A child who is deaf or hard of hearing is one who exhibits a hearing loss that, whether permanent or fluctuating, interferes with the acquisition or maintenance of auditory skills necessary for the normal development of speech, language, and academic achievement and, therefore, adversely affects a child's educational performance.

    Through Northeast Georgia RESA Shared Services program, students with a Special Education eligibility in the area of Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) will receive direct services from a D/HH teacher based on what the IEP team determines is their least restrictive environment (LRE).   Some students receive instruction from an itinerant D/HH teacher in their home school.   Students who have more significant language and literacy needs resulting from their hearing loss may require more intensive specialized instruction from a D/HH teacher.  These students benefit from attending Shared Services Regional D/HH program.