Definition from IDEA
(5) Hearing impairment
means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that
adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included
under the definition of deafness in this section.
Website found: IDEA
Indicators
What's it like to be Hearing Impaired?
- difficulty
hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say,
especially in group situations
- asking people
to repeat themselves
- listening
to music or watching television with the volume higher than other people
need
- difficulty
hearing the telephone or doorbell
- finding
it difficult to tell which direction noise is coming from
- regularly
feeling tired or stressed, from having to concentrate while listening
- Website found: Indicators
- Untreated ear infections
- Perforation of the eardrum
- Serious injury to the head
- Excessive noise, like fireworks or loud music
- Other infections such as mumps or measles
- Source - Hearing Health
Accommodations/Modifications
- Smile and maintain eye contact during the time you are talking to a person who is hearing impaired. The person always needs to be able to see your lips if he has learned to read lips. If a sign language interpreter is present, talk directly to the person who is deaf, not the interpreter.
- If at
all feasible, use complete sentences, especially when communicating with
children. Good language development is dependent upon correct use of
verbs, adjectives, adverbs, nouns, etc. Restricting communication to a
single word or short phrase deprives this population of opportunities to
master the English language, thus limiting their academic development.
- Speak
slowly and clearly, but do not exaggerate. Be expressive, but not overly
so.
- If a
word is not understood, try another word. Demonstrate if possible.
- Use
sign language only if you're qualified. Otherwise, incorrect information
may be conveyed.
- Do not shout. Hearing aids make sounds louder, but they do not clarify the person's reception or understanding of the sound. The presence of a hearing aid does not mean that the person can hear normally.
Hearing aids are a great tool in the aid of hearing loss. They are very expensive and must be taken care of properly. I know this from experience because my younger brother is deaf.
- If all
else fails, use a pad and pencil to communicate. Since this often isolates
the person with a hearing impairment from the group, try to use writing
only if oral speech, lip reading, sign language, gestures, and finger
spelling have failed.
- During
group gatherings, seat the person with a hearing impairment so s/he can
see others in the group. Try a semi-circle arrangement. If possible,
arrange to have an interpreter or note-taker. Use visual aids whenever
possible.
- Watch
the person who is deaf or hearing impaired carefully for facial
expressions and body language that will help you determine the success of
your communication.
- If you have trouble understanding the speech of a person who is deaf, don't hesitate to ask him to repeat what he said. Your willingness and desire to communicate is what is most important, not the ease with which you understand.
- Website Found: gov/hearing
- Hearing Loss in the Classroom
- This video shows a way to accommodate for a student with hearing loss and how to do it successfully.
Examples of Accommodations
- interpreters
- note takers
- sound amplification systems (like in the video above)
- captioned video presentations
- Visual warning systems for lab emergencies and changing computer signals to flash changes
