The content areas for the required fifteen semester hours of coursework include child development, language development, curriculum development, methods of instruction, legal/ethical issues for educational interpreters, and interpreting for students who are Deaf/Blind.

Deaf-Blind Interpreting Strategies for Educational Interpreters

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed to provide a strong foundation and build the knowledge and skills of interpreters in the area of deaf-blindness and deaf-blind interpreting strategies. The course will address physiological, linguistic, environmental and cultural components that affect the interpreting process. The roles and expectations of the interpreter and effective communication strategies will also be covered.

1. Physiological: overview of common etiologies related to deaf-blindness, various types of combined hearing and vision losses, associated symptoms, permanent losses vs. progressive losses, fluctuating vision and hearing, and factors associated with fatigue and medication.

2. Linguistic: language acquisition, connection to the educational environment and overall surroundings that affects learning and linguistic development, linguistic and non-linguistic markers that affect the interpreting process and communication interactions.

3. Environmental/Ergonomic: various environmental factors that affect the interpreting process and that affect student ability to receive information; lighting, background noise, movement, background setting, clothing, seating, scents, etc., affects of ergonomics when interpreting/working with deaf-blind students.

4. Cultural/Psychosocial: differences between Deaf and Deaf-Blind Culture, various life experiences, how progressive losses affect one’s identity, the interplay between identity, culture and communication, socio-emotional status/affect of the interpreter.

5. Communication Strategies: various modes of communication used by deaf-blind students. Teaming strategies for working interpreters.

Curriculum Development and Methods of Instruction
Course Description: This course is designed to provide educational interpreting students with a basic knowledge of curriculum development and instructional strategies based on the learning theories of students as they are used in the classroom for primary and secondary age students. Students will review the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS), and the unique curricula designed for students who are deaf/hard of hearing in the content areas. Instructional strategies for the educational interpreters with an emphasis on vocabulary acquisition and language comprehension for the students will be addressed. Collaborative strategies for educational interpreters working with regular teachers and special education teachers and the related services personnel in a variety of educational settings will be discussed. This course will present assessment of academic materials and completion of learning objectives according to established criteria in the students’ individualized educational programs (IEP).

Child Development for Educational Interpreters
Course Description/Goals:

This course is designed to provide Educational Interpreter students with an overview and an understanding of the development of children, especially of those who are deaf and hard of hearing, from conception to adolescence. The interaction of physical, cognitive, emotional, linguistic, social and cultural factors within developmental stages will be studied. Students will compare the development of children who do not have specialized needs with the development and issues facing children and families with specialized needs.

Language Development for the Educational Interpreter
Course Description/Goals:
This course is designed to provide educational interpreters with an understanding of the principles and theories of childhood language development and will compare the development of language for children with various degrees of hearing loss with the language development of children without educational disabilities. Students will survey language intervention models for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Additional issues impacting language development in children with hearing loss will also be discussed, including, but not limited to, alternative forms of communication, bilingual/bicultural issues, assistive technology and cochlear implants.

Legal and Ethical Issues for Educational Interpreters
Course Description/Goals:
This course will look at the unique roles and responsibilities of the educational interpreter and the various interpreter assignments within multiple educational settings. Particular attention will paid to ethics of the educational interpreter and federal and state laws that outline the provision of educational interpreting as a related service.