1. Deaf Education in Malta Emanuel Mangion Charmaine Friggieri Vicki Grech May 2012

2. Deaf Education in Malta: An Overview

3. Education in Malta  Although the University is over 400 years old, compulsory education for all children was introduced by law in 1946.  Compulsory and free education for all from 5-14yrs became effective in Sep1955.

4. The Introduction of Deaf Education  1950 - Mr Joe Burlo who had trained as a speech therapist in the UK, was asked to work within the Education Department of Malta. He soon began promoting the importance of educating deaf children.  1956 – The 1 st school for the Deaf was set up as an extension to the Msida primary school. At the time all teachers interested in teaching deaf children were trained at Manchester University. Initially the oral method was applied, however pupils used sign language among themselves. Years later the method used at the school was a mixture of speech and gestures.  1970 – Parents of deaf children realised that there was a discrepancy between what their children were taught at school and what other children were learning in the mainstream. Consequently, they began to send their children to local schools where support was provided by peripatetic teachers of the Deaf for an average of 3hrs/week.

5.  1980 – Hearing impaired students started to attend kindergarten at 3yrs of age.  1993 – The Gozo Association of the Deaf invited Andrew Broughton, Sue Lewis and C.A. Powell to deliver a one week course to teachers and parents in both Malta and Gozo. The team made recommendations to ensure better education for hearing impaired students.  1997 – A committee was set up to prepare a report on deaf education in Malta. Recommendations in the report included the need of universal neonatal hearing screening (UNHS) and the need to train teachers of the deaf. The committee also served as a board of studies for the teachers’ training course planned to be set up at the University of Malta.

6.  1997 – The school for the Deaf was closed down. The last few remaining students and the teachers of the Deaf were transferred to ‘Helen Keller School’, a school that caters for profound and multiple learning disabilities.  1998 – A Deaf unit for girls, run by two teachers of the Deaf, was set up in a mainstream secondary school in Mosta. Nine students attended this unit.  1999 – A Deaf unit for boys was set up in a mainstream boys secondary school in St. Venera. Four students attended this unit which was run by three teachers of the Deaf.

7.  1998-2000 – British lecturers Andrew Broughton, Sue Lewis, Steve Powers, Susan Gregory, Bencie Woll, Helen Reid and Hilary Sutherland contributed to the part time course for teachers of the Deaf which was run at the University of Malta.  2001 – Teachers of the Deaf contended for special arrangements during national and school based examinations. Hearing impaired students were the first students to benefit from such arrangements during exams.  2008 – The Student Services Department (SSD) was established. All special educational services, including the peripatetic service for the Hearing Impaired were transferred to Hamrun.

8. Special Education Section  Access to Communication & Technology Unit  Autism Spectrum Support Team  Home Tuition  Teachers for the Visual Impaired  Teachers of the Deaf  Early intervention service  Hospital Classes  Youth Psychiatric Unit  Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties Specialists  Transition Organiser  Unaccompanied Minors Asylum Seekers  The services in the four Resource Centres  Learning Support Centres

9. Audiology Situation ( 2012 )  In Malta public Health care is free  ‘Mater Dei’ Hospital was completed in 2008 and is one of the largest medical buildings in Europe. Equipped with state of the art medical equipment, it ranked 5 th in the WHO.  However, no Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening (UNHS) is being carried out yet.

10.  Equipment for UNHS is available but there are no screeners.  The post of an Audiological manager was offered in 2010, but the position is still vacant.  Diagnostic services are understaffed and therefore following no SOP’s and standard protocol.  Screening of NPICU babies depends on staff availability, however the majority of babies are being screened.

11. Service for the Hearing Impaired ( 2012 )  Teachers – There are 12 Teachers of the Deaf. 2 ToDs in Gozo 10 ToDs in Malta  Educational Audiologists - There is one educational audiologist who is also a ToD.  Sign Language Interpreters – There are 3 sign language interpreters.  Students – 26 students in Gozo 91 students in Malta

12. Educational Audiological Services  Testing Facilities  Moulds (same day delivery)  Acoustic environment in school and class  Counselling Referral System  Parents / Guardians  School Staff  Doctors  Audiologists

13. The role of the Peripatetic Teacher of the Deaf  Pre-school children, kindergarten, primary, secondary and post-secondary students who have a hearing loss benefit from the service.  Generally students have two sessions with a ToD on a one to one basis.  Duration and number of sessions depend on individual needs.  Sessions are delivered in homes or in schools.  Range of services: some students have oral/aural services. some students have oral/aural services. the majority need both gesture and key word signing the majority need both gesture and key word signing some have a sign language interpreter. some have a sign language interpreter.

14.  ToDs: Provide educational support to deaf and hearing impaired students. Provide educational support to deaf and hearing impaired students. Give consulting services to parents, SMT, teachers, LSAs and other adults who work with them. Give consulting services to parents, SMT, teachers, LSAs and other adults who work with them. Prepare Individual Learning Plans for students. Prepare Individual Learning Plans for students. Attend MAP and IEP sessions. Attend MAP and IEP sessions. Provide opportunities for students to get to know each other (organised outings) Provide opportunities for students to get to know each other (organised outings) Modify examination papers and set special papers. Modify examination papers and set special papers. Act as communicators during school based and national examinations Act as communicators during school based and national examinations Organise in-service courses for teachers and LSAs Organise in-service courses for teachers and LSAs Attend case conferences and write reports. Attend case conferences and write reports. Liaise with ENT, social workers, psychologists, speech language pathologists etc. Liaise with ENT, social workers, psychologists, speech language pathologists etc. Liaise between home and school where possible. Liaise between home and school where possible.

15.  Ongoing in service training is provided in order to keep ToDs up-to-date on new research, resources and technology

16. Deaf awareness talks are held in schools in order to raise hearing pupil’s deaf awareness and ameliorate social inclusion. Deaf awareness talks are held in schools in order to raise hearing pupil’s deaf awareness and ameliorate social inclusion. Story telling sessions in MSL are held at the Public Library in Floriana during the summer holidays. Story telling sessions in MSL are held at the Public Library in Floriana during the summer holidays.

17.  ToDs make sure that every individual student get all the support s/he needs in order to reach his/her full potential and become independent.

18. GRAZZI Obrigado/a