The Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Ireland

Support Scheme: through this, schools and/or individual teachers can identify their own professional development needs and apply to the SESS for support. Support sought may be financial, professional or advisory in nature. Through this scheme, the SESS provides:

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  individual school visits or seminars, provided by a team of SESS local facilitators with specialist expertise in Deaf education
  
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  funding for whole-staff training in Irish Sign Language (ISL)
  
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  funding for teachers to avail of post-graduate qualifications.
  

2. 
   SESS core strategy. Since its establishment in 2003, SESS has prioritised and organ­ised the following events:
   

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  introductory five day courses for teachers of Deaf and hard of hearing pupils
  
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  A series on Language Assessment for Teachers working with Deaf Students (Sue Lewis, Mary Hare College)
  
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  A one day course called, Deafness: A Seminar for Mainstream Class Teachers and Resource/Learning Support Teachers
  
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  A series called, Language and Literacy Development: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (Connie Mayer, University of Toronto).
  

3. 
   Disability Awareness: the Kids on the Block programme. The Kids on the Block programme on deafness was developed to educate children about deafness, both its implications as a medical condition and Deaf culture. It is designed to:
   

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  promote awareness and sensitivity among hearing children
  
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  promote appreciation of the differences in each individual
  
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  explore some aspects of Deaf culture and contributions of people who are Deaf
  
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  teach children several simple signs.
  

Based on the Japanese theatre form called Bunraku, the Kids on the Block Inc was created by Barbara Aiello in the USA in 1977. It is an international company dedicated to teaching children and adults to accept and appreciate differences and disabilities.

4.