The Early Years Deaf Service

The Early Years Teacher of the Deaf supports children from birth to five years old who have been diagnosed with hearing loss.

What the Service does

The Early Years Teacher of the Deaf works with and supports deaf children and their families from the point of diagnosis until the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (end of the child’s Reception year).

Support can include:

• Monitoring and supporting your child’s development – with a focus on their language and communication skills
• Providing information, answering questions and offering emotional support
• Facilitating contacts with other families and children with deafness
• Help with establishing consistent use of hearing technology
• Signposting to other relevant services, charities and organisations
• Assisting with transitions to pre-schools, nurseries and primary schools
• Advising educational settings how to best meet the needs of deaf children

How the Deaf Service works

When a child is diagnosed with deafness, a referral to the local Teacher of the Deaf is offered. If your child is Reception age or younger, this referral will be made to the Early Years Teacher of the Deaf in Barking and Dagenham. On receipt of the referral, the Teacher of the Deaf will contact you and arrange a home visit to meet you and your child. This visit will give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and discuss support moving forward. The type and frequency of support will be different for each individual family.  

Below is a typical example of what support could look like:

• Home visits (frequency to be agreed).

The Teacher of the Deaf may bring toys, resources and activities to play with your child at home. During these sessions progress can be observed, monitored and celebrated and the next steps can be discussed and planned for. Home visits last for approximately one hour.

• Nursery/Pre-school visits (frequency to be agreed).

The Teacher of the Deaf will support your child’s transition to nursery/pre-school. They will ensure the setting has all the information they need to understand your child’s deafness, manage and consistently use their hearing technology, and meet their learning needs.

• School visits (frequency to be agreed).

As above. At the end of your child’s reception year, they will transition to the Outreach Teacher of the Deaf who will support them for the remainder of their education.

Collaborative Working

Children make the most progress when everyone involved in their care and support work together. The Early Years Teacher of the Deaf will work closely with you and other services involved with your child, to ensure you receive comprehensive support. Effective joint working gives children the best chance of reaching their full potential.