Special Education/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialization
Candidates who are admitted to the Preliminary Education Specialist Credential – Deaf and Hard of Hearing program will enter as a cohort and participate in program activities in sequence.
It is possible to obtain the Master of Science in the Education of the Deaf without completing the credential requirements; however, CLU has developed the credential and master’s degree so candidates may work on the two concurrently. Requirements for completion of the two are not exactly the same. The master’s degree does not authorize the recipient to teach special education in K-12 public schools. To do so, the graduate student must meet California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) requirements and be recommended by the university.
Program Outcomes
Reflective, principled Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher program graduates will be able to:
- Assess learning of students with hearing loss;
- Plan instruction and design learning experiences for students with hearing loss;
- Understand and organize subject matter knowledge for students with hearing loss;
- Create and maintain an effective environment for students with hearing loss;
- Engage and support all students with hearing loss in learning;
- Represent the different roles of a deaf educator, including interactions with parents and school staff;
- Develop as a professional educator for students with hearing loss.
Admission to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program
CLU offers the Preliminary Education Specialist, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teaching Credential. A general education teaching credential is not a prerequisite for completion of this credential.
To assure a prompt admission decision, applicants for admission to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program should submit all application materials by:
- July 1 for fall semester
- November 1 for spring semester
- April 1 for summer semester
All application materials are to be collected by the applicant and submitted together. Admission decisions for regular standing are based on the following materials in the applicant file:
- Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.7 for credential-only programs; 3.0 upper division GPA for Master of Science in Special Education (M.S.)
- Admission appointment with admission counselor
- Application for Admission form and non-refundable application fee
- Official transcripts from all previous colleges and universities
- A personal statement following the guidelines included in the admission packet
- Three academic or professional recommendations
- For Master of Science applicants only, submission of GRE scores (unless Petition to Waive GRE Requirement is submitted and approved)
- The admission test may be waived for applicants who present an official transcript of previous college work from a regionally accredited college or university reflecting any one of the following criteria:
(a) An undergraduate, upper division grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale); or
(b) A combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the most recent 60 units of study consisting of any of the following: graduate course work, upper division postbaccalaureate course work (exclusive of extension or continuing education work) and upper division undergraduate course work; or
(c) A minimum of nine units of graduate course work completed with a 3.5 grade point average; or
(d) A previously earned master’s degree
International applicants must submit the following:
- An International Student Application Form and additional required documents.
- GRE and TOEFL scores if undergraduate work was completed at other than a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
Requirements for Continued Advancement into the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program
- Bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or equivalency
- Certificate of Clearance (fingerprint clearance)
- TB test (negative-results test taken within one year of program admission)
- Basic Skills – verification of passing score on California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) or equivalent
- Subject Matter Competence – verification of passing score on California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) or by completion of approved Subject Matter Program1
- U.S. Constitution - verification by official transcript or passage of exam
1 | Authorized subjects include general subjects (CSET, Multiple Subjects) and single subjects of art, English, foreign language, mathematics, music, science and social science. |
The Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) is not required for M.S. program completion, but is required for the preliminary credential.
Note: These requirements are subject to change by the CTC.
Requirements for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preliminary Education Specialist Credential
Required Courses (40 units)
EDDH 500 | Characteristics of Diverse Learners With Hearing Loss | 3 |
EDDH 502 | Audiology: Diagnostics in Infants and Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing | 3 |
EDDH 504 | Educational Audiology and Hearing Technologies for Children and Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing | 3 |
EDDH 508 | Speech, Aural Habilitation and Advanced Communication | 3 |
EDDH 516 | Language and Literacy for Students With Hearing Loss (including English Language Learners) | 3 |
EDDH 518 | Early Childhood Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Working With Families From Diverse Backgrounds | 4 |
EDDH 525 | Academic Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction, and Technology for Students With Hearing Loss (including English Language Learners) Grades K-5 | 3 |
EDDH 527 | Curriculum, Instruction and Technology For Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Grades 6-12 | 3 |
EDDH 545 | Developing Audition, Speech and Spoken English Language in Children and Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing | 3 |
EDDH 546 | Inclusion/Collaboration/Itinerant Teaching With Diverse Learners | 3 |
EDDH 548 | Teaching Students With Hearing Loss and Additional Special Needs Including Autism | 3 |
EDDH 560 | Extended Practicum and Seminar | 6 |
Total Hours | 40 |
Requirements for the Clear Education Specialist Credential, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialty
- Prior to application to the Clear program, a teacher must hold a valid basic Education Specialist credential.
- Required course for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clear credential program, based on completion of Preliminary credential program: EDDH 553
- Teachers must complete all Clear requirements to apply for the Clear Education Specialist credential.
Teachers have five years from the date of issuance of the Level I or Preliminary credential to complete Clear requirements.
Requirements for the Master of Science in the Education of the Deaf
Candidates who satisfactorily complete the Preliminary course of study are eligible for the Master of Science degree in the Education of the Deaf with the following additional requirements: EDSP 510 and EDSP 599 .
Courses
EDDH 500. Characteristics of Diverse Learners With Hearing Loss. (3).
This course provides an introduction to the
characteristics and education of diverse learners
with a hearing loss, ages birth to 21. Topics
include the history of deaf education, current
research and trends, legal issues in deaf
education, behavior management, professional
resources, universal design for learning (UDL),
ethical challenges, and their application to
today's children and youth who are deaf or hard
of hearing. Each lesson in the course constitutes
a separate, discrete topic of importance in our
field. Candidates will reflect on their
experiences observing schools, programs,
organizations, and companies for the deaf,
meeting adults with hearing loss, and how new
technologies and Universal Design for Learning
impact diverse learners with hearing loss,
including those with additional disabilities and
English language learners.
EDDH 502. Audiology: Diagnostics in Infants and Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. (3).
Teachers, therapists and others who provide
services to children with hearing loss need a
basic introduction to: causes, types, degrees and
measurement of hearing loss; the nature of sound;
anatomy and physiology of the hearing mechanism;
audiograms; classroom acoustics; amplification,
and assistive listening devices, including
cochlear implants and sensory devices for
educational settings. Opportunities to observe
(10 hours) assessment of hearing loss: newborn
hearing screenings, ABR and OAE testing, and
behavioral audiometry in young children are
integral to the course as well as implications
for early intervention, parent education, and
language development.
EDDH 504. Educational Audiology and Hearing Technologies for Children and Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. (3).
Course topics include pediatric audiological
assessment; issues in early and later cochlear
implantation; audiological recommendations for
IFSPs and IEPs; device options; and the use of
hearing technologies in school settings.
Classroom acoustics, the use of FM systems, and
collaboration between the parents, audiologist,
SLP, and classroom teachers and aides will be
integrated into strategies to maximize the sounds
of spoken language for the development of
literacy and academic English.
EDDH 508. Speech, Aural Habilitation and Advanced Communication. (3).
This course will focus on the development and
remediation of audition and spoken English
language and speech in children and youth who are
deaf or hard of hearing, including functional
assessment, establishing goals/objectives for the
IEP, diagnostic teaching and strategies for
intervention. Candidates will observe
speech/language therapy sessions for elementary,
middle and high school students, with a special
emphasis on assessments and the integration of
audition and speech production into classroom
settings. Special attention will be paid to
students who use cochlear implants and digital
hearing aids.
EDDH 516. Language and Literacy for Students With Hearing Loss (including English Language Learners). (3).
This course is designed to develop an
understanding of the nature of language and how
it develops in typically developing children and
children with a hearing loss, ages birth to 6.
The more a hearing professional understands about
how language develops in typically developing
children the more informed their judgments about
language programming for children with hearing
loss will be. This course will begin with the
nature of language, what we understand about it,
how the theoretical perspectives about language
acquisition have changed over the years, how
these changes have influenced research and
language programs for children who are deaf or
hard of hearing. With this foundation, the course
will explore: a) theories that address the
development of language and literacy in typical
children, b) the descriptive data that outlines
language processes and growth in very young
children, and c) how young children who are deaf
or hard of hearing can acquire language and
literacy in a developmental manner.
EDDH 518. Early Childhood Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Working With Families From Diverse Backgrounds. (4).
Parent/Infant and preschool early intervention
models for children who have been diagnosed with
a hearing loss will be presented. Candidates will
gain an understanding of typical and atypical
infant and preschool-age child development,
knowledge of a variety of appropriate
assessments, strategies for guiding parents in
natural settings as well as center-based
programs, coordination of services for children
with additional challenges, an understanding of
participating in interdisciplinary teams, the
ability to foster interagency collaborations, and
skills to help families from diverse backgrounds.
Legal, ethical, and linguistic factors will be
discussed for this population. Candidates will
develop skills in writing and implementing IFSPs
and IEPs in a variety of settings. Candidates
will participate in guided practicum experiences
in parent-infant programs as well as in
preschools (special day classes and inclusive
settings). This course will examine parents'
feelings, emotions, and attitudes related to the
diagnosis, education, and challenges of raising a
deaf or hard of hearing child. It will include
readings, class discussions, lectures, role-play,
observations in parent support groups and parent
education classes, and parent guest speakers.
EDDH 520. Lang,Lit&CurAssmt SchChDHH. (3).
This course will examine and apply language
development principles to reading and writing
development of school-age children with an
emphasis on children whose hearing loss is
identified late, who received access to the sounds
of language later, or who are delayed in the
development of a language system and
peer-equivalent literacy skills. Issues related
to: cultural differences, assessment and planning
as part of the IEP process, language acquisition
in special day classrooms, transition into the
mainstream and general education curriculum,
outcomes related to sign languages, and the role
of families will be discussed. Prerequisites: EDDH
500, 502, 504, 506, 512.
EDDH 525. Academic Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction, and Technology for Students With Hearing Loss (including English Language Learners) Grades K-5. (3).
Candidates will assess and develop academic goals
and learning outcomes for the students with
hearing loss, grades K-5. Candidates will develop
IEPs integrating their knowledge of typical and
atypical child development during the elementary
school years, demonstrating Universal Design for
Learning (UDL), accommodations and modifications
to state content standards, as well as planning
lessons for instruction with specific strategies
for students with hearing loss and additional
special needs and English Language Learners.
Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of:
planning and Instruction for English Language
Learners; making content accessible for students
with hearing loss and additional disabilities,
such as autism; assessment and planning of
instruction for grade levels (K-5) in a variety
of instructional settings; sequencing and
differentiating instruction using state-approved
materials; best practices and strategies
acquiring literacy and grade-level state content
standards; and teaching compensatory strategies.
EDDH 527. Curriculum, Instruction and Technology For Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Grades 6-12. (3).
Candidates will develop academic goals and
learning outcomes for the students' IEPs
integrating their knowledge of typical and
atypical development during the middle and high
school years, with accommodations and
modifications as well as planning lessons in
units of study for instruction with specific
strategies for students with hearing loss and
additional special needs. Candidates will
demonstrate knowledge of: planning and
Instruction for English Language Learners; models
of placements, collaborations, transitions, and
service delivery; students with hearing loss and
multiple disabilities, such as autism; assessment
and planning instruction grade levels (6-12);
sequencing and differentiating instruction; and
best practices and strategies acquiring literacy
and grade-level content standards.
EDDH 545. Developing Audition, Speech and Spoken English Language in Children and Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. (3).
The course will allow candidates to teach speech
and spoken English language instruction with
children and youth with hearing loss, including
those with additional challenges in a clinical
practicum. Candidates will administer assessments
in phonetic and phonologic speech, receptive and
expressive language, and auditory skills in a
one-to-one therapy setting. From the assessments,
candidates will choose targets in each area,
write lesson plans, choose appropriate materials,
engage and monitor student learning during
instruction, and integrate goals into each area
using content-based themes. Opportunities for
collaboration with the students' audiologists,
therapists, teachers and parents will be
integrated into the course. Candidates are
expected to demonstrate effective and
developmentally appropriate strategies and
behavior management techniques during
instruction. Candidates will participate in a
30-hour speech/spoken language practicum with
children and youth with hearing loss in a
one-to-one clinical therapy setting which
integrates and demonstrates knowledge and skills
from previous course work.
EDDH 546. Inclusion/Collaboration/Itinerant Teaching With Diverse Learners. (3).
This course is designed for Education Specialist
candidates to address issues related to
inclusion, itinerant teaching, and collaboration
with all members of the school community for the
benefit of students with special needs. Students
with special needs, including those with hearing
loss, need to be able to access the core
curriculum to the maximum extent possible and
within the least restrictive environment
according to their IFSP, IEP, and ITP. Students
become acquainted with IFSP, IEP and ITP
documents which provide the foundation for
professional team members to make decisions on
goals, placement, and transitions across the
lifespan. Universal Design for Learning will form
the foundation for accommodations and
modifications. Within a wide range of service
delivery options, candidates will explore their
roles as itinerant support teachers, co-teachers,
consultation teachers, and student supporters
within inclusive settings. Issues, standards, and
goals related to English Language Learner will be
integrated into course activities.
EDDH 548. Teaching Students With Hearing Loss and Additional Special Needs Including Autism. (3).
This course is a study of learners with hearing
loss who are also diagnosed with additional
special needs, and who need additional special
education programming. Candidates will become
knowledgeable and skilled in the assessment
process with other professionals during various
instructional designs such as co-teaching and
consultations.
EDDH 553. Induction Plan Development and Assessment. (3).
The course is designed to assist and support the
candidate in the development and assessment of
the Individual Induction Plan to be completed
within the first 120 days of employment under a
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preliminary credential.
The plan is developed in collaboration with a
school district support provider, the candidate,
and the university. Professional Growth
Activities (PGA) are approved non-university
activities. The Induction Plan Development and
Assessment are developed in consultation with the
student, employer, and university.
EDDH 560. Extended Practicum and Seminar. (6).
This course is a practicum experience in teaching
children and youth who are deaf and hard of
hearing in school settings (elementary, middle or
high school). The focus is on a systematic
sequence of observations, applications, and
evaluations of various pedagogical approaches in
a variety of settings with various types of
children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The
candidate plans instruction for the class based
on state-mandated content area standards. This
course stresses the implementation of individual
educational plans (IEPs) towards the achievement
of English language literacy. Theory and research
are integrated into a teaching experience
designed to provide D/HH education specialists
with a multiplicity of strategies and techniques
for providing instruction for students with
hearing loss, in collaboration with
paraprofessionals, general educators,
speech/language therapists, audiologists and
other school professionals across the spectrum of
educational options.
EDDH 582. Selected Topic. (1-4).
EDDH 590. Independent Study. (1-4).