Deaf child in year 7 can't hear school bell

[elliejjtiny]

He gets to school on time 99% of the time but around 5-7 times a month he will be logged as late because he says he can't hear the bell. His brother who isn't deaf says he can hear the bell everywhere including on the playground etc so he isn't in a quiet area or anything like that. I've been at school at the beginning of the day and change of lessons and it's not like the bell goes and everyone dashes off to their tutor rooms. There will be people being late, going to the office and all sorts, so I can't tell him to move when everyone else does. The tutor doesn't give him detention when he is late but he still gets a red wedge in his wheel on classcharts. Also I would like him to not be late if possible. Any tips?

Get him to wear a watch?

Get him to wear a watch?
Maybe one with an alarm on set for the time to go in. I know he won't be able to hear the alarm but they usually vibrate.

I don't understand what you mean by the rest of the kids don't all move when the bell goes? Every school I've worked in, even the rougher ones, the kids all start to move in when the bell goes. Plus aren't there staff outside ushering them in?

Poor kid. I agree about a watch. But surely his mates should be telling him when to go in. Are they seriously just leaving him out there alone?

Could he wear some type of vibration device that's programmed with the bell times?
What happens if the fire bell goes?

Surely there is a teacher outside . Speak to the tutor and ask him / her what they suggest .

Surely the playground monitor can let him know?

A watch is a solution, however I would be raising it with school as he should not be getting punished becsue of his disability.

I would ring or email the senco - this is not inclusive & it shouldn’t be recorded as a late mark

Does he wear hearing aids… they ought to be able to pick up bell sounds if they are nhs digital aids? Check with audiology. They may need reprogramming.

If he is profoundly deaf, a vibrating smartwatch might be best.

When I don’t have my hearing aids in I’m very deaf and can’t hear an alarm clock going off, so I have my Apple Watch vibrating alarm to wake me up.

Agree it’s a bit bad to be marked late if he hasn’t heard the bell.

If they have light up alarms for fire alarms surely they can rig up same system for lesson alarms?

He must be able to hear it sometimes or this would happen every day, not a few times a month. What happens on the days he isn’t late?

I’m confused. Are we talking registration, or break time? Surely if you take him to school he goes straight to his classroom? Or can he stay with his sibling till the bell goes, or his friends? Then go into class when they do?

If the signal that the school is making isn't suitable for him due to a disability, then is it not their issue to solve and find an accessible alternative solution?

Agreeing with everyone else.
I can't picture how it is that everyone else doesn't either line up or move to where they need to be, when the bell goes.

However, surely a watch would be a simple solution. A vibrating one if you think that would work better for him.

If he can’t hear the bell what is the adjustment for fire drills/evacuation? Has a risk assessment been done? How does he cope in lessons?

Absolutely possible. A school I know of that specialises in teaching deaf/hard of hearing students has lights everywhere so that the deaf students can “hear” the bell. The lights are in every classroom, the hand washing area of the toilets, in the outdoor lunch areas (not in the UK), on the outside of buildings visible from the playgrounds and ovals, the staff lunchroom, and the school reception area. The lights are placed right beside the speakers for the bell. Different coloured lights meant different things eg normal bell or emergency like evacuation or lock down.

In the short term a watch with a vibrating alarm should work.

Absolutely. This is disability discrimination.

It would be worth checking the frequency required with the TOD and to see if the aids can be adjusted for that frequency. Also a watch and have a word with tutor.

Our school doesn’t have a bell and the kids all manage somehow.

He needs a vibrating alert connected to the bell.

This isn't just about him being late it is a safety issue because he can't hear an a fire alarm.

OP have the school done a risk assessement?

Agreed. Surely if he couldn't hear it and there were no other visual clues like others going to class he would be late every day? What's different on the days he's not late, how does he know when it's time to go to class on those days?

Speak to the head teacher about this, it seems that they are failing to make reasonable adjustments for your DS, wether the teacher tells him the bell has gone or wether another kid does, but just expecting him to know the bell has gone off and no one has nothered to tell him is not right.

What on earth would they do in the event of a fire?

Giving him a red wedge is mean, its not his fault and they need to be told to stop it immediatly, its common sense, its not his fault.

School ought to be working with him to find a solution, not just marking him down as late.

But I agree a vibrating watch would probably be a good approach.

Contact the Senco - this is an inclusion and safety issue. He should also have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan which highlights how he is to be made aware of an evacuation.

If this doesn’t resolve it, assuming you are in England, then contact his Local Authority Teacher of the Deaf (if he doesn’t have one, refer him / ask the Senco to refer him to the LA’s SEN Team - he doesn’t need an EHCP for this).

Even if he can’t hear the bell, he must be aware that everyone else is moving to their next lesson. Does he also need support with organisational skills so he knows where he is going next and has done everything (collected belongings, eaten, been to the toilet) that he needs to in the changeover or break?

If they know he's deaf, and they surely do, what are doing to help him with this? A deaf DC can't hear a bell! It's not exactly rocket science. It is completely unacceptable that they're marking him as late when nothing is being done to help him. Plus, the fire alarm thing is worrying. You need to meet with his teacher and/or whoever is in charge of supporting kids with additional needs and iron this out with them.