Development of a School Adaptation Program for Elementary School Students with Hearing Impairment

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Special Education
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Technological advancements enable mainstreaming of hearing-impaired children in public schools.
• Concerns persist regarding academic and social integration challenges for these students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a School Adaptation Program (SAP) tailored for hearing-impaired children attending public elementary schools.

Main Methods:

• The SAP's theoretical framework integrates a system model (microsystem, mesosystem, macrosystem) with Keller's ARCS theory.
• The program comprises 10 sessions covering school life, classroom activities, peer and teacher relationships, and school environments.

Main Results:

• Preliminary validity testing involved review by 16 elementary school teachers.
• The SAP received an average score of 3.60 (±0.52) out of 4, indicating reliability and validity.

Conclusions:

• The SAP shows potential as a practical tool for enhancing academic support and social integration for hearing-impaired children.
• It addresses key areas crucial for the successful adaptation of hearing-impaired students in mainstream educational settings.