1. Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Chapter 8

2. What are the Terms used to Describe Hearing Problems?
Deaf - refers to members of the Deaf community and Deaf culture
Deaf with a small “d” - refers to people who have significant hearing loss, but are not identified as members of the Deaf community and culture
Hard of Hearing - refers to those with mild to severe hearing losses who probably use speech for communication, will need educational and technological support, and may or may not identify with the Deaf culture
Hearing Impairment - a medical condition which leads to hearing loss – also term used in IDEA 04
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3. What is the History of Hearing Impairments?
Denied legal and human rights as well as education and social interaction
’s - Spanish began teaching deaf individuals to communicate.
1700s - First free public schools for deaf individuals began in France.
A. Lincoln authorizes the National Deaf-Mutes College to grant degrees; the institution later becomes Gallaudet University.
Late 1800s - Oralist movement
20th Century – Advocacy for protection of individual rights and access to inclusion in schools and communities
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4. What are the Clinical Definitions of Deaf and Hard of Hearing?
Based on type and degree of hearing loss
Decibels (dB) - measures intensity or loudness of sounds
Frequency (Hz) - measures the cycle of sounds per second
Human hearing is between ,000 Hz
Most speech occurs between Hz
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5. The Outer, Middle, and Inner Ear (Figure 8.1)
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6. Hearing Loss Expressed in Decibels (Table 8.1)
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7. What are the Types of Hearing Loss?
Sensorineural
Caused by auditory nerve damage
Conductive
Caused with transmission of sounds
Mixed hearing loss
Both conductive and sensorineural
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8. What are the Degrees of Hearing Loss?
Mild to moderate hearing loss = 26 dB -70 dB loss is considered hard of hearing.
Severe to Profound Hearing Loss = loss greater than 70 dB.
Separation of deaf individuals from those who are hard of hearing = 90 dB or greater loss.
How one is able to use residual hearing is important in addition to degree of hearing loss.
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9. What are the Terms used to Described Age of Onset?
Congenital: Hearing loss at birth
Adventitious: Hearing loss acquired after birth
Pre-lingual: Hearing loss prior to development of speech and language
Post-lingual: Hearing loss after the development of speech and language
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10. What is the IDEA 04 Definition?
Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness.
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11. What is the Prevalence of Deafness and Hard of Hearing?
.11% of all school-age children in special education
Just over 1 in every 1,000, ages 6-21 years
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12. What are Some Possible Causes of Deafness and Hard of Hearing?
Not always identifiable
Excessive noise
Conductive hearing loss
Abnormality in the pinna or bones in the ear drum
Blockage
Perforated eardrum
Otitis media
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Genetic causes including Usher Syndrome, Pendred Syndrome, Waardenburg Syndrome
Environmental causes including rubella, viruses
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13. What are Some Possible Characteristics of Deaf Students or those Who are Hard of Hearing? (continued on the next slide)
Cultural Characteristics
The Deaf community is a distinct culture.
Uses ASL as a primary means of communication
Identify themselves as part of the Deaf community
Intellectual Characteristics
No significant differences in perception , learning, and memory between hearing children and those who are deaf
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14. What are Some Possible Characteristics of Deaf Students or those Who are Hard of Hearing? (continued on the next slide)
Academic Characteristics
Achievement scores are lower than for hearing peers, but assessment issues may affect these scores.
Reading comprehension
Written language
Mathematics
Speech and language
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15. What are Some Possible Characteristics of Deaf Students or those Who are Hard of Hearing? (continued)
Speech and Language Characteristics
Spoken language may be delayed.
Can attain intelligible and age-appropriate speech
May have language delays
ASL may be the child’s natural language and may best prepare child for later learning of English language skills
Social/Emotional Characteristics
Social-emotional skill development
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16. How are Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Identified?
Typically identified by medical professionals
Audiometric evaluation
Speech reception
Speech discrimination
Hearing loss must adversely affect educational performance for IDEA 04 services.
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17. What Do I Teach Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing?
Focus on effective communication
Social interaction
Literacy
Provide authentic experiences
Read aloud or do signed reading
Teach vocabulary and comprehension
Use miscue analysis
Science
Math
Deaf Studies
Transition preparation
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18. How Do I Teach Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing?
Oralism
Speech or lip-reading
Bilingual-biculturalism
ASL
Fingerspelling
Signed Exact English
Cued Speech
Total Communication
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19. What are Considerations for the Instructional Environment?
Identify LRE for each student
Based on communication, language, academic and social needs
General education classroom
Special classes or schools
Use visuals and large-size materials.
Post transition times, rules, and menus
Use graphic organizers
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20. What Types of Instructional Technology Can Be Used?
Hearing aids
FM (or Loop) systems
Cochlear implants
Closed Captioning
Telecommunication Relay System
Fax machines
Instant messaging and
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21. What Are Some Special Considerations for the General Education Teacher?
Utilize early intervention
Utilize parent/family involvement
Teach self-determination and self-advocacy
Promote socialization through extracurricular activities and social skills
Collaborate
Teach strategies
Set realistic expectations
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