Adapting Science Education for Hearing Impaired Students in a Moderate-to-Severe Special Education Middle School Classroo

The project included taking an existing science unit from the Full Option Science System (FOSS) and creating a list of adaptations for students with a hearing impairment in a moderate to severe special day class (SDC) in a middle school. The selected unit, "Plants," was designed for the second grade general education population. The first modification is the level selected, so that it would more appropriately match the cognitive level of the middle school students. Lessons were examined and the researcher determined which adaptations would be utilized for students with a hearing impairment. Students with a hearing impairment often miss content because teachers are unaware of their needs and need for continuous adaptations throughout the lessons. The purpose of adding adaptations to each lesson was to make the science content accessible to students with a hearing impairment, who are cognitively delayed as well. These adaptations also apply to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for all students. Specialized staff with appropriate knowledge and experience reviewed the adapted lessons and completed a questionnaire including recommendations. Feedback was used to improve the accessibility of the science content and to improve the usability for teachers.