For most families, starting school is a huge milestone. For parents of children with hearing loss this can be an even bigger milestone as their child moves from their early intervention to ‘big school’. As hearing professionals, we can play a big role in helping that transition be as smooth as possible through support, planning and preparation.
Transition for the child, family and professionals
A child leaving early intervention is also likely to be leaving their early education setting: they may have attended a school readiness group, have tried on their school uniform and are rearing to go. For other children they may be worried and uncertain about the prospect of going to school.
Parents too, may have a lot of big feelings about the transition, including reflecting on their own school experiences, perhaps a resurgence of feelings of anxiety and even grief that may have accompanied their child’s diagnosis. They may be worried about their child getting ‘lost’ at school, and wondering about their child: Will they make friends? Will they be able to hear?
The team of professionals supporting a child may change and their regular sessions with a listening and spoken language therapist, speech pathologist or teacher of the deaf will come to an end. A whole new set of professionals might be involved: the school principal, the classroom teacher, maybe a learning support teacher.
For everyone involved a plan for information gathering, information sharing and goal setting will be the best way to ensure that the transition is smooth. Ideally someone will ‘wear the armband’ or ‘carry the baton’ as the team leader for the child. It may be the parent themselves or they may nominate someone in their team to do this. Review points and timelines will be important to establish as well.
Transition to school plan
Here are some ideas for how to plan for the transition to school:
- Getting in touch with the school at least in the year before school entry is a good idea and arranging a visit will be helpful.
- Identifying the members of the team: for example, parents, early intervention team, audiologist, teacher of the deaf, early childhood educators school staff and how the team will communicate and share information
- Arranging a transition to school meeting: this can be really helpful in getting everyone ‘on the same page’ about goals and plans and expectations for the transition to school. Ensuring thorough notes are taken and shared as well as actions set out (with those responsible identified) are essential.
Gathering information
There will be a lot of valuable information that each member of the team will have about a child that may be useful to share. Such considerations might include:
- Current skills of the child: Where is the child in their communication journey? Are their strengths and gaps in their listening, speech and language? Are there any concerns about their social skills or executive functioning skills? How do they feel about going to school?
- Learning environment: what are the classrooms set up like? What about outdoor learning areas/the playground and hallways? Has the noise in the occupied classrooms been measured?
- Hearing technology: what technology does the child use and might have access too? Is all the technology in the best working order? Does the child independently manage their hearing aids/cochlear implant? Is there a plan for teachers to be upskilled in the use of this technology? Is there a plan for when a casual teacher comes for the day?
- Advocacy: is the child confident in advocating for themselves or do they need support with this? Do they know how to ask for clarification if they don’t understand or to request a listening break or a different place in the classroom? Do the parents know who and how to contact the school and how often communication will take place?
