Profile

Helen Chilton

Lecturer in Deaf Education

Bio

I’m Helen Chilton and I look forward to supporting and facilitating your learning over the next six weeks. I’m a Lecturer in Deaf Education at the University of Manchester and work within the Audiology and Deafness group. I teach students within the University who are training to qualify to teach deaf children and young people. I particularly enjoy leading sessions where learners are motivated to understand how language is acquired and developed, how deaf children and young people develop their skills in communicating and working with others and how audiological equipment and new technology can be used to its fullest advantage. I have a background in sign-bilingual education but have equally taught learners using spoken language. Through this experience I know that communication and language hold the key to optimising the opportunities for deaf people and during this module you will see a range of approaches used which facilitate and support this. Some of the people who provide input to the course will use a various languages and modes of communication. This is a fantastic chance for you to meet some amazing people and see the positive messages they have.

I have published on the theme of how deaf people develop Theory of Mind skills and continue to research in this field particularly in the area of how people who interact with deaf children and young people can support their abilities. I regularly talk at conferences on this topic and am inspired by the part that everyone in society is able to play in breaking down the barriers for deaf people.

I am looking forward to supporting this world leading course because I believe that having people registered from all over the world can instigate real-world change and positively impact on the lives of deaf people in a global sense.