On Wed. May 25th, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on deaf and hard of hearing children. The report, titled “Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Federal Support for Developing Language and Literacy,” was completed “to better understand how federal programs support deaf and hard of
hearing children.”
“The GAO was asked to examine the: (1) extent of hearing
loss among children, (2) settings in which these children are educated,
(3) factors that help deaf and hard of hearing children acquire language
and literacy skills, and (4) challenges to providing appropriate
interventions for these children. GAO analyzed data on hearing loss;
reviewed research literature; interviewed educators, national
organizations, parents, and state and federal officials; and examined
relevant federal laws and regulations. A draft of this report was
provided to the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services
for review and comment. Each provided technical comments, which were
incorporated into the report, as appropriate. GAO makes no
recommendations in this report.”