We can read and write: critical characteristics of highly literate deaf and hard of hearing students and their families

UnrestrictedHistorically, people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) have not succeeded academically. Literacy skills for students with hearing loss are well below average on all measures. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has made this achievement gap public by requiring data on this subgroup. Yet, even with the overwhelming number of "failing" students, some are successful. This is a case study of 3 highly successful high school graduate extreme cases. The cases represent different etiologies, different communication choices, differing degrees of hearing loss, and family structures. The researcher is interested in identifying factors that contributed to the success of these three students and as families are the foundation upon which children develop, the parents will be given questionnaires and interviewed to gather suggestions for other parents of children who are deaf and to inform future practices of the professionals in the field of Deaf education