What Is an Itinerant Teacher?

That word—I-TIN-ER-ANT—it’s hard to say, let alone explain what it is.

In a nutshell, an itinerant teacher is a traveling teacher. You will most often see this type of teacher serving students who have hearing loss or vision loss. For the purpose of this post, we’re going to focus on Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing. We’ll discuss where this role came from and how it differs from a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing who is not itinerant.  

Where Did the Itinerant Teacher Come From?

These days, the majority of Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are itinerant teachers. It didn’t use to be that way; this is actually a fairly new concept in deaf education.

The delivery of services from a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has been impacted by a number of factors, including evolving legislation, Newborn Hearing Screenings, Early Intervention Services, Birth to Three services, Early Childhood Programming, and literacy interventions—all paired with advances in technology.

All of this has drastically changed the scope of programming for deaf and hard of hearing students.

Let me explain…

A Brief History of Deaf Education in the US

Historically, students with hearing loss were often sent to the residential school for the deaf in their state. At the residential school, children were taught how to read, write, and learn manual trade skills alongside other children who also had hearing loss. The first residential school for the deaf opened in the early 1800s. Very different from what they are today, one of the first residential schools was called the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons. If the original name churns your stomach, you’re not alone. It is now called the American School for the Deaf—a much better name. However, the original name shows how some of those early schools were viewed: as asylums or institutions for children who were thought to have little potential. This mentality has drastically shifted over the past 200 years, showing just how far we have come.

(Photo Source: Wikipedia)

Prior to this time, there were very few educational options for families with a child who could not hear. Once these residential institutions were established, children lived and attended school there, rarely seeing their families. Initially, families had to travel to visit their children. Eventually, policies changed so students could travel home on weekends. This arrangement remains the norm for residential school students today (unless they live close enough to commute daily).

Because of this arrangement, deaf children formed tight bonds with their peers and the supervising adults. They shared a deep connection with their school—a bond that continues today among residential school students and alumni.

Currently, approximately 40 states still operate at least one residential school for the deaf. Some state schools have closed due to the shift toward the itinerant model and students being served in their home districts. This transition has brought sadness and outrage to many in the Deaf community.

The Legislative Shift

This shift started in 1975 with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142). This law required public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal education for children with disabilities. Schools could no longer automatically send children away to residential schools; they had to offer educational opportunities near home. This led to the creation of what we now call "Regional Programs."

Often, a regional program was hosted at a specialized school or inside a "self-contained classroom" within a neighborhood school, housing an entire classroom of students with hearing loss. These students were rarely integrated with general education peers. Concurrently, a large Rubella epidemic in 1968–1969 resulted in thousands of children born deaf. The implementation of PL 94-142 coincided with this generation entering school, prompting regional programs to hire multiple Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Students were bussed to a nearby district (sometimes up to 1.5 hours away) to attend specialized classrooms with peers who were deaf or hard of hearing and a dedicated teacher all day. During this time, enrollment at state residential schools remained high. In both settings, children received intensive services and had peers with hearing loss. However, overall academic achievement rates remained low. We now understand this was largely driven by language deprivation in early childhood rather than educational placement alone.

PL 94-142 eventually evolved into the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. This law introduced the requirement for the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), leading to increased mainstreaming of students into general education classrooms. Gradually, the focus shifted toward keeping children in their home school districts whenever possible.

Additionally, in 1999, universal Newborn Hearing Screenings began, allowing families to identify hearing loss right after birth. This enabled early access to technology and intervention services from infancy. By 2002, cochlear implants were approved for children as young as 12 months old. These advances drastically altered the trajectory for children with hearing loss by providing access to language much earlier.

With Rubella no longer causing widespread hearing loss, fewer children required specialized placements. Improvements in early identification, combined with technological advances, significantly reduced early language deprivation and improved academic outcomes.

(Source: Schoolbussing.org)

As these legal shifts, early identification tools, and technologies took hold, more deaf and hard of hearing students were educated in their neighborhood schools. Instead of a district having 12 students in a specialized classroom, a district might have only one student with hearing loss.

Rather than running a self-contained room for a single student, districts began utilizing itinerant teachers who traveled to the students. Thus, the itinerant model became the standard approach.

What Does an Itinerant Teacher Do?

An Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ITDHH) travels between multiple schools—and often multiple school districts—to work one-on-one or in small groups with students aged 3 through 12th grade. Because they serve a wide range of ages, students' communication styles and academic needs vary significantly.

The expertise of a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is broad, whether itinerant or facility-based. They are specialists in:

• How hearing loss impacts language development

• The selection and maintenance of assistive technology (including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and FM/DM systems)

• Literacy development specific to deaf and hard of hearing learners

• The social-emotional impact of hearing loss and self-concept development

• Classroom accessibility and environmental modifications

• Self-advocacy instruction and coping strategies

Any Teacher of the Deaf provides direct instruction, oversees accommodations, and offers consultation to general education staff.

Under the itinerant model, intensive literacy instruction and general academic remediation are often delivered by school-based special education teachers. The itinerant teacher acts primarily as a specialist and consultant, supporting general education teachers who may be unfamiliar with how hearing loss affects learning.

In short, the role of an ITDHH includes:

• Identifying hearing loss-related needs and coaching school staff on appropriate accommodations.

• Managing and troubleshooting hearing technology (FM/DM systems, hearing aids, cochlear implants).

• Evaluating classroom acoustic environments and suggesting structural modifications.

• Supporting language development (auditory and/or sign language) and training staff to maintain these supports daily.

• Delivering 1:1 instruction focused on self-advocacy and social-emotional growth.

• Facilitating peer interaction and social integration.

• Assisting with transition planning for secondary students.

• Providing ongoing resources to educators and families.

This is a broad scope of responsibility for a professional traveling between multiple sites with a large caseload. Some students with complex needs require continuous, daily specialized instruction rather than periodic visits from a visiting teacher.

Because of this, the itinerant model is not the right fit for every student. The model remains a topic of debate in Deaf education, as research highlights the benefits of direct peer groups who share the same language and communication access—particularly for social-emotional growth and self-identity.

However, many students thrive in their local neighborhood schools with itinerant support. Today, approximately 60% of DHH students receive pull-out services for less than 75 minutes per day (including speech therapy, special education, and itinerant services).

Given current teacher shortages and the ongoing focus on inclusion in neighborhood schools, the itinerant teaching model remains a central part of deaf education.

Looking for Support?

Are you an itinerant teacher looking to streamline your services and maximize student outcomes? Or are you a parent seeking guidance on supporting your child in a mainstream classroom?

If you would like to increase your confidence, knowledge, and skills to better meet the needs of students with hearing loss, check out The Online Itinerant to access our professional community, or explore our free itinerant teacher resources to get started today!

Related Reading: Language deprivation remains one of the most critical challenges facing deaf and hard of hearing students. Learn how itinerant specialists bridge this gap in our featured post, Language Deprivation and the Itinerant Teacher: Bridging the Way Between Student Needs and the Broader Educational System.