Students with learning disabilities and hearing impairment: issues for the secondary and postsecondary teacher

Although the number of students with both learning disability and hearing impairment (LDHI) currently enrolled in secondary and postsecondary programs has not been precisely determined, it is clear that these students are currently receiving inadequate assessment and support in many institutions. The best route for serving these students would seem to be collaborative efforts between deaf educators and learning disabilities specialists, yet serious gaps exist between these two professions in regard to interpretation of laws governing special services, training of professionals, and locations of educational programs. The difficulties of developing collaborative work have been compounded by controversies within each field and the heterogeneity of the populations served by both disciplines. Those interested in creating good LDHI assessments should begin by considering the qualifications needed by those conducting evaluation procedures. The inadequacies of current formal assessment devices for this population need to be recognized; informal procedures, such as teacher observation and curriculum-based assessments, are still some of the best tools available for identification and educational planning.