership work is a key aspect of the role and in particular supporting mainstream teachers on things such as adapting the environment and curriculum to meet a deaf child’s specific needs.
A ToD visit will be based on each individual child and their situation. They might see some children regularly and others less so, depending on their needs.
How Teachers of the Deaf are allocated
Audiology must refer all newly diagnosed deaf children to the local deaf education service. Then, the lead ToD / Head of Service arranges an initial assessment visit. Following that visit, a child should be allocated a package of support.
- Advice and guidance
- Monitoring support - monthly, termly, bi-annual and annual ToD visits
- Regular support - weekly visits (1 or 2 visits per week)
This may vary across each local authority.
If a family has not heard from a ToD, they should contact their local authority's Education Officer or the Local Authority Educational Psychological Services. They should know about the provision/offer for deaf children in their authority.
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