Transcript Introducing a New Product

Students with Disabilities
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Misti Foster
What is the difference between
Deaf and Hard of Hearing?
There is no clear line between deaf and hard of
hearing. However, many people agree that
deafness involves hearing loss in the severe to
profound range. Many who consider
themselves to be deaf access information
visually through the use of sign language or lip
reading.
Those who describe themselves as hard of
hearing have some residual hearing and are
able to access information aurally through
assistive listening devices.
Deafness
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Affects less than 1% of school age children
Students may have little or no speech
depending on severity and age of onset.
Often communicate through the use of a sign
language interpreter.
American sign language is widely used and
has it's own unique grammar and word order
that is different from English.
Manual English or Signed English uses
English grammar and word order.
Hard of Hearing
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Approximately 12 out of 1000 school age
children have some form of hearing
impairment
Students who consider themselves to be Hard
of Hearing have some residual hearing.
They benefit from the use of assistive listening
devices.
Generally have some speech abilities.
These children will be able to use BTE hearing
aids.
A Closer Look at Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can be
Partial or Total
Temporary or Permanent
Unilateral or Bilateral
Conductive, Sensorineural, or both
Congenital or Acquired
Students will have varying needs depending
on their own unique medical history.
Important Vocabulary
Unilateral refers to hearing loss in one ear
Bilateral refers to hearing loss in both ears
<Conductive hearing loss involves structures in the
middle or outer ear. This type of hearing loss can be
medically or surgically corrected.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss involves the inner ear and
it's ability to process sounds. This type of hearing
loss is generally permanent
Congenital Hearing Loss occurs at birth or shortly after
Acquired Hearing Loss occurs after speech and
language have developed.
Identifying Those Affected
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When a child cannot hear in the first six
months of life, he or she is has a significant
risk for language learning problems.
Early detection is key for parents
Unfortunately, the average age of detection of
a severe to profound hearing loss in the US is
two and a half years.
Children with mild to moderate losses tend to
diagnosed at age four.
Characteristics and Behavioral
Indicators
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Those with Unilateral Hearing Loss or mild
and moderate hearing loss are often labeled
as having “selective hearing” or criticized for
“daydreaming” in class.
These students may go unnoticed and have
significant educational ramifications as a
result.
Students with hearing loss may have distorted
speech or no speech at all.
Implication to General Classroom
Setting
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Students who are deaf and hard of hearing
have the same capacity to learn as their
peers.
With a few modifications on the part of the
instructor and thoughtful planning prior to the
lesson, these students can easily be
integrated into the classroom setting.
Many of the strategies involved with helping
these students achieve can also be used with
the general education students as well.
Accommodations, Modifications,
Adaptations, and Strategies
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Speak naturally and at a normal volume.
Exaggeration and over emphasis of speech
will hinder the student's ability to lip read.
Get the student's attention before addressing
him or her. Call the child's name or lightly tap
his or her shoulder.
Face the student when giving instructions and
during lectures.
During video tape presentations, try to use a
captioned version.
FM Units
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A form of assistive listening device that uses
a remote microphone that can be placed
near a sound source (usually a teacher's
mouth but it can also be a tape recorder, TV
monitor, etc.)
FM units can provide better speech to noise
ratio and enable the student to hear the
teacher's voice as if it was six inches away.
Automatic Speech Recognition
Programs (ASR)
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Students who are deaf may also benefit from
real time captioning, where spoken language
is typed and projected onto a screen. An
example of this is the new computer program
Dragon.
It is important to remember that a student
using an interpreter, who is lip reading, or who
is reading real-time captioning cannot
simultaneously look down at written materials
or take notes. It is helpful to provide written
notes or handouts prior to the lesson.
Overcoming Reverberations
(ECHOS)
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Reverberations create distracting noise that can
hinder a students ability to hear the instructor.
This echoing effect occurs in classrooms that do not
have enough sound-absorbing surfaces
Acoustically absorbent material such as carpeting,
draperies, and treated ceiling tiles, covers these
surfaces and prevents distracting noise.
Tennis balls on chair legs can be used to reduce the
noise of chair scuffling when carpet is not feasible or
practical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2vDzDKwX
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References
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www.handsandvoices.org/pgf/mainst_cal.pdf
http://deafness.about.com/cs/earbasics/a/dem
ographics.htm
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strate
gies/Disability/Hearing/