Date Created

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Special Education, Special Education Student Work

First Advisor

Bowen, Sandra Kay

First Committee Member

Gershwin, Tracy

Second Committee Member

Grosselin, Katrine

Third Committee Member

Athanasiou, Michelle

Abstract

Deaf education has a history spanning more than 200 years; however, there remain relatively few evidence-based practices specifically identified for use with children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH; Cawthon & Carrie, 2021). In contrast, autism as a diagnostic and educational category is a much more recent phenomenon. Just over 80 years ago, Donald Triplett, became the first person diagnosed with autism in the United States (Donovan & Zucker, 2016). The diagnosis and education of autism is a newer phenomenon with strong research underpinnings. Conversely, the field of deaf education has existed for over 200 years, yet few evidence-based practices have been identified for use with deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children (Cawthon & Carrie, 2021). Since that time, autism research has expanded rapidly, resulting in a strong and growing empirical base. The identification and diagnosis of children who are DHH with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an even more recent development, with few diagnosticians possessing the skills and knowledge to accurately diagnose those with the comorbidity (Mood & Shield, 2014). According to McFayden et al. (2023), 7%-9% of DHH children have a comorbid autism diagnosis.

Given the intense educational and behavioral needs of children who are DHH with ASD (Borders et al. 2015), educators need evidence-based practices (EBPs) to support learning. While there are few EBPs in DHH education, ASD education identified 28 EBPs that could be modified for use with DHH children with ASD (Borders et al., 2022; Steinbrenner et al., 2020). There was a dearth of research identifying specific strategies and accommodations that supported DHH children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing (ToDHHs) working with children who are DHH with ASD. The current study attempted to answer the following three research questions:

Q1 What practices and strategies do ToDHHs utilize to increase language and communication skills for children who are DHH with ASD?

Q2 What practices and strategies do ToDHHs utilize to decrease challenging behavior?

Q3 What successes and challenges have ToDHHs faced in implementing effective strategies to decrease challenging behavior and increase language and communication skills for children who are DHH with ASD?

The current phenomenological study conducted individual interviews with ToDHHs to identify which EBPs and accommodations professionals used to educate DHH children with ASD. The study included 12 participants from itinerant, center-based, and separate programs for the DHH. Given the limited number of professionals in this field, teachers working across setting with DHH children with ASD were selected through purposive snowball sampling (Hall, 2020). A research journal was used to capture the researcher’s impressions and observations throughout the process. A peer debriefer was utilized to provide input and to challenge the researcher’s biases and assumptions (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Creswell & Poth, 2024).

Three main themes emerged from the data: (a) The lived communication and behavioral experiences of children who are DHH with ASD, (b) Enhancing language acquisition through multisensory instructional strategies in academic settings, and (c) Positive behavioral supports and multisensory approaches to reduce challenging behavior in the academic setting. Participants discussed the challenges they faced in educating children in this population and the strategies and accommodations they used to ensure student success. Limitations included a small number of participants and researcher bias. Future research should study the efficacy of the strategies mentioned in this study for use with children who are DHH with ASD.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Extent

138 pages

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Digital Origin

Born digital

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