The Role and function of counselors for the deaf in public schools

1
The Role and function of counselors for the deaf
in public schools

• Gabriel I. Lomas, Ph.D.

2
Agenda

• Why is this topic important?
• What is the history of (school) counseling as it
  relates to deafness?
• Justification for specialized counselors in
  schools.
• The study.
• The outcome.
• Implications and future research.

3
Questions

• 1970s The migration of deaf students to public
  schools began. Clearly, instructional services
  migrated as well. However, what about support
  services?
• If support services (counseling specifically) are
  available, what do these services look like? Are
  they provided in sign or ASL? Do these personnel
  counsel only deaf students? Do these personnel
  perform other duties?
• What is the role of counselors serving deaf
  students in public schools?
• Why is there so much inconsistency regarding
  counseling D/HOH students in public schools?

4
Historical Changes in the Field

• Early counselors for the deaf were usually
  teachers or other school staff who could
  communicate well with students.
• Early counselors were not trained in
  counseling. They were identified because
  colleagues and students had faith in them.
• There is no evidence of clinical specialists in
  communities until the 1960s. Therefore, schools
  for the deaf were looked to for a variety of
  psychological services.

5
Laws Changed the Landscape

• Civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 1960s
  gave women specific rights. The education of
  black children changed with Brown vs. the Board
  of Ed. in Topeka in 1954.
• PL 94-142 in 1975 required public schools to
  provide a FAPE to all students
• PL 94-142 was reauthorized in 1990, 1997, and
  2004. Other legislation (such as PL 99-457) has
  served to compliment PL 94-142, now the IDEIA.
• Prior to 1975, less than 20 of all students with
  disabilities nationally were educated in public
  schools.

6
FAPE and LRE

• Free appropriate public education does not mean
  the best education.
• All services must relate to an educational need.
  (example, Rowley case)
• Student must need the service to make progress
  academically.
• Education must take place in the LRE, which is
  defined as the general education classroom.
  Schools for the deaf are always seen as more
  restrictive.

7
Justification

• Equal access. If hearing students have access to
  counselors without interpreters, shouldnt deaf
  students? All staff who provide direct and
  on-going instruction should sign.
• Deaf students have a variety of unique needs that
  impact them in schools.
• ASCA Model
• Transforming School Counseling
• State laws on guidance and counseling

8
Psychological Concerns

• Ninety percent of deaf students have hearing
  parents who know nothing about deafness.
• Most parents dont realize the key role that
  language plays in human development.
• Most parents dont clearly understand that oral
  language will be impaired if the child cant
  hear. Intervention is delayed.
• Physicians usually recommend oral/aural
  interventions.

9
Diagnosis

• Emotional, often fraught with grief and loss
  (Luterman, 2001 Moses, 1983).
• Vernon and Andrews (1990) described the diagnosis
  of deafness as a devastating emotional shock,
  the depth of which is rarely sensed by the
  professional making the diagnosis (p.125).
  Vernon and Andrews contended that families do not
  adjust to the reality of deafness until the
  family realizes that the disability will not be
  overcome. False hope may delay intervention
  (ASL).

10
Attachment

• Early studies found evidence of insecure
  attachment between hearing mothers and deaf
  babies (Greenberg Marvin, 1979 Lederberg
  Mobley, 1990).
• More recent studies (Meadow, Greenberg, Erting,
  1985 Lederberg Prezbindowski, 2000) found that
  mothers adapt intuitively.
• Parents who know of their childs disability see
  them as unattractive and withdraw affection and
  eye gaze.
• Communication struggles negatively impact the
  parent-child relationship.

11
Child Abuse

• Studies show that children with disabilities are
  at least twice as likely to be abused than
  children without disabilities (Knutson, Johnson
  Sullivan, 2003 Westat, 1994)
• Deaf children at residential schools endure more
  abuse than hearing students (Sullivan Knutson,
  1998).
• Knutson, Johnson Sullivan (2004) found that the
  discipline of mothers of deaf children was more
  aggressive and physical compared to mothers of
  hearing children.

12
Child Abuse

• Barriers to Disclosure
• Acquiescence with authority
• Perpetrators view deaf children as easy targets
• Communication problems with agencies
• Lack of knowledge regarding maturation/sexuality
• Lack of knowledge of appropriate vs.
  inappropriate pain (OT, PT, SLP)
• Less people available for outcry
• All of these factors heighten the need for
  counseling

13
School Based Concerns

• Large numbers of deaf students at residential
  schools have counseling IEPs, but they suddenly
  do not need counseling when they move to public
  school. (Allen, in press)
• Brandt and Moore (2006) found that 77 of the
  students in their study (in public schools) were
  receiving counseling. However, only one of the 26
  counselors indicated use of an interpreter. None
  of the counselors reported sign language
  proficiency adequate for counseling.

14
School Based Concerns

• Early work (Williams Sussman, 1971) indicated
  deaf youth were prone to emotional and behavioral
  disorders The deaf youngster in a regular
  public school usually finds himself in an alien
  and threatening psychological environment.
• Schlesinger and Meadow (1972) found that 11.6 of
  516 D/HOH children in their study were severely
  ED, while 19.6 had lesser but significant
  emotional problems.
• Gentile and McCarthy (1973) found that 18.9 of
  42,000 D/HOH children had emotional or behavioral
  problems.
• Vernon and Andrews (1990) estimated D/HOH
  children had ED at a rate five times that of
  hearing peers.

15
School Based Concerns

• More recent studies point out flaws in prior
  studies and indicate that deaf students
  demonstrate serious psychological problems at
  about the same rate as their hearing counterparts
  (Moores, 2001 Sullivan Knutson, 1998). Still,
  early research indicating disproportionately high
  numbers of deaf students with emotional problems
  (Jensema Trybus, 1975) appears to remain
  constant today (Willis Vernon, 2002).
• Isolation in public schools may have frightening
  consequences as deaf youth transition to
  communities that are ill-equipped to receive
  them.

16
Practical Experience

• Consider what language does for behavior in human
  development.
• Many deaf children arrive at school with little
  to no affect vocabulary.
• Giving them words and modeling use of language
  helps to reduce behavior problems.
• Labeling feelings helps us to cope.
• Behavior problems may escalate when teachers
  dont consider the cause.

17
ASCA Model

• Four Areas
• Developmentally appropriate guidance and
  counseling for all students
• Individual guidance and counseling designed to
  help students develop personal goals and refine
  future plans.
• Responsive services plan to include individual,
  group, peer assistance, parent resource,
  referrals.
• Support services to establish, maintain, and
  enhance a comprehensive program.

18
Transforming School Counseling

• The Transforming School Counseling Initiative was
  funded by the Education Trust (Met Life) in
  cooperation with the DOE.
• Discontinuity in the role and function of general
  education counselors was identified and became an
  area of focus.
• Priority is to train the SC to become an
  educational leader
• Metaphor of the waterfall
• A specialist working with deaf students fits into
  the framework of a team working together

19
State Laws Related to Counseling

• By 2006, approximately 34 states had developed
  their own models for school counselors.
• The Arkansas state model describes the role with
  a time distribution of 75 in direct services to
  students and 25 in related services.
• TX model has eight domains, similar to other
  states.
• Roles are not delineated for special education
  (deaf education) counselors.
• TX SB-518 requires that school counseling
  departments have a guidance and counseling
  program that is comprehensive and reaches all
  students.
• In TX, little has changed since the passage of
  SB-518, primarily because the legislation has no
  bite in it.

20
Federal Law

• Related services include counseling and
  psychological services under IDEA/IDEIA. Most
  parents dont know this.
• IDEA 1997 indicates that school personnel should
  be able to communicate in the language and
  communication mode of the child
• (iv) consider the communication needs of the
  child and in the case of a child who is deaf or
  hard of hearing, consider the childs language
  and communication needs, opportunities for direct
  communications with peers and professional
  personnel in the childs language and
  communication with peers and professional
  personnel in the childs language and
  communication mode, academic level, and full
  range of needs, including opportunities for
  direct instruction in the childs language and
  communication mode. (IDEA, Title 34 CFR, Sec.
  300.346 a 2)

21
Position Statements

• NAD position statement on MH states that
  providers should be able to communicate
  directly with clients. Problem Does not
  address schools.
• Other agencies and counseling centers (such as
  universities and deaf-related agencies) have
  position statements that indicate direct
  communication without an interpreter.
• ADARA has no position statement.
• Taken together, it appears that deaf students
  have a heightened need for a counseling
  specialist.

22
The StudyResearch Questions

• Question How do counselors working with deaf
  students perceive their actual vs. their ideal
  role?
• Are there themes that might help clarify their
  role?
• Assumption Most, if not all, deaf education
  programs have a counselors working with their
  deaf students in some capacity.

23
Participants - Quantitative

• The largest fifteen metro areas were initially
  selected.
• Local public school programs for the deaf were
  identified using the AAD resource guide (2005)
• Criterion sampling Participants had to be
  current counselors of deaf students in public
  schools. Residential schools were excluded.
• Letters were mailed to 75 programs, emails were
  sent, phone calls were made
• One of the metro areas had NO counselors
• Many were protective and suspicious
• Initially, only eight participants replied.
• Ended up using listservs
• In the end, 24 SC for D/HOH completed the
  quantitative portion, 22 completely.

24
Questionnaire Quantitative

• Initially it was pilot tested with nine experts
  including professors at Gallaudet, LSSPs,
  counselors and others who could not be part of
  the group. Revisions were made to the
  questionnaire.
• The final instrument had 48 questions, responses
  were Likert scale. Participants had to select
  radio buttons indicating they never performed the
  task (0), they performed the task much less time
  (1), less time (2), about the same amount of time
  (3), more time (4), or much more time (5)

25
Participants Quantitative

• Areas of Training for Quantitative Participants
  (N22)
• n Hearing Deaf
• School Counseling 15 13 2
• School Psychology 4 4 0
• Social Work 2 2 0
• Other 1 0 1
• Total 22 19 3

26
Questionnaire (quantitative)

• Eight research-based areas (job duties)
  including
• 1. Individual Counseling
• Ex. Provides individual counseling to all deaf
  students.
• 2. Group Counseling
• Ex. Conducts needs assessment to identify needs.
• 3. Group Guidance
• Ex. Uses a commercial guidance curriculum.
• 4. Assessment
• Ex. Conducts achievement testing for eligibility.
• 5. Parent Education
• Ex. Organizes parent education meetings.
• 6. Consultation
• Ex. Meets with teachers for behavior
  consultation.
• 7. Academic Counseling
• Ex. Meets with students to schedule classes.
  Meets with students to improve their awareness of
  their learning styles.
• 8. Other duties
• Ex. Monitors student behavior in the cafeteria.

27
Questionnaire (qualitative)

• Items gleaned from findings in the quantitative
  portion of the study
• 1. Do you use a guidance and counseling
  curriculum?
• 2. Do you conduct any assessment?
• 3. What are some of the common counseling needs
  of your students?
• 4. What roles and responsibilities do you find
  most challenging/rewarding?
• 5. Are there adequate professional development
  opportunities available specific to your work?
• Validity and reliability were established and
  found within acceptable limits for both portions
  of the study.

28
Participants Qualitative

• Participant Gender Age
  Hearing/Deaf Race State
• 1 F 40-49 Hearing White TX
• 2 F 30-39 Hearing Black/A.A. TX
• 3 M 40-49 Deaf White TX
• 4 F 50-59 Hearing White OH
• 5 M 50-59 Hearing White TX
• 6 F 30-39 Hearing White TX

29
Analysis

• Quantitative
• Data were non-parametric, primarily due to small
  sample size. Wilcoxon test and Bonferroni
  post-hoc test were used to find significance at
  the .05 level.
• Qualitative
• All were tape recorded and one was video recorded
• All tapes were transcribed
• Constant Comparative method used
• Data was coded then grouped by code
• Themes emerged from groups
• Member checking was done

30
Results 12 Tasks significant at .05

• 8 Conducts Needs Assessment to Identify
  Counseling Needs
• 9 Provides Group Counseling to Deaf Students
  w/Similar Counseling Needs
• 10 Provides Group Counseling to D Students
  w/Varying Counseling Needs
• 12 Provides Group Counseling to Deaf Students
  with Multiple Disabilities
• 13 Uses a Guidance Curriculum
• 14 Uses a Guidance Curriculum that is
  Commercially Available
• 15 Provides Guidance to all Students in the Deaf
  Program
• 16 Provides Guidance to Select Students in the
  Deaf Program
• 28 Organizes Parent Education Meetings
• 29 Leads Parent Education Meetings
• 37 Provides Staff Development
• 41 Meets with Students to Improve their Awareness
  of own Learning Style
• THESE WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IN THAT
  RESPONDENTS FELT THEY PERFORM THESE TASKS LESS
  THAN THEY SHOULD

31
Results Quantitative

• Findings were generally harmonious in that all
  respondents felt they are doing what they should
  be doing.
• For the significant tasks, respondents felt they
  dont do these tasks enough.
• None of these participants were engaged in
  administrative tasks such as administering
  discipline, doing state testing, scheduling
  classes, or monitoring behavior.

32
Results Qualitative Themes

• 1. Authority based on experience
• 2. Director of Collaborations/Negotiations
• 3. Isolation
• 4. Surrogate Parent/Insightful Social Confidante
• 5. Martyr

33
1. Authority based on experience

• Many participants used their authority to
  disregard laws, policies, and standards.
• Example School district adopted guidance program
  that the counselor disregarded as not
  appropriate for the students but did not obtain
  permission to do so.
• Example Does not write an IEP for related
  service of counseling because participant has
  provided counseling this way for many years.

34
2. Director of Collaborations/Negotiations

• Participant asked for teacher and student input
  but ultimately chose the materials and topics,
  retaining power.
• When teachers felt P competes for instructional
  time, P tells teacher to call P when needed. When
  placing responsibility on the teacher, P retains
  control of collaborations.
• When asked about parent education P said, I
  chose to deal with them a lot.
• When asked about student guidance P said, I work
  with students when needs arise.

35
3. Isolation/Unique from Peers

• Participants complained of a lack of colleagues
  who can relate to Ps experience.
• I go by what the kids need instead of following
  the curriculum. (Authority/Director/Autonomy).
  Most do not use a guidance curriculum, even if
  the district requires it.
• They students come to us with things that
  hearing students wontlike peer conflicts and
  parent communication.
• I dont have cafeteria dutyrecess dutyI dont
  have any of that.

36
4. Surrogate Parent/Insightful Social Confidante

• All Ps described some level of dysfunction in the
  home lives of their students.
• Most of the concern was focused on
  miscommunication.
• We help with communication, something a
  counselor with hearing kids wouldnt have to do.
• Level of concern appeared parental, as if they
  assumed a parental role and responsibility.
• Their presence in the lives of children perceived
  as critical.
• I can get them to tell me what is actually wrong
  instead of just saying something to appease the
  teacher.

37
4. Surrogate Parent Cont.

• They students need guidance they are just not
  getting at home.
• The lack of home communication affects their
  relationships and value development.
• We function like a family and often times more
  of a functioning family than the families they
  live in.
• I try to emphasize this is a network they can
  connect with, even if they arent connected to
  their families.
• I fill a void that parents leave due to
  communication problems.
• Many students have constant conflict with
  parents.

38
5. Martyr

• Responsibilities not shared
• Unmanageable caseload size
• Blame problems on others
• Perception that others dont understand Deaf
  culture
• Profession is devalued

• Teachers have it easy.
• Im the low man on the totem pole. Referring to
  office space.
• Indicating she had over 100 kids on her caseload,
  I try my best to see them as often as possible
  but there are so many kids with so many needs.

39
Martyr Continued

• Counseling as a whole is not as valued as it
  used to be.
• Elementary counselorsgo into classrooms and
  read a book to the kidsperhaps about respects,
  and they have a little discussion and I cant do
  that. Implying that elementary general
  counselors have an easier job.
• Meeting with parents and students together to
  resolve family problems is an added
  responsibility.
• Their home environment tells them misbehavior
  is cool.
• There are no trainings for counseling deaf
  kids.

40
Qualitative Quantitative Converge

• Authority Based on Experience 13, 14, 15, 19, 20,
  21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27
• Director of Negotiations/Collaborations 13, 14,
  15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
  39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48
• Isolation 13, 14
• Surrogate Parent/Social Confidante -
• Martyr 1, 13, 14

41
Conclusions

• Transference and Counter-Transference was evident
• T and CT are noted in counseling literature as
  something counselors should be mindful of as they
  can be potentially dangerous.
• CT may lead to crossing boundaries such as
  actually taking on a parental or peer role.
• T and CT can be therapeutic in some orientations.
  Students should not over identify with counselor
  as a parental figure.
• Counselors should foster healthy parent-child
  relationships.

42
Conclusions

• The ASCA Model is predicated upon the idea that
  school counselors should be efficient managers of
  time. Yet, prior studies (Antia Kreimeyer,
  1996 Lederberg Prezbindowski, 2000) found that
  deaf students have more emotional demands than
  students in the general population and, as such,
  require more time and attention.
• No body to advocate for counselors for the deaf.
• No research to point out the need for counselors.
• As a cohort, these counselors fulfill a role
  similar to clinical counselors or clinical social
  workers. They perform little to no administrative
  duties.

43
Conclusions/Implications

• They are pleased with their role but want to do
  more clinical work.
• They are seeking more resources, guidance,
  colleagues.
• They may need more supervision, ironic as there
  is a paucity of colleagues.
• They seek appropriate curricula and materials.

• Most do not work with hearing students.
• They do not conduct any assessment and feel they
  should not.
• They do not engage in administrative duties and
  feel they should not.
• They would like to be more involved in parent and
  teacher training.
• They would like to be able to engage the LFD.

44
Implications and Future Research

• Guidance curriculum was desired (PATHS)
• Current curricula/materials must be identified.
  Gaps should be identified and programs to fill
  gaps should be developed.
• Networking opportunities are desired
• Models of supervision should be researched,
  especially in light of CT and transference
• Professional associations, governments, should
  identify the role and policies
• States might consider setting up a network of
  counselors in regions to serve all deaf students.

45
Implications and Future Research

• Assessment is a weak area, though this cohort
  indicated they should not assess
• Why assessment is a problem was not identified in
  this study. Perhaps a protocol for counseling
  assessment made easy is in order.
• Ps felt overwhelmed as they tried to meet all
  needs and work with all students. Models for time
  management, coordination, and collaboration
  should be explored.
• Professional development needs to be made more
  readily available. ADARA, Gallaudet, etc might
  take the lead with webinars, listservs, and
  discussion boards.
• Counselor educators should include coursework in
  SPED in their curricula

46
Implications and Future Research

• Study the role of counselors at residential
  schools and compare it to public schools
• Study behavior regulation patterns among older
  deaf youth who had a counselor vs. those who
  didnt.
• Similarities and differences with the ASCA model,
  Transforming School Counseling, and state models
  should be explored
• This study may be a starting point for the
  development of a role and function position
  statement or job description

47
VR Implications

• Deaf consumers who had a counselor
• Deaf consumers may not be aware of the
  traditional roles counselors are trained to
  assume.
• Deaf youth may expect their VR counselor to do
  more than VR counselors typically do for hearing
  clients.
• Deaf consumers should have some idea how to
  function as a client.

48
VR Implications

• Consumers who did not have a counselor
• May have no idea how to function as a client.
  They may need clear psychoeducational training on
  roles and expectations prior to becoming a
  consumer.
• May be lacking in the social/emotional domains.
• If we can address problem areas when consumers
  are children, we have a higher chance of success
  in therapy and the cost to the state VR system
  (and other systems such as psychiatric care) is
  reduced.

49
Additional VR Implications

• VRC should explore the possibility of connecting
  with schools in a closer fashion. They can
  collaborate with the school specialist to address
  ADA, transition, VR, independent living,
  employment, and other topics.
• The VRC who works in an area where there are no
  school-based specialists might do the same as
  above and advocate for the school counseling
  needs of students/future consumers.
• As a team player, the VRC might identify VR
  weaknesses in recent graduates and communicate it
  to the school.

50
Future VR Research

• T and CT in the VRC-Consumer relationship might
  be explored.
• Supervision of VRCs might be examined.
• Issues of isolation and networking should be
  explored. If solutions are found, they might be
  shared with school specialists.

51
Dr. Gabriel Lomas

• Houston Center for MH and Deafness (HCMHD)
• 3701 Kirby Dr., Suite 1014
• Houston, TX 77098
• 713-533-9778 (v)
• Lomasg_at_Comcast.Net
• Website
• www.hcmhd.org

• University of Houston Clear Lake
• MC 156
• 2700 Bay Area Blvd.
• Houston, TX 77058
• 281-283-3515 (v)
• Lomasg_at_uhcl.edu