Hearing Impairment and Deafness

Hearing Impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness.

Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects the child's educational performance.

Overview of Services

Female teacher using sign language to teach in a classroom.

Since students with hearing impairments vary in their individual profiles and abilities, Prince William County Public Schools offers a range of program options to meet the educational needs of each student. The first program option allows students to attend their neighborhood school with services provided through the itinerant program. A teacher for the hearing impaired works with students individually or in small groups both in and out of the regular education classroom. In addition, the teacher for the hearing impaired works with the classroom teacher to ensure accommodations and modifications for hearing related needs are met. The second program option is center-based at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Teachers for the hearing impaired and teacher assistants are available to the students throughout the day. Total communication is utilized in the center-based classroom. Certified interpreters are provided to support students as they are mainstreamed in the general education classroom. All program levels utilize assistive technology.

Administrative Contacts

Heather Grim, Supervisor
[email protected]

Leslie Parrott, Administrative Coordinator
[email protected] 
703-791-8530

Donna Espinales, Administrative Assistant II
[email protected] 
703-791-7419