The Use of Criteria in Decision Making Regarding the Placement of Hearing Impaired Children

This article investigates the relationship between the criteria used for placement by groups of placement team members and by groups of professionals in the area of education of hearing impaired children. Eight groups of subjects were asked to make decisions regarding the placement of hearing impaired children in simulated case studies and 26 Committees on the Handicapped were asked to place one simulated case in the committee setting. The placements were analyzed using multiple regression techniques. Results, as predicted, show that the various groups place relatively different importance on the variables, although several emerge as important to all groups. The analysis of committee placements indicates a tendency for placements more restrictive than those made in the individual task.