Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Upcoming Professional Development

Untangling the Layers: Identifying DHH Multilingual Learners

Description: Join us on September 4^th 3:30-5:30 on Zoom as Hunter Smith, our Multilingual Learner with Disabilities Specialist, provides us with an insightful and timely training that addresses one of the field’s most complex challenges:  How do we appropriately identify Deaf and Hard of Hearing students whose home language is something other than English or ASL?

This session will unpack:

• The key considerations in identification
• What should (and shouldn’t) be included in the body of evidence
• How to support equity in the evaluation process

 Whether you’re a teacher, specialist, or administrator—if you're part of a Colorado team supporting DHH multilingual learners, this training is for you. Make sure to Register for Untangling the Layers by August 25th.

Visual Phonics - See the Sound

The Visual Phonics training explores the multi-sensory Visual Phonics system and its benefits in reinforcing beginning literacy skills and speech production for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, bilingual, or possess diverse learning needs. This training develops the skills necessary to implement Visual Phonics in therapeutic and instructional settings. Participants will learn to recognize, produce, and blend the Visual Phonics hand cues and written symbols for the 42+ English phonemes. This training aligns with the Science of Reading as it explores research-based strategies to support beginning reading and spelling instruction with the support of Visual Phonics in therapeutic and instructional settings.

This will be split into 3 Zoom Sessions ~ you MUST attend all 3 sessions and be presenting working in a Colorado public school. There is a maximum of 45 people who can register.

• Monday September 8th, 
• Wednesday September 10th, AND
• Friday September 12th 

All sessions will run from 4:00pm-7:00pm

This training session will help support the work that Robert Frantum-Allen will discuss the following week! Register for Visual Phonics - See the Sound by August 30th.

Literacy and Language: Identifying and Addressing the Unique Needs of Students with Hearing Differences

Join us this fall for a dynamic, practice-based Zoom training series led by Robert Frantum-Allen, designed for Colorado professionals supporting the language and literacy development of students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Whether you attended Robert’s powerful summer session or are joining for the first time, this series will deepen your knowledge, strengthen your instructional skills, and provide actionable strategies to move from theory to meaningful impact!

Session 1: Assessment & Goal Writing

September 18, 2025 from 3:30–5:30 PM
Get clarity on how to assess students' literacy needs and craft meaningful, measurable goals.

Session 2: Instructional Strategies

October 16, 2025 from 3:30–5:30 PM
Discover effective, evidence-based approaches tailored to DHH learners.

Session 3: Progress Monitoring

November 13, 2025 from 3:30–5:30 PM
Learn how to track student growth and adjust instruction with purpose.

Come ready to collaborate, reflect, and elevate your practice!

Mark your calendar and Register for Literacy and Language so you don’t miss this opportunity to build on the momentum from summer and continue transforming literacy outcomes for DHH students.

Skills Training for Colorado Educational Interpreters:

Interpreting from English to ASL — How? With Ruthie Jordan

This interactive Zoom-based workshop shares practical strategies for interpreting from English to ASL. Through live, hands-on activities and guided practice, participants will explore how to interpret spoken and written English into conceptually accurate and culturally appropriate ASL. The workshop focuses on key elements such as classifiers, conceptual accuracy, visual grammar, and cultural context.

Participants will engage with real-world topics from educational and community-based settings, strengthening their ability to effectively connect meaning between English and ASL. This workshop is Free to Educational Interpreters providing services in public schools in Colorado

This 7.5 Skills workshop will be taught over 3 days on Zoom

• Friday 11/14-4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
• Saturday 11/15-10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
• Sunday 11/16-2:30 PM – 5:00 PM

​You must attend all three days to earn credit. Registration will be released in September 

Language in Space taught by Dr. Deb Cates

One of the ways ASL is most different from English is the spatial nature of ASL grammar. This includes layering of nonmanuals, temporal information, mapping and depiction (role shift, depictive verbs). This workshop reviews these fundamental features of spatial grammar in ASL. As each feature is reviewed, participants practice that feature using a children’s story. Throughout the workshop, components of the narrative are built one piece at a time until the whole story is rendered in ASL as the final activity of the workshop. This workshop is best offered over two days, but it can be condensed into one full-day workshop. *Taught in ASL*

This 7.5 Skills workshop will be taught over 3 days on Zoom

• Friday 4/24 4:30 to 7:00 PM (MST)
• Saturday 4/25 10:00AM to 12:30 PM (MST)
• Sunday 4/26 2:30 to 5:00 PM (MST)

You must attend all three days to earn credit. Registration will be released in September: 

2 More Skills Workshops will be announced in September!

Newly Released

The Colorado Starfish Assessment Tool

The Colorado Starfish Assessment tool is designed to assist teams in addressing the common needs of students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. It outlines key questions for IEP teams to consider across multiple areas, including Functional Auditory Performance, Language and Communication, Academic Performance, Social-Emotional Needs, Self-Advocacy, and Technology Use. By guiding discussion in these domains, the tool supports informed decisions regarding service needs and the determination of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

LRE for Deaf of Hard of Hearing Students Federal Guidance and Best Practices

LRE for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students: Federal Guidance and Best Practices whitepaper, released in 2025, summarizes federal guidance and recommends practices to follow when considering the appropriate learning environment for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), and applies to all U.S. states and territories.

Guidelines for the Educational Evaluation & Intervention of Auditory Processing Deficits (APD)

We’re excited to announce the release of the Guidelines for the Educational Evaluation & Intervention of Auditory Processing Deficits (APD). This comprehensive resource is designed to support educators, specialists, and evaluation teams in identifying and addressing the unique needs of students with APD. Grounded in current research and best practices, the guidelines offer clear procedures for conducting educationally relevant assessments, developing effective intervention plans, and promoting collaboration among school-based teams. These guidelines aim to ensure that students with auditory processing challenges receive the targeted support they need to succeed in the classroom.

Guidelines for the Educational Evaluation & Intervention of Auditory Processing Deficits (APD)

Funding Opportunity

Communication Plan Funding Application Form

Back by popular demand!  CDE will be providing LIMITED funding for schools/districts to support teams in meeting the requirements for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students under the Colorado Communication Plan.  Providing quality language development and opportunities for students to have access to peers and role models is key for all students.  This funding is designed to help teams bring innovative ideas to life, creating more opportunities and stronger outcomes for their students.

What's New

Serving Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing: A Professional Development Course for SLPs and other Service Providers

Students with hearing loss in Colorado, although low in incidence, have educationally significant and often quite specific needs in speech, language and academic development.  Service providers, especially Speech and Language Pathologists, may at one time or another provide services to students with hearing loss.  This course provides knowledge, information and resources to assist in better understanding, assessing, analyzing data and serving students who have hearing loss.

This course contains 5 modules which focus on the impact of hearing loss, aspects of a potential language gap, role of the SLP and essential nature of collaboration with service providers on the Deaf/HH education team as well as other essential components. Formal and informal assessment, using language samples, and knowing where to find resources and materials can be critical in providing specialized instruction and monitoring student progress.  Whether part of a large district program, a small rural school or anywhere in between, this course has been developed to support YOU in the services you provide to students with hearing loss. 

Access the online course

 

 

D/HH Job Board

 View the latest listing of Deaf Hard of Hearing jobs across the state. 

 

Statewide Deaf/HH Events Calendar

View Deaf/HH Events Calendar

 

Bulletin Board 

Bulletin Board features D/HH specific announcements and important information.

Questions?

For more information about services for students who are hearing impaired, please contact:

Shauna Moden, Deaf Education Specialist
Phone: 720-413-0179
Email Shauna Moden