Inclusion of Students with Hearing Impairment

Assignment 2B PresentationCasey Baills, Kath Conway, Sharon Campbell, Emma Dever & Alison

James

Hearing Impairment

Hearing loss varies between individuals. No two hearing losses are the same. Hearing loss is described in terms of degree. There are two main types of hearing loss. It is expressed in four levels.

Types of Hearing Loss

Conductive Sensorineural

Conductive Deafness

Associated with any interference in the sound waves being conducted to the cochlea.– Eg - blocked ear canals (wax, foreign

objects)– Perforated eardrums– Fluid in middle ear– Structure/functioning problems of the

ossicles

Sensorineural Deafness

Is associated with an interference in the structure and/or functioning of the cochlea.

Affects both the quantity and quality of sound. Has a significant affect on learning. Distortion is a common feature.

Levels of Hearing Loss

Mild Moderate Severe Profound

Mild

(0 - 40 dB) May have some difficulty understanding

speech, especially in noisy surroundings. May experience some difficulty with Language

Arts [especially reading].

Moderate

(41 – 69 dB) May understand conversational speech, face to

face, within 1 metre but miss up to 50% beyond this distance.

Will have noticeable deficiencies in speech and language development and use.

Will find group communication extremely difficult.

Severe

(70 - 90 dB) Conversation must be loud to be heard at all. May be able to discriminate between some

vowels but will have difficulty with most consonants.

Both speech and language will be delayed and deficient.

Will usually have some degree of reliance on vision (usually lip-reading) to compliment information received through residual hearing.

Profound

(91 + dB) May hear only loudest of environmental

sounds. Will usually rely heavily on vision for

communication purposes (reading, lip-reading &/or manual communication).

Speech and language skills are often poorly developed.

Things To Do...

Activity Discussion Video snippet

EQ Policy States...

A commitment to the provision of equitable educational opportunities in order that all students have access to, participate in and gain positive outcomes from schooling. Deaf/hearing impaired students are enrolled at all levels of schooling. A Total Communication philosophy ensures that deaf/hearing impaired children across the State have equal access to an appropriate educational program and a consistent communication approach.

Refer CS-11 DOEM 1997-2000.

The Implications…

For all students, the quality of their experiences at school will relate to - – the appropriateness of the curriculum;– the nature of the learning environment;– the learner-teacher partnerships that exist.

What do I expect of deaf/hearing impaired students...

They are like any other student. They will-

– want to be part of the class and of activities;– want to have friends;– want to be valued as learners;– may require extra support in some area of

learning and social interaction.

Teaching Strategies To Help...

Reduce noise levels; Use speech reading; Be aware of positioning; Be aware of other strategies.

Reduce Noise Levels

Avoid rooms near busy/noisy roads Single classrooms are better than double

classrooms Reduce & absorb background noise &

reverberation in the room by using -– rubber tips on chair legs, – fabric/cork boards on walls, – curtains, – room dividers, – soft floor coverings, etc.

Speech Reading

Includes using lip movements, facial expression & other non-verbal clues that assist in the understanding of speech.

Don’t:– talk facing the blackboard;– move around while speaking;– over-exaggerate speech or shout.

So make sure:– students can see your face;– avoid glare or light behind you;– use normal slightly slower speech.

Positioning

Seat student close to the front of the classroom at a distance of about 1 metre between them and the speaker

So student can see visuals Unilateral loss (one ear) position for optimum

use of their good ear [eg - on the right hand side of the room - as you face the class - if the loss is in the left ear].

More Tips...

Use movement purposely [eg point to information];

Seek advice from Speech Therapist if speech lacks fluency;

Stand still so student can locate you before speaking;

Two sources of information cannot be read at the same time [eg handout and lips]. Explain the material before handing it out;

Seek the students feedback to how they are coping and comprehending.

Ascertained Support Levels

Level 1– Tested but not

hearing impaired.

Level 2– Tested & has

hearing impairment.

– Letter sent by AVT at beginning of the year.

– Normally no hearing aides.

– Not visited by AVT unless requested.

Cont...

Level 3– Hearing

impairment usually mild to moderate.

– usually issued with hearing aides.

– AVT visits up to once per month.

Level 4– Hearing

impairment.– Some

modifications necessary.

– AVT support up to 1 1/2 hours per week.

Cont...

Level 5– Hearing

impairment.– Major

modifications necessary.

– AVT support up to 3 hours per week.

Level 6– Unit placement or

IEP.

Who Can Offer Support?

Administrators Support teachers Special needs

teachers Parents Students Dept.Heads Colleagues & aides Social justice/special

needs committee/P&C

AVT’s/education advisor

Physio/nurses/OT’s/S-L pathologists/GO

Cluster schools Specialist units General practitioner Medical specialists Specialist

organizations & agencies

Resources...

Kits– Qld Consortium for

Students with Special Needs. (1996). Profiles: Learning about students - Focusing on outcomes for deaf/hearing impaired students.

– Romanik,S. (1990). Auditory Skills Program for Students with Hearing Impairment. NSW, Dept of School Ed.

Videos– Understanding Hearing

Loss. (1991). Brisbane: Centre for deafness studies & research, GU.

– What is Otismedia? (1993). Peter Allen. (deafness resource centre)

– Signs of Language (1992). Brisbane: Centre for deafness studies & research, GU.

Any Questions??

Good Luck Next Year!