Teachers

The Five-Step Plan

The Five-Step Plan presents a list of preparatory steps to complete in order to teach a student with a cochlear implant for the first time. We recommend following the Five-Step Plan if you are just beginning your school-entry preparation. The five steps are:

Step One-Learn about cochlear implants and hearing loss: The first step is to learn about typical hearing loss and being deaf, and to understand how a cochlear implant works.

Step Two-Work as part of a team: The second step discusses the importance of working as part of a team with parents and other professionals to learn about children with cochlear implants.

Step Three-Understand challenges and develop a strategy: The third step discusses common challenges that may be encountered by children with cochlear implants, and provides strategies that may help you overcome these challenges and support the child in your classroom. These strategies fall into four categories: 1) teaching, 2) classroom management, 3) listening support, and 4) social integration.

Step Four-Set up your classroom: The fourth step suggests methods to optimize the physical space in your classroom to support a child with a cochlear implant.

Step Five-Refine, record, and report: The fifth step provides tips and tricks for refining the strategies you use with the student throughout the school year and emphasizes the importance of strong record-keeping habits to make reporting easier.

We recommend that you complete the Five-Step Plan one to two months prior to the start of the school year. If you would like to follow the Five-Step Plan, review the mini-courses and related information sheets in the following order:

Step 1
Mini-course 1: How hearing works
This mini-course describes how sound travels and how hearing works in a typical hearing ear.

Mini-course 2: What is a cochlear implant?
This mini-course describes what a cochlear implant is and how it is used.

Step 2
Mini-course 3: Working as part of a team
This mini-course describes how to come together as a team with the parents and other professionals to support the child with a cochlear implant.

Step 3
Mini-course 4: Teaching a child with a cochlear implant
This mini-course describes teaching, classroom management, and listening support strategies to support a child with a cochlear implant in your classroom.

Mini-course 6: Hearing and language challenges facing children with cochlear implants in mainstream classrooms
This mini-course describes hearing and language challenges a student with a cochlear implant might experience.

Mini-course 7: Social and physical challenges facing children with cochlear implants in mainstream classrooms
This mini-course describes social and physical challenges a student with a cochlear implant might experience.

Mini-course 8: Social integration of a child with a cochlear implant
This mini-course describes strategies to help you encourage your student with a cochlear implant, and build understanding and acceptance among your other students.

Step 4
Mini-course 5: Arranging your classroom for a student with a cochlear implant
This mini-course describes methods to arrange your classroom space to best support the student with a cochlear implant.

Step 5
Mini-course 9: Review the progress of your student with a cochlear implant
This mini-course describes the process of revising your strategies as you learn more about cochlear implants by interacting with the student with the cochlear implant, his or her parents, and the educational team members.