Deaf & Hard of Hearing (D/HH) Itinerant Services

The NSSEO Deaf and Hard of Hearing Itinerant Services provide students with the necessary skills and supports to become confident, independent individuals who will succeed in a hearing world. Learning is a multisensory process and a child with a hearing loss may have difficulty learning through the auditory channel. We believe a collaborative partnership among students, families, educational teams, and community members is essential in enhancing a student’s communication development and success.

Administration Office
799 W Kensington Road
Mount Prospect, IL 60056-1111
T | 847-463-8146
F | 847-463-8121

Program Administrator:
Melissa Swanson
847-463-8135 |  mswanson@nsseo.org

Administrative Assistant: 
Julie Sander
847-463-8132 |  jsander@nsseo.org

NSSEO Deaf/Hard of Hearing Itinerant Services are provided to students ages 3-21 with a range of hearing losses from mild to severe, within their home district, home school setting and/or other special needs program as deemed appropriate.

This service expands beyond the eight member districts of NSSEO to include the 44 districts formerly members of the Low Incidence Cooperative Agreement (LICA).

The role of itinerant services is to bring expertise in educating students with hearing loss to the educational environment, including specialized direct instruction, modifications and supports, and consultative services in order to enable students who are deaf or hard of hearing become successful students and communicators. A special emphasis is placed on the development of skills in the areas of spoken and written language, reading fluency and comprehension, vocabulary, and auditory skill development.

The certified/licensed staff is comprised of highly qualified teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, interpreters, audiologists, ALD technician, psychologist, social worker, and speech language pathologist. All team members are trained in communication methodologies to support students in their learning environment. The team is knowledgeable and experienced in amplification, cochlear implants, and the impact of a hearing loss on language, speech, and academic development.

  • Modifications and/or accommodations of materials
  • Coaching and consultation to support students in the learning environment
  • Community-based educational experiences
  • Instruction in signed communication
  • Self-advocacy skill development
  • Transition planning
  • Instruction in speech reading
  • Auditory training
  • Sign language classes for families
  • Hearing aid orientation
  • Preparation and support of assistive listening devices
  • Consultation in the understanding of hearing loss for students, families, and school personnel