- Show proof that your child is delayed or suffering without tutoring. You will need to have evidence including professional evaluation results, grades or letters from teachers.
- Show proof that the school has declined or has been avoiding tutoring options. Make sure your request for tutoring is explicit in your child's IEP. (If it doesn't say something along the lines of, "Parents would like for their child to have a tutor in X subjects," then insist on an IEP addendum right away.)
- Protection and Advocacy Offices: When a child is not receiving services that parents or guardians want from the child's school district, the parents or guardians can begin formal complaint hearings. Both Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) have procedural safeguards for parents on how to challenge school district decisions. As explained in "Educating the Deaf and hard of Hearing Child: A Legal Perspective" from the Clerc Center website (http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/InfoToGo/index.html), every state has an independent "protection and advocacy office" that will advise parents on how to prepare and conduct a hearing. Some of these offices represent parents free of charge.
- Vocational Rehabilitation (VR): Children who have reached working age may be eligible to receive support from their state VR program. VR assists individuals in pursuing meaningful careers, including tutoring. Most VR programs keep lists of tutors. Check to find information on your state VR program and initiate contact.
- Supplemental Education Services: When a school with Title I funding has failed to meet its state's Adequate Year Progress (AYP) goals for two or more years, the school becomes a school in need and students in these schools become eligible for supplemental services, particularly tutoring. This is a result of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). To find out what schools in your area are eligible for supplemental services, check www.greatschools.net or call your state's Department of Education. Also check out your state-approved supplemental service providers (SSP), which are generally available on state department of education websites. These providers are probably familiar with the politics of your school district and can advise you on different ways of getting services for your child.
- Private Tutor and Private Tutoring Centers: Tutoring can be considered a personal investment. You can pay for a private tutor or for a tutoring service, especially when services are critical. Contact local schools for the deaf, local colleges and universities, and the school board for referrals. Seek tutors who can effectively communicate with your child.
Getting Tutoring for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Adults
The quest for getting tutorial support for deaf and hard-of-hearing people has often led to infuriating outcomes, accompanied by a fair amount of "pushing and pulling." As tutoring is often deemed arbitrary, this experience often turns into a wrestling match between perceived providers and advocates for the recipient. Once you are prepared with your "game plan," you can seek the best kind of tutorial support for yourself or a deaf or hard of hearing adult.Bear in mind tutoring is negotiable. Identify a baseline of support that you expect to receive, then set a benchmark higher than what you hope to get. For example, if you believe that three hours of tutoring per week would help you improve your writing skills, that is your baseline. You would then ask someone to pay for tutoring (employer, VR) for eight hours a week. This gives you five extra hours to bargain for.
Also, you should prepare for meetings with appropriate documentation, build good relationships with people who can help you (including the people who will decide your tutorial needs -- supervisor, human resources, or VR counselor), and keep a written record of issues and concerns. Do not assume the worst and, most importantly, keep negotiating. Here are some options for getting tutoring for yourself or a deaf or hard of hearing adult.
