Moving on from school
Whatever a young person decides to do after school, The National Deaf Children’s Society has a wealth of information covering many stages of education after the age of 14 years.
As a young person moves on to the next level of education or work, their entitlement to support remains. The Equality Act outlines that a person with a disability (including deafness) should not be significantly disadvantaged by their difficulties. The employer or education provider should be expected to make reasonable adjustments to ensure this, such as getting lecture notes for the student, providing British Sign Language (BSL) support or not expecting the deaf young person to use the phone if this is difficult for them. There may be funding available to help purchase equipment, such as the Access to Work fund.
If a student continues on to further or higher education, their entitlement to appropriate support for their learning continues. However the biggest change is that the emphasis is usually on the student to ask for the support they need or want, rather than at school where it may have been put into place for them.
When choosing the next step in education, it is always a good idea for the student to visit different establishments and talk to Student Support staff about their experience supporting students with hearing loss and what services they can offer, such as note takers, voice recorders, assistive listening technology etc. They may also be able to provide training to teaching staff about hearing loss. This will also give students a chance to discuss the teaching methods used and workload on the courses. When a decision is made it is essential for the student to get in touch with the Student Support Services to get everything they need put into place.
When the move is made (particularly if relocating to a different area) students may need to register with a new GP – if this happens the Implant Centre will need to be informed to maintain support of the equipment.
Please click on the link below for a useful resource for further advise;
Supporting the achievement of deaf children in further education
Key concepts
- What are the communication options for teenagers?
- How can we optimise the learning experience?
- What are the social and emotional considerations for teenagers?
- How can we ensure students perform at their best during exams?
- How can you support a child moving on from school?
- How can groups work together to promote understanding?
