Resources for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in mainstream schools in Sweden. A survey

Figures & data

Figure 1. Number of students in special schools, 1992–2016.

Table 1. Answers from municipalities (n = 264).

	Number	Percentage
Number of answers from municipalities	264	91%
Total municipalities that report that they have access to HP in any form	96	33%
Report that the municipality have in-house HP	59	20%
Report that the municipality share or buy HP	37	13%
Report that the municipality have special education teacher with responsibility for DHH students	63	22%
Report that the municipality have other person with responsibility for DHH students	64	22%
Report that the municipality not have any person with responsibility for DHH students (answer ‘no’)	41	14%

Table 2. Distribution between Sweden’s 21 counties.

County	Population 30 June 2015^a	Total municipalities/county	Have access to HP	Report ‘no’	Report special education teacher	Report other responsible	No answer
Blekinge	155 149	5	1	…	3	…	1
Dalarnas	279 868	15	3	2	5	3	2
Gotland	57 316	1	1	…	…	…	…
Gävleborg	281 053	10	0	1	4	3	2
Halland	312 599	6	3	…	…	3	…
Jämtland	127 043	8	2	2	2	1	1
Jönköping	345 907	13	8	1	3	…	1
Kalmar	236 399	12	6	1	1	4	…
Kronoberg	190 120	8	3	…	4	1	…
Norrbotten	249 777	14	3	3	4	4	–
Skåne	1 294 687	33	20	4	…	4	5
Stockholm	2 213 528	26	9	2	9	6	…
Södermanland	350 731	9	3	1	3	1	1
Uppsala	350 731	8	2	3	1	2	…
Värmland	274 825	16	2	5	2	5	2
Västerbotten	262 593	15	4	4	3	4	…
Västernorrland	243 754	7	3	1	2	…	1
Västmanland	263 158	10	5	1	1	2	1
Västra Götaland	1 639 525	49	8	6	12	18	5
Örebro	289 425	12	7	1	…	2	2
Östergötland	443 376	13	3	3	4	1	2
Total	9 861 564	290	96	41	63	64	26

^aRetrieved from the agency Statistics Sweden (SCB).

Table 3. The tasks and responsibilities of HPs according to the interviews and survey.

	Interviews n = 9	Survey n = 26
Arrange information meetings for school staff about things that concerns DHH students	9	21
Educate school staff about things that concerns DHH students	9	13
Observe the teaching and give advices for improvement	9	9
Support the teacher/school staff in different ways	9	22
Inform the classmates about hearing loss and connected things	7	6
Do not work with the DHH students at practical/individual level	7	0
Collaborate with the county council	6	15
Have contact with parents about the DHH students	5	13
Give DHH students advices and support	4	16
Arrange meetings for DHH students in different schools	3	8
Teach the staff/students some signs	2	10
Participate in student health team meetings	1	5

Table 4. SSL/TSS/TAKK in mainstream schools.

	Interviews n = 9	Survey n = 26
DHH students do not have access to SSL at all	6	3
DHH students have very limited access to SSL	4	2
If DHH students learn sign, they have nobody to sign with	5	1
If they need SSL/TSS/TAKK, they will get it in any way	0	9
Usually, it is TSS/TAKK that will be learned and used (by staff/students), not SSL	2	18
Existence of sign is mostly in pre-school age and sometimes in lower classes	4	10
The pre-school teachers (and some lower grade teachers) may learn and use some SSL/TSS/TAKK	5	10
The DHH students would benefit from learn SSL/TSS/TAKK, at least for the future	5	1
I teach the DHH students and their classmates some signs	4	2
Some of the parents learn and use SSL/TSS/TAKK	5	2
The parents do not want the DHH students to learn or use SSL/TSS/TAKK or do not ask for it	6	2