Hear from our community

“It has helped me identify a girl in year 8 who has only very basic communication skills and given me the confidence to help her more specifically, by encouraging her to read aloud and speak in front of a group, which she has just done.

“I have been able to use a lot of information on dealing with my deaf student and his abilities, arranged for time out and quiet time, as I have understood the background noise issue and now appreciate how hard it can be. I have recommended this website to two friends who I used to work with, who are now in Primary schools and have put forward suggestions from this course, even something as simple as where to seat the learner. Thank you for extending the course for me, I am so pleased I was able to complete it.

“A very timely course after the current lock-down. Supporting Social/emotional mental health & well-being of children in Primary is one of my strengths and reading from up to date & relevant sources was very helpful. Forum questions & statements enabled space to think through issues, rather than just reading through resources. Setting goals shaped my classroom practice, embedding knowledge into practice.

“The first section of the course with information about hearing loss and levels, the different types of hearing aid equipment and ways of assessing was useful and interesting. The case studies were interesting to watch and to hear the opinions and thoughts of young deaf people, however, I found this section to be less relevant to my role. The children in the examples were all older and more capable, whereas many of the deaf children we see have more complex needs. However, I did find it particularly useful in this instance to hear the parents’ views and to be reminded of how overwhelming it can all be at this stage and the number of professionals involved within a child's life. It has made me think about the environment in home visits and currently video calls, and the importance of joint visiting with specialist teachers and working together.