Social Integration of Deaf Children in Inclusive Settings

Exceptional children

This 5- year longitudinal study examined the social skills and problem behaviors of students who were deaf or hard of hearing and who attended general education classrooms. Data were obtained from classroom teachers and students themselves. The mean Social Skills and Problem Behavior scores were within the average range and normally distributed each year. The average change over 5 years was not significant. The most consistent predictors of social outcomes were the students' classroom communication participation and participation in extracurricular activities.

Psicologia: Teoria E Pesquisa, 2020

The objectives of the study were to compare social skills among deaf children and adolescents and to outline the discriminant profile in relation to skilled social behaviors. The research had a quantitative, cross-sectional and comparative design. Seventy-one deaf people aged 7 to 16 years old participated in the study, assessed by a sociodemographic questionnaire and by the Social Skills Test for Children and Adolescents in School Situation. Results revealed that deaf adolescents have more elaborate social skills when compared to deaf children. Children have a profile related to the Conversation and Social Resourcefulness and Assertiveness while adolescents were included in the Civility and Altruism profile. These results were discussed based on the development and specificities of deafness. Future research may assess these skills beyond the school settings.

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 2008

This qualitative case study investigated the nature of social experiences and opportunities for communication among students who are deaf-blind, their sighted peers with no hearing loss, and adults in inclusive settings. Strategies used by adults to promote interaction were also observed. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

Child: Care, Health and Development, 2003

Background Increasingly, deaf students are educated in mainstream school environments. This poses a question of how deaf children negotiate the demands of forming friendships with their hearing peers. The present study was designed to examine coping strategies of 35 deaf children attending full or partial mainstream school settings. Method Using a qualitative analysis design, a range of coping strategies used by the children was described based on parents' reports. The relative success of these coping strategies in establishing relationships with hearing peers was assessed by examining strategies that increased the social success of deaf girls and boys. Results The results showed differences by gender in the effectiveness of coping strategies used by the participants. Deaf girls who were confident and frequently asked for clarifications or who were comfortable playing alone tended to achieve good relationships with hearing peers. In contrast, deaf boys' relationships with hearing peers benefited mostly from the boys' ability to perform well in sports. Conclusions These findings are discussed in light of existing research on coping and current debates on the benefits of mainstreaming for deaf children.

Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 2012

The study focused on social competence (SC) and perceived sense of loneliness of preschool children with hearing loss (HL) in group inclusion (GI, a small group of children with HL is integrated in a standard classroom) and individual inclusion (II, each child with HL is individually integrated into a standard classroom). The relations between these factors and the child's speech intelligibility were performed. Sixty-four children aged 4-7 years participated: 22 from an II and 42 from a GI. SC, perceived sense of loneliness, and speech intelligibility were evaluated through the use of questionnaires completed by the preschool teachers. The results showed that the SC of children in II was higher than the SC of the children in GI, while interacting with normal hearing (NH) children. In GI, the children's SC with other children with HL was higher compared with their SC with NH children. In both groups, there were relationships between speech intelligibility and SC with NH children. In addition, in the II setting, there were relationships between the speech intelligibility and the perceived sense of loneliness. These relationships were not found in the GI setting. The findings support the need for coenrollment of preschool children with HL and emphasize the crucial impact of speech intelligibility of children with HL on the success of their social enrollment with NH children, already at a young age.

European Journal of Special Needs Education, 2012

Perspectives on academic and social aspects of children's school experiences were obtained from deaf and hearing children and their (deaf or hearing) parents. Possible differences between (1) the views of children and their parents and (2) those of hearing children and their parents compared to deaf children and their parents were of particular interest. Overall, parents gave their children higher school friendship ratings than the children gave themselves, and hearing children and their parents were more positive about children's friendships than were deaf children and their parents. Both children and parents also saw deaf children as less successful in reading than hearing children. However, deaf children having deaf parents, attending a school for the deaf and using sign language at home all were associated with more positive perceptions of social success. Use of cochlear implants was not associated with perceptions of greater academic or social success. These and related findings are discussed in the context of parent and child perspectives on social and academic functioning and particular challenges confronted by deaf children in regular school settings.

Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 2020

There are many documented benefits of social capital to adolescents in general, and for young people who are deaf or hard of hearing social capital can potentially have a buffering effect against adverse life outcomes. Using the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (Asher et al., 1984; Cassidy & Asher, 1992) and the Looman Social Capital Scale (Looman, 2006), this research investigated changes in levels of social capital and loneliness and peer relationships of deaf or hard of hearing adolescents before attending a residential camp and then three, six-and 12-months post-camp. The camp was specifically for DHH adolescents whose primary communication mode was spoken language. The study also investigated associations between social capital and adolescents' perceptions of loneliness and peer relationships. Results indicated no statistically significant change in social capital and loneliness and peer relations over the four-time points. There was a significant association between one social capital scale, common good, and loneliness. Implications of these findings are discussed, and recommendations are made for enhancing social capital development within a residential camp experience.

1996

This final report describes the activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project in New York City on the formation and maintenance of social relationships and social networks of children and adolescents with deaf-blindness. Research activities attempted to: (1) identify patterns of social interaction and social. networks across educational environments which had varying degrees of integration or inclusive programs; (2) monitor the development of social relationships across natural environments; (3) document effective interventions and supports which promoted social exchange between students with deaf-blindness and their peers; and (4) increase social opportunities within the schools and communities for children.and adolescents with deaf-blindness and their families. Project activities focused on increasing awareness about the social and communication skills of students with deaf-blindness and promoting opportunities for social interaction at school, at home, and in the community. The project provided direct services to 10 students with deaf-blindness, their peers, families, and educators. The report describes the project's theoretical and conceptual framework, methods and procedures, interventions, general results, and dissemination. An appendix summarizes classroom techniques for working with these students. (Contains a bibliography of about 100 references.) (DB)

European Journal of Special Education Research, 2021

This research assessed the social interaction and the academic performance of the deaf and hard of hearing students in a school for the deaf in Cebu City, Philippines. There were 49 respondents who were assessed in terms of their social interaction and academic performance. A survey questionnaire was used to assess the level of their social interaction and their grades were used to measure their academic performance. Data gathered were treated statistically using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that the respondents had an average age of 19.5 years old that are deaf with 3 to 4 siblings. The respondents had high social interaction with their teachers and peers but had moderate social interaction with their family members and very low social interaction with the hearing students. They perform satisfactorily in school. There were significant relationships between their interaction with their family members and the hearing students. Thus, school administrators are...

A large number of case studies within a local as well as at international level have focused on the impact of environmental and social factors on deaf people's psychosocial development and adaptive functioning. Given the importance of the consequences of psychosocial factors on the individual's ability to adapt successfully in the school and the broader social environment, the research has been carried out to evaluate the social adaptation of deaf/hard of hearing (d/hh) adolescents attending secondary schools in Cyprus. For the present study quantitative methods have been used. More specifically, 64 d/hh students filled in (a) the secondary level of the Social Skills Rating System-SSRS (Gresham & Elliott, 1990) and (b) the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (Asher et al., 1984, Galanaki & Kalantzi-Azizi, 1999). The results have shown that d/hh adolescents have a satisfactory level of social adaptation. With regard to the level of loneliness that d/hh adolescents are facing, the results showed that the majority of participants did not exhibit signs of loneliness. The results of the present study have implications for developing supportive programmes and services for all the d/hh children and adolescents, their families and their teaching staff.