There are fives significant barriers to K-12 deaf education, according to a new study out of Gallaudet University. The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, housed at the Washington, DC school, went through 1400 comments from 775 people, most of whom work or live with with deaf and hard of hearing children. The Critical Needs of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Public Input Summary
contains analysis and statistics that educators, academic researchers, service providers, grant seekers, and policymakers can use to gain insight into "the wide and diverse range of perspectives regarding the needs of deaf and hard of hearing children, their families, and the professionals who work with them across the nation,” according to Dr. Christen Szymanski, who led the led the data analysis and is director of Research and Evaluation at the Clerc Center. Here are the barriers identified in the survey:
1. Knowledge and education of caregivers, professionals, and the general public
2. Collaborative efforts
3. Qualified professionals and services
4. Meeting the needs of the student within the school system
5. The child’s self-development
