Hearing Impairment

DEFINITION
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 in this section.

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

Lack of attention                                           
Turns or cocks head
Uses gestures
Monotone quality in voice
Lack of speech development
Works best in small groups
May act out
Difficult in following direction
Preoccupied with things, not people
Imitates others
Responds to noises instead of words
Reluctant to participate orally

MOTOR CHARACTERISTICS
May have balance problems that cause developmental delays or motor ability
May have difficulty of motor speed

LEARNING STRATEGIES & TEACHING TIPS

Make sure the student can you see you when you are speaking so the student can see your lips.
Use visual aids whenever possible. It is easier for a student to pick up words and follow the conversation when they know what the subject matter is going to be.
Speak clearly and normally. Don’t slow down your words or shout.
Writing important announcements or instructions on the board is a good way to clarify.
Provide transcripts with audio information
When showing videos, make sure they are captioned.
Learn some basic signs to use during instruction.
Talk to the individual and the not interpreter when communicating.

RESOURCES
http://www.northwestern.edu/disability/faculty/strategies/hearing-loss.html

Provides a brief description of the nature of hearing impairment, instructional strategies, common accommodations, assisted listening devices, transcriptions, and closed captioning information.
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/creds/federal-disability-definitions.pdf
Provides the Federal Disability Definition of hearing impairment under Title 34: Education, Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability. Also provides many other important disability definitions.
http://www.tahperd.org/LINKS/links_pdfs/APE%20factsheets/Hearing_Impairment.pdf

Provides the definitions of deaf, hard of hearing, the different degrees of hearing loss, and difficulty understanding speech. Also provides the behavioral characteristics of hearing impaired individuals and teaching tips.

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/Pages/default.aspx

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website. Provides health information, health resources, research, news, and events.