Steps to Assessment

Book excerpt: The purpose of this guide is to address the knowledge areas and skills impacted by hearing loss and to describe assessment procedures to identify the adverse educational effect of hearing loss in these areas. It is not the intent of this guide to include all assessment instruments that could be used to identify the areas of strengths and needs of students with hearing loss. It has been developed to provide a framework for school teams and professionals specializing in the education of students with hearing loss to use when assessing the unique needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. These assessments can be used as part of the evaluation process to determine eligibility, as tools for developing specific goals and objectives, or as a measure of pre- and post-instruction performance. Expected development in the expanded core knowledge and skills is also a significant consideration when determining the impact of the hearing loss on school performance and will therefore be integrated into the assessment process described.