08/26/2026
👂 Polk County Special Services Cooperative — Parent SPED Minute
We’re continuing our look at the different special education eligibility categories in Texas. Today we’re talking about Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH).
A student may be eligible for special education under DHH when a hearing loss—whether permanent or fluctuating—adversely affects the student's educational performance and creates a need for special education services.
And educational impact can involve much more than simply whether a student can “hear.”
A hearing loss may affect a student's ability to:
• Understand classroom instruction and spoken language
• Follow conversations or directions
• Develop communication and language skills
• Participate in classroom discussions
• Access information in noisy environments
• Make academic progress
• Interact and communicate with teachers and classmates
💡 Something important for parents to know: A student using hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other assistive technology may still qualify for special education services. The question isn't simply whether technology helps—the evaluation looks at the student's individual needs and how the hearing loss affects their education.
Depending on the student, supports may include specially designed instruction, accommodations, assistive technology, communication supports, and related services.
❤️ PARENT TAKEAWAY:
DHH eligibility isn't determined by hearing loss alone. The evaluation team considers how the hearing loss affects the individual student's ability to access, participate in, and make progress in their education.
Every student is different, which is why the evaluation and ARD process looks at the whole child and their individual educational needs.
We’ll continue working through the Texas special education eligibility categories one Parent SPED Minute at a time.
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Polk County Special Services Cooperative
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