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Hearing impairment (Melanie Smith) - Coggle Diagram
Hearing impairment (Melanie Smith)
Definition: Hearing impairment is an impairment in hearing, either permanent or fluctuating that affects a child's experience in the classroom as well as their social and emotional development, literacy skills and speech and language abilities
Types of Hearing impairment:
Sensorineural deafness (nerve deafness) - A permanent hearing loss in the inner ear usually caused by the cochlea not working effectively
Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD) - A problem occuring more deeply within the ear, where sounds are received normally by the cochlea, then become disrupted as they travel to the brain
Conductive deafness - Usually temporary, sometimes permanent. Sound can’t pass effectively through the outer and middle ear to the inner ear. Caused by blockages such as wax or fluid. The latter is known as glue ear and can last for up to three months; it’s very common in pre-school children
How to spot the signs of hearing impairment?
Not responding when their name is called
Problems with concentration, excessive tiredness and frustration with work that starts to affect their behaviour
Watching your lips intently as you speak
Speaking too loudly or too quietly
Watching others do something before attempting it themselves
Becoming increasingly withdrawn from others in the classroom
Delayed speech and communication development
Mishearing or mispronouncing words
Not being able to hear what’s happening if there is any background noise
Making minimal contributions to classroom discussion
Difficulty with reading and linking it to speech
How does hearing impairment affect learning?
The Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) say that around 15% of children ages 6 to 19 have hearing loss of at least 16 decibels in one or both ears and around 1% have severe hearing loss.
Hearing loss in only one ear can still have a huge impact on school performance; between 25 to 35 percent of children with unilateral hearing loss are at risk of failing at least one grade level.
A hearing impairment that is not handled well can have knock on effects on a child’s development as they are unable to interact with peers or form meaningful relationships.
These children are likely to withdraw further into themselves and become frustrated by not being able to communicate or express themselves properly.
Teaching Strategies for hearing-impaired students
Technology - A radio aid is a microphone worn by the teacher that connects to a hearing aid. It can also be passed to other students during activities like group reading. This helps the child feel involved in the class and ensures they don’t miss any important information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mHHsHxb2xU
Dedicated staff - a dedicated support worker or learning support assistant can be extremely helpful for hearing impaired students. Whether they are in the classroom all or some of the time, they can ensure the child is supported whilst the teacher is able to give proportionate attention to other pupils.
Teaching - Ensuring that the teacher never turns away from the class while talking is so simple and so important. Additionally teachers should ensure the child has understood every task or instruction and they are not always looking to their classmates for help after the teacher has spoken. Sitting the child right at the front of the class is another simple way to give them the best chance of learning.
Parents - Have an open line of communication with the child’s parents so that the child feels equally supported at home and school. Regular meetings will give both sides a chance to discuss any concerns and track the child’s progress. At times, the child may be confiding in the parents about issues that they are struggling with but they are too embarrassed to raise in the classroom.
Hearing buddies - Sometimes the student may need to remove their hearing aid throughout the school day. During these moments a ‘hearing buddy’ can be allocated , usually a close friend, who can help to repeat any information that the student misses.
Makaton
- is a simplified form of sign language. It incorporates symbols and gestures, and is normally used with children with additional needs.
Other accomodations:
Acoustic panels can be installed in classrooms relatively easily and cheaply. They can significantly reduce background noise and have other positive effects:
References:
Finch, M. (2020, January 21). How to support a child with a hearing impairment in school. Engage Education.
https://engage-education.com/blog/how-to-support-a-child-with-a-hearing-impairment-in-school/#!
Friend M. & Bursuck WD. (2012). Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers, 6th Edition. Pearson.
Reduce noise in classrooms: why good school acoustics matter. Echophon.
https://www.ecophon.com/uk/about-ecophon/newsroom/reduce-noise-in-classrooms-why-good-school-acoustics-matter/
Assistive Devices for people with hearing, voice speech or language disorders. NIH.
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/assistive-devices-people-hearing-voice-speech-or-language-disorders
Incidence:
Hearing impairment is a low incidence disability. Students with low-incidence disabilities make up 20% of all students with disabilities. Friend and Bursuck (2012) say students with low-incidence disabilities:
have received some type of special education service since birth
need the same attention as students without disabilities
includes students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (IQ < 50)
may have a developmental delay
Assistive devices or assistive technologies can refer to any device that helps a person with a hearing impairment to communicate. They refer to devices that help a person to hear and understand what is being said more clearly, for example:
Assistive listening devices (ALDs) help amplify the sounds the student needs to hear, especially when there’s a lot of background noise. They can be used with a hearing aid or cochlear implant to help a wearer hear certain sounds better.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices allow easier expression. They range from simple picture boards to computer programs that synthesize speech from text.
