Hearing loss can lead to a speech and language delay. An issue that children may have at school is they may have difficulty making friends because their disability impairs their ability to communicate orally with their peers, and to be understood by their friends. This inability to be understood may also affect the child’s achievement in school. It may also lead to the child having low social acceptance and self-esteem.
Children with a hearing impairment can understand other’s speech when it is amplified. The child with a hearing impairment also communicates primarily through spoken language. Because of the difficulty a child has hearing, they have a limited vocabulary compared to their peers. It is also more difficult for them to learn abstract words such as before, and after. They may also omit endings of words, such as –ed, -s, and –es. Children with a hearing impairment also have difficulty with all areas of academic achievement, with reading and math being especially difficult. This is not due to a lack of intelligence, but the barrier in communication (Heward, 2009).
Something may help the children in the school is the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA). The ADA mandates that people with disabilities have the same access to public accommodations, employment opportunities, transportation, and telecommunications. Thousands of children with hearing loss go on to attend college and are able to succeed with accommodations. Examples of accommodations are trained note takers, interpreters, notes from the instructor, notes from a classmate, the student’s notes reworked by someone else, a tutor, or social and emotional assistance (Wehman, 1997).
Another issue children with hearing impairments might face in school is that most tests rely on language, and children with hearing loss may be mislabeled with a learning disability due to the effect their hearing impairment has on their ability to receive and express language. It is also difficult for children with hearing impairments to understand instructions if they are not accompanied by gestures. Teachers need to know that poor performance could be the result of the child not understanding the instructions. Teachers also need to understand that a hearing impaired child is not less intelligent than the other students if they do not understand the instructions, and that where a child with a hearing impairment sits in a classroom is also important (Wehman, 1997).
The following are ways that a hearing impaired student can be accommodated in a classroom: Sit in a desk with full view of the teacher; Use an FM system (a wireless receiver that is connected into a hearing aid or cochlear implant) to hear the instruction over classroom noise; Use other assistive technology such as a hearing aid; Face students when talking (teacher); Provide written instructions and outlines with key words; Use visual aids; Assign a buddy to help the child focus on the task; Assign a note taker so that the child can watch the teacher without interruption; Give the child previews and review of the material; Use carpeting and corkboard to absorb sound; Check amplification daily and keep extra batteries on hand; collaborate with the audiologist; and do not speak and use a visual aid at the same time in order to allow the student to watch for speech reading clues and see the visual aid.
Some tips or advice for teachers is to recognize that there are different ways of communicating, encourage the student’s peers to respond when they communicate, and be aware that there are different levels of hearing impairments. Teachers should also check hearing devices often, stagger desks to reduce sound, and choose a classroom away from high noise or traffic areas such as the gym or cafeteria. Additionally, teachers should give directions slowly and repeat as necessary.
Children with a hearing impairment can understand other’s speech when it is amplified. The child with a hearing impairment also communicates primarily through spoken language. Because of the difficulty a child has hearing, they have a limited vocabulary compared to their peers. It is also more difficult for them to learn abstract words such as before, and after. They may also omit endings of words, such as –ed, -s, and –es. Children with a hearing impairment also have difficulty with all areas of academic achievement, with reading and math being especially difficult. This is not due to a lack of intelligence, but the barrier in communication (Heward, 2009).
Something may help the children in the school is the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA). The ADA mandates that people with disabilities have the same access to public accommodations, employment opportunities, transportation, and telecommunications. Thousands of children with hearing loss go on to attend college and are able to succeed with accommodations. Examples of accommodations are trained note takers, interpreters, notes from the instructor, notes from a classmate, the student’s notes reworked by someone else, a tutor, or social and emotional assistance (Wehman, 1997).
Another issue children with hearing impairments might face in school is that most tests rely on language, and children with hearing loss may be mislabeled with a learning disability due to the effect their hearing impairment has on their ability to receive and express language. It is also difficult for children with hearing impairments to understand instructions if they are not accompanied by gestures. Teachers need to know that poor performance could be the result of the child not understanding the instructions. Teachers also need to understand that a hearing impaired child is not less intelligent than the other students if they do not understand the instructions, and that where a child with a hearing impairment sits in a classroom is also important (Wehman, 1997).
The following are ways that a hearing impaired student can be accommodated in a classroom: Sit in a desk with full view of the teacher; Use an FM system (a wireless receiver that is connected into a hearing aid or cochlear implant) to hear the instruction over classroom noise; Use other assistive technology such as a hearing aid; Face students when talking (teacher); Provide written instructions and outlines with key words; Use visual aids; Assign a buddy to help the child focus on the task; Assign a note taker so that the child can watch the teacher without interruption; Give the child previews and review of the material; Use carpeting and corkboard to absorb sound; Check amplification daily and keep extra batteries on hand; collaborate with the audiologist; and do not speak and use a visual aid at the same time in order to allow the student to watch for speech reading clues and see the visual aid.
Some tips or advice for teachers is to recognize that there are different ways of communicating, encourage the student’s peers to respond when they communicate, and be aware that there are different levels of hearing impairments. Teachers should also check hearing devices often, stagger desks to reduce sound, and choose a classroom away from high noise or traffic areas such as the gym or cafeteria. Additionally, teachers should give directions slowly and repeat as necessary.