Classroom placement for multiply handicapped hearing impaired persons

The purpose of this graduate project was to investigate classroom placement of the multiply handicapped hearing impaired student. In limiting this study, an exploratory investigation of schools for the hearing impaired was conducted to compare how the multiply handicapped hearing impaired population is presently being served and will be served in the future by these programs. The investigation centered around a questionnaire which solicited responses from 110 schools for the hearing impaired which serve more than 100 hearing impaired students. The survey focused on the following areas: 1) the present classroom placement of the multiply handicapped hearing impaired student; 2) the professionals' opinion as to the most appropriate placement for the eleven classifications of multiply handicapped hearing impaired; 3) an estimate of future placement service types; 4) general features of programs which facilitate service. Although placement in day schools as compared to residential/day schools are different, both opinions and future projections of placements indicate a movement toward providing less restrictive placements for the multiply handicapped hearing impaired student. In addition, a tendency for programs to provide broader services to the multiply handicapped hearing impaired was demonstrated by more than 80 percent of the programs reporting special provisions for this population. In addition, twelve programs plan to provide future services to the mentally retarded hearing impaired.