ERIC EJ1104088: Small Numbers and Big Spaces Call for a Team Approach in North Dakota

2016·0.22 MB·English

by  ERIC

SMall NUMBERS
aND BIG SPaCES Call FOR a
Team Approach 
in North Dakota
Pam Smith, MEd, is
the coordinator of Adult
Outreach Services at the
North Dakota School for By Pam Smith and Bambi Lambert
the Deaf/Resource
Center for Deaf and
Hard of Hearing, and
she chairs pepnet 2’s
“Team North Dakota.”
Preparing deaf and hard of hearing students for transition is a unique challenge
With more than 20 years
in education, she has in North Dakota, a rural state in which the North Dakota Department of
taught high school Public Instruction has identified only 32 transition-age students as “deaf” or
psychology in New
“hearing impaired.” Additional students who are deaf or hard of hearing may be
Mexico, worked with
being served via 504 plans in the schools, but there is no data available which
students who were deaf
in rural communities, indicates this. Collaboration among schools, the school system, and various state
and taught high school agencies is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Services
social studies for 10 years
for deaf and hard of hearing students may be limited, or unavailable, as
at the North Dakota
indicated by parents and educators across North Dakota.
School for the Deaf.
Smith earned her
In the face of these challenges—low numbers, limited services, and a rural
bachelor’s degrees in deaf
environment—North Dakota educators and the pepnet 2 team were determined to find
education and secondary
ways to ensure and assist with the successful transitions of students who are deaf or hard
education and her
of hearing. The team began by developing a survey. The survey was disseminated to
master’s degrees in
more than 500 agencies and providers across the state and garnered a 23 percent
educational leadership/
response rate; it gauged the needs that service agencies experience and asked
administration and
respondents to identify problems in helping deaf and hard of hearing individuals
gerontology.
transition from school to postsecondary education or the workplace.
Respondents indicated that providers’ experience with individuals who are deaf or
hard of hearing was infrequent, and that they felt somewhat ill-prepared to provide
services due to the fact that they were unable to communicate fully and effectively. The
greatest need for deaf and hard of hearing students, as stated by providers, was the lack
of or inability to schedule certified interpreters. More than 80 percent of respondents
reported lack of interpreter services as their number one concern. At present, only 17
interpreters are certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf in our entire state,
and 12 of those interpreters work in classrooms.
Photos courtesy of Pam Smith and Bambi Lambert
28 ODYSSEY 2016
Left: A father and
Bdaamughbteir Linavomlvebd einrt,
MtEhed ,D iesa af Rtoelaec Mheord eolf the
deParfo agrnadm hleaarrdn ohfo whe taoring
Clockwise from fosri gtnh Ie l oFvaer gyoou (.North
above left: Dakota) Public Schools,
Lambert in the anFdar s lhefet :pAro mviodthees racademic
classroom; the sulepapronsr tt haen sdig inn fsatmruilyction in
pepnet 2 North trfarnosmit aio dne asfk riollles mfoordel.
Dakota team; secondary deaf and hard of
entertainer Keith hearing students. She
Wann with students maintains her certification
at the transition as an American Sign
Summit. Language interpreter
through the Registry of
Interpreters for the Deaf
and has worked in new
The second biggest problem, as indicated by Program (IEP), employment,
teacher and interpreter
our survey results, was lack of information agency/community supports, legal
training/mentorship,
about the needs of those who are deaf or hard of rights/responsibilities, and audiological trends.
educational interpreting,
hearing. Participants left with a portfolio of helpful
and at an independent
After an analysis of this survey, our North transition resources to take back to their homes
living center. On the
Dakota team developed a plan to address the and schools.
North Dakota pepnet 2
needs of providers across the state while We were fortunate that our team members
team since 2013, Lambert
maintaining a focus and emphasis on the worked so well together. Each of us was
earned her master’s degree
transition of youth who are deaf or hard of determined to create the best experience
in deaf/hard of hearing
hearing. possible, and all of us had the support of our
education from the
home agencies and schools. We figured out
University of Minnesota.
Planning for a Summit who would organize which events and which
Key state and national agencies were identified organizations would foot the bills. We
The authors welcome
and invited to participate in planning and collaborated to provide food, transportation,
questions and comments
presentation at a two-day transition Summit. and lodging for student workshop attendees
about this article at
Invitations were extended to the members of and their families in addition to the speaker
[email protected]
the state Transition Communities of Practice, fees. Even though we were spread across the
[email protected].
to supporting agencies and programs, and to state, our team met weekly at times to ensure
the president of the North Dakota Association planning and implementation continued
of the Deaf and others active in the Deaf smoothly. We set goals and did whatever we
community. The Summit was an event with needed to do to achieve those goals. Working
keynote speakers and breakout sessions hard and consistently was key to our success.
designed for students, parents, professionals, The transition-aged students who attended
and interpreters. Topics addressed included the Summit were given a pre-test at the start of
advocacy, the Individualized Education the Summit and a post-test three months later.
2016 ODYSSEY 29
Results indicated that the attending well as to other case managers who were an assessment of needs and resources in
students initially had limited knowledge referred to our team as serving our state, to collaborating as we planned
of the components of the IEP itself as individuals who are deaf or hard of and structured a statewide conference
well as limited understanding of the IEP hearing. The portfolio included all and subsequent presentations, joining
process. Following the Summit, their aspects of transition, from information forces through pepnet 2 has been
knowledge had increased: students were about postsecondary programs, to critical. Through working together as a
able to identify their disability and training programs, to employment, to team, and with individuals throughout
needed accommodations, and they independent living options, to social the state, we are more effectively
demonstrated greater knowledge of the security and vocational rehabilitation meeting the needs of individuals who are
IEP and confidence in the transition services; it was intended to inform and deaf or hard of hearing throughout
process. educate not only the case managers but North Dakota as they transition to
The Summit was not all work. With students and their parents as well. postsecondary programs or the
the support of pepnet 2 and our From working as a team as we workplace.
sponsoring agencies and in support of developed, disseminated, and evaluated
Deaf Awareness Week, Keith Wann, a
hearing son of deaf parents and a
comedian who entertains internationally
in American Sign Language, performed Collaboration Calculations:
for more than 200 enthusiastic
community members. Wann’s Lessons from North Dakota
performance created a rare opportunity
for adults who are deaf to get together
with each other and deaf and hard of By Pam Smith and Bambi Lambert
hearing students and their families for
an evening of fun, camaraderie, and The following strategies proved helpful in enabling deaf and hard of hearing
outstanding entertainment—and for us students to use the resources available to effectively transition from school to
to attract more individuals to our event. postsecondary study or the workplace.
Following the Summit, the North
Dakota team developed a presentation •Identifythe roles and responsibilities of each team member involved in the
focusing on the transition needs of student’s transition—whether educational, training, or workplace—as well
students who are deaf or hard of hearing as independent living.
in North Dakota. The presentation
included audiological considerations, •Empowerstudents to take ownership of their goals:
educational considerations and o Always involve students in the IEP process.
assessments, vocational rehabilitation o Gradually release responsibility to the student through activities that
information, pertinent assistive require self-disclosure and self-advocacy.
technology considerations, o Regularly share the student’s progress with the rest of the team.
communication access, and relevant
services available statewide. This •Engagelocal, regional, and state agencies:
presentation has been shared virtually o Educate agencies and providers of the service needs of individuals who
via videoconferencing to statewide are deaf or hard of hearing.
agencies and in person at statewide o Provide professional resources.
conferences.
Responding to the feedback from the •Encouragestudents to self-advocate and communicate with their support
survey and Summit, the team compiled network throughout the transition process and into postsecondary,
a portfolio of informational resources to employment, and independent living options.
address the transition needs of students
who are deaf or hard of hearing. The •Establishand maintain meaningful connections on the national, state, and
portfolios were then hand-delivered local levels with agencies, providers, parents, schools, and other entities.
across the state to case managers of each This enables enhanced postsecondary outcomes for all students in North
student identified as having a primary or Dakota who are deaf or hard of hearing.
secondary disability of hearing loss as
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