ASL Bilingual Specialist

Beverly School for the Deaf•Beverly, MA

About The Position

The Position of the ASL Specialist provides professional level service to students and staff in the areas of signacy, literacy and oracy and functional communication skill development This position provides professional level service to families in learning ASL and understanding Deaf culture Position requires a Bachelor’s Degree Proficient ASL skills Proficient English skills (reading/writing) Specialized knowledge of assessment tools for ASL skills Specialized knowledge of language acquisition in deaf children Collaboration skills with early intervention and educational team/personnel

Requirements

Position requires a Bachelor’s degree and licensure in Deaf Education or eligible to receive licensure
Proficient ASL skills as evidenced by a minimum score of Advanced Plus on the SLPI with preference given to a candidate with a score of Superior
Specialized knowledge of assessment tools for ASL skills
Ability to communicate in a highly effective manner - in English and ASL
Ability to understand, follow, and deliver safety policy and procedures
Ability to provide a supportive and caring environment for children.
Ability to provide direct staff supervision, leadership, and role modeling for all classroom and support personnel.
Ability to provide a creative and active learning setting for all children that encourages healthy growth.
Ability to receive professional direction, learn new skills, and work in a team setting.
Knowledge of Deaf/HH culture, and special issues related to Deaf/HH students.
Knowledge of and experience with multimodal communication and augmentative alternative communication (AAC), and/or openness to learn and collaborate
Knowledge and experience with individuals with developmental disabilities and complex communication needs
Maintain up-to-date knowledge regarding practices and tools for evaluating ASL development in DHH children.
Successful candidates must submit to a sign language competency examination.
Successful candidates will present appropriate certifications as required by DESE. (Teacher of the Deaf, World Language Teacher, Special Education Teacher, etc)

Responsibilities

Provide consultation to teachers and facilitators on strategies to foster ASL and English language
Weekly participation in the Parent Infant Program
ASL storytime in the Parent Infant Program
Provide joint visits with early intervention providers to ensure families have the opportunity to learn about ASL and Deaf Culture
Collaborate with the early intervention team on the development of a Deaf Mentor program
Collaborate with Outreach Department, Reading/Literacy Specialist, and others, to organize and facilitate workshops for families in ASL and English Literacy
Collaborate with ASL team on the development of family ASL classes
Provide ASL evaluations for students transitioning from early intervention to school age services
In collaboration with a child’s team (e.g. classroom teacher and speech-language pathologist), support 3-year comprehensive reevaluations, which may include evaluation of current ASL skills, input on goals/objectives, and recommendations for accommodations/modifications regarding communication strategies and access
Collaborate with classroom teachers and related service providers to maximize ASL development in those children who are deaf/hard of hearing and experience developmental, physical, and/or communication challenges
Collaborate with classroom teachers to align ASL instruction with specific units of study and vocabulary
Support classroom teachers in developing ASL and English literacy materials, such as classroom theme language, sign and word vocabulary, and ASL literature in collaboration with reading/literacy specialist
Collaborate with classroom teachers/SLP providers on on-going assessment of ASL and English receptive and expressive skills by students.
Provide consultation to and mentor classroom teachers/therapists on ASL and English language models following the principles and practices of bilingual education for the deaf
Collaborate with classroom teachers and SLPs on the development, implementation, and data tracking of ASL IEP objectives for specified students
Collaborate with teachers and therapists on developing lesson plans/therapy plans/data collection based on the goals/benchmarks of student IEP as they pertain to ASL and English language development.
Serve as a resource to other departments in ASL and English usage development
Collaborate with others in organizing and providing training for classroom teachers and other school personnel
Assist with research to assess the needs of teachers/students and the success of specific programs/literature/resources in collaboration with reading/curriculum specialist
Assist in planning and implementing teacher training based on teacher needs as related to the overall school mission in collaboration with reading/curriculum specialist
Collaborate with teachers and others to organize and catalog ASL and English literacy materials as needed