Date
17 April 2024

Organisations, programmes, and resources

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Identifying needs and strengths, and accessing support’

On this page:

Resource Teachers of the Deaf

Resource Teachers of the Deaf

Resource Teachers of the Deaf (RTDs) are specialist teachers who assess a child’s needs in a classroom, one-to-one setting, or the child’s home. They team up with other specialists to help teachers adapt their teaching to suit the child’s needs.

RTDs work through Ko Taku Reo | Deaf Education New Zealand.

In 2019 the Kelston Deaf Education Centre in Auckland and the Van Asch Deaf Education Centre in Christchurch merged to become one national organisation, Ko Taku Reo.

Ko Taku Reo can provide specialist teaching, advice and guidance, assistive technology and NZSL support to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students enrolled in their local mainstream school. Services available are:

Ministry of Education information on Advisers on Deaf Children (AoDCs), Resource Teachers of the Deaf (RTDs), as well as other services and supports.

Community agencies

Community agencies

These organisations provide support for Deaf learners and those who are hard of hearing, as well as providing advice for teachers and families:

Hearing aids, loop systems and FM technology

Hearing aids, loop systems and FM technology

Systems consist of a microphone that transmits the wearer's voice wirelessly to a receiver in the child’s hearing aids and/or cochlear implants.

NZ books in NZSL

NZ books in NZSL

Many of the Ready to Read series are available as NZ Sign Language e-books.

Go to Instructional Series, then download from iTunes or GooglePlay.

11315 [Instructional-Series-intro-image.png]

Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

Source:
Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

NZ Sign Language resources

NZ Sign Language resources

Website

NZSL@School

NZSL@School provides a range of support to schools, deaf students and parents/whānau, in addition to any other special education support deaf students receive, to help schools understand and provide learning environments that meet the learning, communication and cultural needs of deaf students who use New Zealand Sign Language.

Publisher: Deaf Education New Zealand | Ko Taku Reo

Visit website

Website

Thumbs Up! An introduction to New Zealand Sign Language

An introduction to New Zealand Sign Language that supports teaching and learning NZSL as an additional language in English-medium schools for students in years 7–8.

Publisher:

Visit website

Website

Learn NZSL

Learn NZSL is a free learning portal. Watch, learn and practise how to use NZSL in common situations.

Publisher: NZSL Board

Visit website

Website

New Zealand Sign Language dictionary

A multimedia, multilingual reference tool. You can search by: English/Māori word, visual features of the sign and more.

Publisher: Deaf Studies Research Unit, Victoria University of

Visit website

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

The cochlear implant school toolkit: Teachers

Information, tips, and strategies to help teachers to include and support a child with a cochlear implant to succeed in the classroom. It contains three sections: preparing for school-entry, challenging situations, after school-entry.

Publisher: KDH Research & Communication

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Website

Deaf Aotearoa's resources

Online videos and other resources available for learning NZSL and about the Deaf Culture.

Publisher: Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand | Tāngata Turi

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Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Identify needs and how to provide support”:

Return to the guide “Deaf or hard of hearing students and learning”

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