Hearing Impairments

Definition of Exceptionality

Hearing Impairments

The IDEA defines deafness and hearing impairment as:
Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, and 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 education performance, but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section. There are many indications that a student has hearing loss, they may including straining to hear, intense concentrations on speakers face, use of loud speech or distorted speech, request of repeating or the spelling of word and consistent failure to respond. 1.2 percent of all school aged kids have hearing loss.10 percent of the overall population have hearing loss and 45

Implication of Teaching
When I will be teaching kindergarten students it is very important for me to pick up on these features that may indicate a student who is hard of hearing. As a teacher I must have other reference available for the student whom has hearing impairments. For this I must have an interpreter or someone who knows sign language. It is extremely important that my interpret whom is doing sign language is getting the correct and ALL the information to the student. Not just parts. If this isn’t obtain the then student is at risk of falling behind and not learning. I think here again it is extremely important to have visual aids. Of course this makes more sense because they aren’t hearing so they learn by seeing. This means colorful and detailed visual aids are a virtual key in teaching children with hearing impairments. I think you are doing sign language it is important to talk as well so that the student is also seeing your lips read in this may help them to learn to pick up on lip reading. If the student isn’t completely deaf the use an FM speaker to help amplify what you are saying so that they can hear you.

Specific Technologies

There are many different technologies out there to help these students in the classroom.
1. Speech to text- this is what you say is being translated into text so that the hearing impairment children can read what is being said.
2. Smart Board- write and illustrate what you are teaching.
3. Overhead with power points- This is another visual aid so that the child can read what you are teaching.

Annotated References

1.ASC
http://www.animatedspeech.com/
2.Great site for to provide to parents so that they can get involved
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/:
3. Puts words into Sign Language
http://www.handspeak.com
4. Text Book
Education the Exceptional Child
Ninth Edition
5. National Association for the Deaf
www.nad.org