IDENTIFY, ADAPT, OVERCOME RISING TO GREATNESS IN THE CLASSROOM

THE SITUATION Walter is a 17-year-old student in my classroom He is hearing impaired The class will be doing a debate The task is to adapt the lesson so that Walter can participate fully

IDENTIFY Hearing impairment, also termed “hearing loss” or “hard of hearing” is characterized by: Muffling of speech and other sounds Difficulty understanding words Withdrawal from conversations Avoidance of social settings

IDENTIFY (2) In mild to moderate cases, a hearing aid may be able to assist hearing impaired children. Hearing aids amplify sound, making it easier for someone with hearing impairment to hear. However, sometimes nerve endings in the ear are damaged, a cochlear implant is necessary. Cochlear implants are surgically-implanted devices that bypass the ear and stimulate the auditory nerves directly.

ADAPT Some tips for helping students with Hearing Impairment succeed in the classroom include: Directly facing the student; placing student in close proximity Trimming beards or mustaches Speaking clearly and enunciating Use of hand signals/body language, but not overly exaggerated Close doors and modify furniture to reduce background noise Provide a syllabus or notes prior to instruction Consider using an interpreter or FM sound system

ADAPT (2) An important thing to remember is that hearing impaired students do not get a “break”: that is, they continue to hear low-intensity sounds, such as soft conversations across the room, that others would blot out, but they cannot do so. Be mindful of student fatigue Maintain good order in the classroom Ensure that hearing-impaired child is not forgotten about. Often they are quiet out of fear of social interaction, which can mask their understanding of a concept.

OVERCOME Strategies to help Walter participate fully and afford him the opportunity to demonstrate his mastery of the topic: Place Walter in the front of the class for the debate. As the moderator, I will shave my face, remain seated in one place for the duration, and ensure that Walter has a clear view of me at all times Door will be closed and furniture modified to limit background noise Students will present their pieces from a position at the front of the room. If other students with to question the speaker, I will point to signal that a new person has the floor, a cue to Walter to turn and look at new speaker

OVERCOME (2) I will ensure that Walter is placed in a group of his peers that is sensitive to his disability and that will work together with him Walter will be expected to present his piece just like everyone else. If need be, he can use an interpreter, or write out his notes to share with the class, in the event that clarity is an issue. If budgetary constraints permit, the classroom will be rigged for an audio system for the purpose of enhancing the auditory clarity of all sounds. (Sort of like Surround Sound, but for educational purposes.)

REFERENCES Deaf-Blind Program, Sanford School of Medicine. (2013). Classroom Accommodations for Students with a Hearing Impairment. Retrieved from Accommodations.pdf Hearing Like Me. (2013). Teaching a Child with Hearing Loss. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, August 23). Symptoms. Hearing loss. Retrieved from loss/DS00172/DSECTION=symptoms UW Health Staff. (2013). Cochlear Implants for Children. Cochlear Implants. Retrieved from for-children/20424