Deafness and Hearing Loss

a. Definition of Deafness and Hearing Loss-

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), formerly the Education of the Handicapped Act (P.L. 94-142), includes "hearing impairment" and "deafness" as two of the categories under which children with disabilities may be eligible for special education and related services programming. While the term "hearing impairment" is often used generically to describe a wide range of hearing losses, including deafness, the regulations for IDEA define hearing loss and deafness separately. Hearing impairment is defined by IDEA as "an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance." Deafness is defined as "a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification." Thus, deafness may be viewed as a condition that prevents an individual from receiving sound in all or most of its forms. In contrast, a child with a hearing loss can generally respond to auditory stimuli, including speech.
There are four types of hearing loss. Conductive hearing losses are caused by diseases or obstructions in the outer or middle ear (the conduction pathways for sound to reach the inner ear). Conductive hearing losses usually affect all frequencies of hearing evenly and do not result in severe losses. A person with a conductive hearing loss usually is able to use a hearing aid well or can be helped medically or surgically. Sensorineural hearing losses result from damage to the delicate sensory hair cells of the inner ear or the nerves which supply it. These hearing losses can range from mild to profound. They often affect the person's ability to hear certain frequencies more than others. Thus, even with amplification to increase the sound level, a person with a sensorineural hearing loss may perceive distorted sounds, sometimes making the successful use of a hearing aid impossible. A mixed hearing loss refers to a combination of conductive and sensorineural loss and means that a problem occurs in both the outer or middle and the inner ear. A central hearing loss results from damage or impairment to the nerves or nuclei of the central nervous system, either in the pathways to the brain or in the brain itself.
Hearing loss and deafness affect individuals of all ages and may occur at any time from infancy through old age. The U.S. Department of Education (2002) reports that, during the 2000-2001 school year, 70,767 students aged 6 to 21 (or 1.3% of all students with disabilities) received special education services under the category of “hearing impairment.” However, the number of children with hearing loss and deafness is undoubtedly higher, since many of these students may have other disabilities as well and may be served under other categories. (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities)

b. Implication of teaching in each area of disability and modifications of teaching approaches-

I will as a regular elementary education teacher provide the students with the following learning aids. First I will provide printed copies of overhead or PowerPoint presentations. If available, I will provide any visual aids that may assist in learning. Provide handouts such as syllabus, lesson plans, and assignments. Write special announcements, assignments, etc. on the whiteboard. Allow additional time for recording any information placed on whiteboard before erasing. Write down technical vocabulary, foreign terms, formulas, etc. on the whiteboard or provide a handout. Use captioned films/videos or provide a written transcript. Help find seating near the front if requested by the student which maybe necessary for speech reading and recording. I will as a regular education elementary teacher make arrangements for written tests in place of oral tests. I will know how to wear an assistive listening device if requested and how to wear a digital voice recording device. Keep classroom door closed to eliminate outside distractions & amplification of background noises. If practical, modify classroom seating in a circular pattern. This will allow my elementary regular education students to observe and interact with classmates. I will also speak slowly and face the student when speaking. I will make sure that when communicating through an interpreter that I look at the student and speak directly to him instead of the interpreter. I will as an elementary regular education teacher use peer note takers to help students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Notes can be photocopied or pressure sensitive note taking paper can be provided.

c. Technology used to aid students with deafness or hearing loss.

Assistive listening devices (ALDs) filter out unwanted background noise (students talking, books being opened/closed, chairs sliding) so that the user primarily hears the speaker. ALDs are primarily used in large group or lecture settings, as well as smaller settings where it would be helpful to have the sound source focused.

FM system refers to a "frequency modulated" radio wave system which uses a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is connected to a microphone and given to the instructor or plugged into a television. The transmitter is small enough it can be put in a pocket or clipped onto a belt. The microphone can be clipped to a shirt or held by the instructor. The student wears the receiver and can adjust the volume to a personal level of comfort. When the transmitter and receiver are on the same frequency wave, the student hears the instructor clearly through radio signals. This type of ALD works with students who have severe to profound hearing loss.

An infrared listening system uses invisible light waves that transmit sound from the instructor or television, which is then sent to the receiver worn by the student. This type of ALD works best with mild hearing loss. This type of ALD also works best for theater type style situations.

Induction Loop Devices will only work if a student both has a hearing aid and has the "T" setting on the hearing aid. The speaker will speak into the transmitter’s microphone while the student will be in the middle of the loop. The student will turn the hearing aid to "T" and receive the information from his or her instructor. One may need to specifically ask this question, as some who wear hearing aids do not use the "T-coil". Some hearing aids don’t have a "T-coil" setting as an option. Another option is to have a separate receiver and headphones.
Hard-Wired Devices are used when a direct connection between the instructor and the student can be established. The instructor will use a microphone or plug in with a cord. The student will plug the other end of the cord into his or her hearing aid. The student can then better understand the speaker while eliminating background noise and distractions. This type of ALD works well with conductive hearing loss, which deals with sound transmission within the middle ear, as students with this type of hearing loss often benefit from amplification.

The Sound Field System consists of a portable speaker that is placed close to the user. This can be helpful in classrooms for people with mild or moderate disabilities. Sound Field Systems are the same as wireless speakers.
d. Resources

deafness.about.com/cs/educationgeneral/a/classroomnoise.htm
Fact Sheet Deafness & Hearing Loss.PDS www.intervene4ateen.com/documents/Deafness%20and%20Hearing%20Loss.pd

The causes of profound deafness in childhood: a study of 3,535 individuals ...‎
by George Robert Fraser

"Inclusion and Hearing Loss: Tips for Teaching a Student with a Hearing Impairment" - http://deaf-child-parenting.suite101.com/article.cfm/inclusion_and_hearing_loss#ixzz0B5JVv2PR

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hearingdisordersanddeafness.html