Abstracts relating to the workshops
Keynote
Amy Szarkowski PhD Harvard University – Pragmatics and deaf children: Understanding what it is, why it is important, and how to support pragmatic development.
Much attention is given to the development of language and communication abilities in deaf children. To be certain, these are important! However, children do not “language” or “communicate” on their own; rather they do so in social contexts. Pragmatics incorporates the social use of language. For example, pragmatics involves understanding of environmental demands in communication, adjusting one’s communicative message depending on the communication partner/audience, and requires understanding of nuance in discourse (whether the conversation is conducted via a signed or a spoken language, or some combination of communication approaches). This presentation will describe pragmatic development and incorporate relevant research on pragmatics to highlight the particular relevance of pragmatics for children who are deaf. Recommendations will be offered to promote pragmatics for professionals working with deaf children. Additionally, participants will have an opportunity to engage with the topic and determine how to foster deaf children’s pragmatic abilities in their own professional capacities.
09.45 Workshops
James Mander, Made to Measure
With the evolution of test boxes, this hands on workshop will take a closer look at the tests and challenging environments that a modern test box can deliver for hearing aids and radio aids. So join us for a practical session in a small group using the Natus Auricle HiT to deep dive in to the test and recording features of a test box, ranging from measuring hearing aid gain, directionality function of the microphones, the telecoil field input, recording the adaptive gain of a transmitter, assessing the current drain of a hearing aid, writing bespoke reports test box environment analysis check plus more.
Wendy Pallant, The Right Track
In this workshop I will share some of the strategies, tools and technology that I use with deaf children who have additional sensory, physical, learning and/or physical needs.
This includes:
- The Communication Matrix – a framework to support language and communication at early levels.
- Technology: iPad, Penfriend.
- Assessment tool and approaches
- Building literacy skills through a whole word approach.
Emma Danton and Catherine Sharpe
Emma Danton –Supporting Deaf Children in Key Stages 3 and 4 to study the work of Shakespeare.
The study of Shakespeare is compulsory at Key Stage 3 as part of the National Curriculum, and is to all children studying for a GCSE in English Literature. Deaf children in mainstream schools who will study two to five different works of Shakespeare across their academic lives. This session will explore the potential barriers that deaf children may face when studying the work of Shakespeare. I will present practical strategies that QToDs can use to remove some of these barriers with a focus on supporting deaf children’s language to enable access to the GCSE English Literature curriculum so that they can make appropriate progress, in line with their hearing peers, in their GCSE studies.
Catherine Sharpe – Maximising opportunities for oracy to support the development of deaf learners.
Despite having been a part of the National Curriculum for over 30 years, research shows that oracy is not embedded in teaching and learning across mainstream schools. Oracy is the ability to express oneself fluently through speech and for deaf learners, who are predominantly taught in mainstream schools, it is an imperative aspect that has the potential to improve a wide range of language skills such as speaking, reading, writing and pragmatics.
In this session I will discuss ‘oracy’ highlighting it’s benefits for deaf learners. I will also share strategies, pointing to legislation, so that QToDs can ensure that deaf learners are offered the opportunity to use oracy to develop language skills, supporting the development of literacy and subsequently access to the curriculum in mainstream school.
Suzanne Williams and Sandra Barlow, Using an Audiology Curriculum
There is always a need for specific teaching of deaf children by a qualified teacher of the Deaf. Something that isn’t provided by mainstream settings. This session will give you an overview of the Leeds Audiology Curriculum in practice, exploring a range of resources and activities that could be used. Finally, we will use case studies to identify suitable ways of using the Audiology Curriculum with a range of children and young people.
11.00 Workshops
Ewing Foundation, Getting ‘up to speed and back on track’ with Pre School Language Scale 5 (PLS-5) and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-5) with Helen Martin, Clare Prior and Carole Wood.
In 2022-2023, Ewing Foundation celebrates 70 years of supporting deaf education professionals. Please join our Education Advisers for an update on our services, and a hands-on session about the Pre School Language Scale 5 (PLS-5) and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-5) which are now available to QToDs.
Azra Parveen, An insight for Teachers of the Deaf working with D/deaf children of British-Pakistani Muslim Heritage.
Findings by the NDCS (2019) outlined deaf children were more likely to be from a minority ethnic background and also stated a higher prevalence of deafness in the Pakistani group, compared to the White-British and Black groups. Around 90% British-Pakistanis living in the UK outlined their religion as Islam (census 2011). As we have an increased number of children from British-Pakistani Muslim backgrounds on our caseload, we as Teachers of the Deaf need to learn about what is important for these families.
The workshop answers the following questions:
- How disability is viewed in this group and where these ideas stem from?
- How are family dynamics different in the British Pakistani Muslim group?
- What does cultural and ethnic identity mean for the D/deaf children and their families?
- What is the significance of religion (Islam) for these families?
- Why is language so important?
- What can Teachers of the Deaf do to support these children?
This workshop will provide information, which will be both evidence-based and of personal first-hand experience. Tips and advice will be provided throughout the workshop for use when working with these families. This is to ensure practitioners are delivering a family-centred approach, which is crucial in building a positive rapport with care-givers.
Teachers of the Deaf will leave the workshop with a better awareness of the British-Pakistani Muslim families they work with. This will allow them to provide meaningful advice and support for parents/carers, benefiting the child(ren) on their caseload.
Elizabeth Foundation, Using online resources to work with families with babies and preschool deaf children with Julie Hughes.
The Elizabeth Foundation is the largest preschool provider for deaf children under 5yr in the UK. The charity works with a variety of partners to be able to provide information and practical guidance to support the development of listening and spoken language skills. Let’s Listen and Talk is a free resource developed by the charity for both parents and professionals to benefit from.
This workshop will explore the Let’s Listen and Talk online resource, reviewing the many elements that make up the programme. In these challenging times, partnered working seems to be a positive way forward. With that in mind, this resource is meant to be used in partnership with The Elizabeth Foundation, to support the development of communication, listening and speech skills for young deaf children. In addition, delegates will be introduced to the new online baby and toddler music programmes to support listening development. Music, rhythm, repetition and visual cues enhance the activities that support the various elements of the listening hierarchy.
Within the workshop, we will discuss the varied ways the resource is currently being used by both parents and professionals and explore feedback mechanisms that will mutually benefit all involved. The workshop will be a mix of information, discussion and practical activities.
Ros Herman, BSL Assessment
Deaf children are at risk of language deprivation, either because access to spoken language is compromised, or because input from fluent sign language users is frequently lacking. Language impairments in some deaf children pose additional barriers to language acquisition. Language assessment is therefore crucial in order to monitor progress, identify strengths and development needs, inform language interventions and evaluate whether interventions are successful.
Standardised assessments represent one approach to measuring language development. Standardised tests of spoken language are widely available and are increasingly used with deaf children. However, few measures exist for assessing sign language development. This talk will consider challenges underlying the design and development of sign language assessment tools, review a selection of available BSL measures, and discuss the benefits and limitations of standardised assessments for this group of children.
