Hearing Impairment


LEGAL DEFINITION
o   Federal Disability Definitions – Title 34: Education
o   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.


COMMON CHARACTERISTICS
o   Lack of attention                                     
o   Turns or cocks head
o   Uses gestures
o   Monotone quality in voice
o   Lack of speech development
o   Works best in small groups
o   May act out
o   Difficult in following direction
o   Preoccupied with things, not people
o   Imitates others
o   Responds to noises instead of words
o   Reluctant to participate orally
                        “MOTOR CHARACTERISTICS”
·      May have balance problems that cause developmental delays or motor ability
·      May have difficulty of motor speed


LEARNING STRATEGIES & TEACHING TIPS
o   Make sure the student can you see you when you are speaking so the student can see your lips.
o   Use visual aids whenever possible.  It is easier for a student to pick up words and follow the conversation when they know what the subject matter is going to be.
o   Speak clearly and normally.  Don’t slow down your words or shout.
o   Writing important announcements or instructions on the board is a good way to clarify.
o   Provide transcripts with audio information
o   When showing videos, make sure they are captioned.
o   Learn some basic signs to use during instruction.
o   Talk to the individual and the not interpreter when communicating.

RESOURCES

·      Provides a brief description of the nature of hearing impairment, instructional strategies, common accommodations, assisted listening devices, transcriptions, and closed captioning information.

·      Provides the Federal Disability Definition of hearing impairment under Title 34: Education, Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability.  Also provides many other important disability definitions.

·      Provides the definitions of deaf, hard of hearing, the different degrees of hearing loss, and difficulty understanding speech.  Also provides the behavioral characteristics of hearing impaired individuals and teaching tips.

·      The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website.  Provides health information, health resources, research, news, and events.

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