AustenHearing Loss

By:Marisa Backé

Amanda BruneauErin Nieuwenburg

The Things

Teachers Should Know About HEARING

LOSS

Top

10

There are varyingdegrees of hearing loss

There are varyingdegrees of hearing loss

With respect to the graph please note:• Sound is described by frequency or pitch measured in hertz as shown at

the top of the graph increasing from left to right and intensity or loudness measured in decibels shown along the left hand side of the graph increasing as we go down

• The ear is more sensitive to sound waves with frequencies ranging from 1000 to 4000 hertz

• Speech banana– this is the area of intensity and frequency where most speech occurs

 Notice that most consonants have a higher frequency than vowels

•  Most words have low, middle, and high frequency sounds within them• Let’s take a look at the word MOOSE

m-low freq oo-middle freq s- high freq

  -example: see moderate hearing loss, you may miss hearing the ‘s’ sound and only hearing ‘moo’ • most individuals with hearing loss have some amount of usable hearing

and that is also referred to as residual hearing 

There are varyingdegrees of hearing loss

•  Please note that there are seven degrees of hearing loss (although only five are shown on the graph on slide 3):

normal, minimal or slight, mild, moderate, moderate severe, severe, and profound

• Without intervention different issues will arise depending on the degree of hearing loss:• Minimal to mild: students miss some speech sounds,

difficulty listening in a noisy environment, may develop language delays

• Moderate-moderate severe: students will hear very little if any speech sounds at normal levels, can experience language delays, require use of hearing aid to be successful in the classroom 

• Severe-profound: students’ speech sounds will be hard to understand or incomprehensible, need to learn by visual language cues/sign language, will appear inattentive to verbal cues

Hearing loss is NOT anintellectual disability

Hearing loss is NOT anintellectual disability

Individuals with hearing lossidentify themselves

in different ways

Individuals with hearing lossidentify themselves

in different ways• Student’s with hearing loss may identify themselves in one of four ways: • Deaf – with a capital D – refers to individuals who communicate using sign

language and have a strong sense of community within the Deaf Culture  Individuals who share similar social beliefs, behaviours, art, theatre, folklore, literary traditions, history, and have a strong sense of community – many social groups, activities, and athletic clubs,

They see deafness as a difference and not a disability

• deaf – with a lower case d – refers to individuals who do not have a strong connection to the deaf community and Deaf culture and may use some speech and residual hearing to help them communicate

 • deafened – individuals who were born with normal hearing and learned spoken

language, but lost their hearing later in life • hard of hearing -- individuals who use speech as their primary form of

communication • As educators it is important to remember to always put the individual first: we say

“students who are hard of hearing,” and “students who are deaf” NOT “deaf student”

• If you don’t know what is appropriate, you can also ask your student how he or she would prefer to be addressed.

• Some students will be offended if you refer to them this way (see Deaf Culture)  

Funding is available

Funding is available

Some students willrequire a modified curriculum or I.E.P.

Some students willrequire a modified curriculum or I.E.P.

• Be aware as with all students in your class dependant on their school history, social and emotional needs, your student who is deaf or hard of hearing may need a modified curriculum or Individual Education Plan

 • This will be based on:• educational implications of the student’s hearing loss• teacher observations/student’s classwork• verbal/ASL/written expression• formal assessments (from speech-language pathologist,

psychologist,• ASL tutor, occupational therapist [OT], physiotherapist [PT])• student’s values and goals• parents’ values and goals for the student• social development• instructional time and available resource

 • Be ready to adapt to the needs of your students – this may mean

such things as making sure classroom rules are clearly understood, or adding extra pictorial visual cues to written instructions/problems, communicating with the interpreter/EA what the student should be focusing on.

Hearing Aids DO NOT restore “normal”

hearing

Hearing Aids DO NOT restore “normal”

hearing

Frequency Modulated (FM) Systems can be a useful tool

Frequency Modulated (FM)

Systems can be a useful tool

Students with hearing loss may communicate

usingsign language

Students with hearing loss may communicate using

sign language•  ASL is the most widely used sign language in North America – some regional differences can be found just like in spoken language there are different accents or dialects.

 • Sign Language is expressed through movements of the

hands, body, facial expressions and some mouth movement.  • There is a common misconception some people have that

speech and language are the same thing.• Speech refers to verbal sounds made via the mouth and

voice• Language incorporates rules and a system for putting

letters together to form words and words together to form sentences to express ideas and tell stories.

• Language has meaning and purpose. • It is so important for children to acquire language in

order to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.

  • ASL has it’s own grammar rules and syntax  

Students with hearing loss may communicate using

sign language• Many researchers argue that sign language is

superior to speech for expressing emotions especially with early years students and that it can have benefits for a diverse group of students, not just those that are deaf or hard of hearing.

 • Many children do not have enough vocabulary to

express their intended meaning when something excites, angers, frustrates, or embarrasses them. Sign language can be a good tool to help them communicate this.

 • If all the students in the class learn to sign, it

becomes easier for the student who is hard of hearing to communicate with his or her classmates and vice versa• builds community• another way to retain and express information

Be aware of the signs that indicate your student may have

hearing loss

Be aware of the signs that indicate your student may have

hearing loss

Support can be found within a student’s

school and community Central Speech and Hearing Clinic

Manitoba Deaf Association

Manitoba School for the Deaf

Camp Kakepitay

Leisure Guide Programs, Scouts Canada, Girl Guides

Manitoba Deaf Sports Association

Recreation Services for the Deaf

Silent Voice Canada

Support can be found within a student’s

school and community

References Anderson, K. L., (n.d.) Early listening function: Discovery tool for parents and caregivers of infants

and toddlers. Retrieved December 11, 2008, from www.phonak.com/com_elf_questionnaire_gb.pdf

desb65. (July 10, 2011). Samantha and her fun FM and hearing aid book! [Video File]. Retrieved September 25, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc1U-YuxqEw

Harris, Tom. HowStuffWorks.com. How hearing works, 30 March 2011. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/hearing.htm

Sick Kids Canada. Author Unknown. http://www.sickkids.ca/communicationdisorders/what-we-do/audiology/types%20of%20hearing%20loss/index.html

Manitoba Education. (n.d.). Student services: Guidelines for level II and III support. Retrieved September 29, 2011 from http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/funding/level2-3.html

Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. (2011). Educator's resource guide: Supporting students who are deaf and/or hard of hearing. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/dhh_resource/index.html

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2011). Cochlear implants. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/coch.asp

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2010). Hearing aids. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/hearingaid.htm

References The Hearing Loss Clinic. (n.d.a.). Hearing aids for kids. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from

http://www.hearingloss.ca/hearing-loss-for-kids-hearingaids.html

The Hearing Loss Clinic. (n.d.b.). FM systems. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.hearingloss.ca/hearing-loss-for-kids-fmsystems.html

Brereton, A. (2008). Sign language use and the appreciation of diversity in hearing classrooms. Early Years Journal of International Research and Development. 28(3) 311-324.

 Marschark, Marc; Lang, Harry G.; Albertini, John A. (2001). Educating deaf students: From research to practice. Oxford University Press USA. Retrieved 25 September 2011, from <http://lib.myilibrary.com.libproxy.uwinnipeg.ca?ID=47068>.

 Schick, Brenda; Marschark, Marc; Spencer, Patricia Elizabeth. (2006). Advances in the sign language development of deaf children. Oxford University Press USA. Retrieved 24 September 2011, from <http://lib.myilibrary.com.libproxy.uwinnipeg.ca?ID=42848>.

 Carbin, C & Smith, D. (2011). The Canadian encyclopedia: Deaf culture. Retrieved 29 September 2011, from <http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA001117>.

Deafness Research UK. May 2009. http://www.deafnessressearch.org.uk