Introduction

These pages summarise the results of a recent Ewing Foundation Study into how severely and profoundly deaf students, educated through the Natural Aural Approach are doing at mainstream schools. It shows that

• their GCSE results are as good or better than the national average for hearing children
• 48% were reading at levels around or above their actual age
• all of them had close friends and were happy at school.

85% of the severely or profoundly deaf students in the areas studied are included in the results.

These are easily the most positive results yet available for deaf students. The major difference between this study and most others of deaf education is that all the students are severely or profoundly deaf and all of them have been educated through the Natural Aural Approach in mainstream schools.

About GCSE results

Compared to the country

The deaf young people in this study did at least as well as hearing children in their GCSE examinations. Three categories are used for the national averages : five or more passes at Grades A* to C, five or more at Grades A* to G and 1 or more at Grades A* to G.

In the most demanding category, five or more passes at Grades A* to C, the deaf young people exceeded the national average (50% compared to 45%). They matched the average at five or more at Grades A* to G and again exceeded the national average at 1 or more at Grades A* to G.

Compared to their schools

The deaf young people's results compared well with the other pupils at their schools. They exceeded their hearing peers' results in the five or more passes at Grades A* to C category (50% to 42%) and in the 1 or more at Grades A* to G (96% to 95%) and came close in the middle category (86% to 91%).

Compared to their brothers and sisters

Only sixteen of the deaf young people had hearing brothers or sisters of exam age. 25% of these achieved less good results than their siblings, 37.5% did as well and 37.5% did better.

Compared to a sample of deaf young people educated in a variety of approaches (Powers 1995 and 1996)

Stephen Powers of the University of Birmingham looked at the achievements of a wider sample of deaf young people (including those with moderate losses) educated in a variety of approaches in 1995 and 1996. Only 14% of the Powers 1995 group and 18% of the 1996 achieved five or more Grades A* to C. By comparison 50% of the Natural Aural students achieved this level.

The following data refers to the main group of twenty five young deaf people on whom full data was available.

About Reading Ages

The reading tests show that

28% were reading "off the test", that is at above the level expected for 16 year olds, the highest level of the test.

20% were reading at around the age of 15 years.

The median reading age was 14 years 6 months (but the real average is slightly higher because of the 28% who were reading above the test level).

Only 8% were below the functional level (11 years old).

The most quoted statistics on the reading ages of deaf school-leavers comes from a report by Conrad in 1979. His sample included children educated through all communication methods and his depressing results have influenced expectations for deaf children ever since. The median reading age of the teenagers in his sample was only 9 years and only 8% of them were reading at a level suitable for their actual age. The Ewing study of the Natural Aural sample shows a median reading age of 14½ years and 48% of them were reading around or above the level suitable for their actual age.

About friendships and happiness

Concern is often expressed that deaf children in mainstream schools may feel isolated or otherwise unhappy.

To address the concern about isolation, the young people were asked about their friendships at school and afterwards.

All of them said that they had had close friends at school and over 80% also said that they had them at the time of the study.

Over 90% at school and over 80% at the time of the study said that they had many friends including, for over 90% of both categories, hearing friends.

25% at school and under 20% at the time of the study had deaf friends but almost all said that they did know other deaf young people and met them occasionally.

These teenagers were also asked how happy they had been at both primary and secondary school.

None of them described themselves as unhappy or very unhappy at either primary or secondary school.

Between 20% and 30% were very happy at both schools.

Over 40% were happy at both.

About 20% were neither happy nor unhappy and these were quick to indicate that many of their hearing friends felt the same.

About the Young People

What were they like?

Young people included in the study

• were all severely or profoundly deaf
• at mainstream schools or unit/resource bases attached to mainstream schools
• finished Year 11, the usual GCSE year, in 1995 or 1996 or 1997
• educated within Natural Aural programmes throughout their school career
• from Local Education Authorities (LEA) where at least two-thirds of deaf pupils were educated through this approach

Young people were not included in the study if they :

• had diagnosed severe or moderate learning difficulties;
• went to school outside their LEA;
• moved in or out of the LEA during their school career;
• became deaf after 2 years of age.

Thirty three deaf young people in five Local Education Authorities were included in the study. Of the thirty three, there was complete information available on twenty five (the main group) and incomplete data on three (the sub-group). A further five were different because they had a progressive hearing loss which, as it is getting worse as they get older, impacts differently on their educational achievement and the data gathered on these five is not included in the results here.

Were they especially clever?

No. The IQ tests showed a distribution across the range which is fairly close to the general population's.

Were they especially well-off?

No. They came from a range of backgrounds, reflecting the populations in their LEA areas.

Where are they now?

Over 70% are continuing their education at university or college.

About the Research

The research was conducted by the Ewing Foundation to consider some of the factors that might contribute to the attainment levels achieved by deaf school leavers with a known educational history within the Natural Aural Approach from diagnosis to Year 11.

Why so small a study?

• Severe and profound deafness is relatively rare giving a small potential study group to start with.
• There are a range of approaches to the education of deaf children and only those educated within the Natural Aural approach were included.
• Consistency of educational approach was important and, as other families, families with deaf children move house etc causing changes in the children's education.
• Nonetheless, 85% of the severely or profoundly deaf students in the areas studied are included in the results.

How was the information collected?

• Questionnaires to the parents
• Questionnaires to the young people
• LEA records
• Interviews
• Specific tests

What was looked at?

• Level of hearing loss without hearing aids
• Hearing levels with hearing aids
• Age at diagnosis
• Gender
• IQ
• Socio-economic status of family
• Ethnic grouping
• Whether parents were hearing or deaf
• Parental support
• Educational support and management
• Audiological management

A more detailed description of the research.