Tips for the Classroom Teacher
Learning Difficulties for the Hearing Impaired
Classroom Environment Poses Challenges to Kids with Hearing Loss
© Karen Plumley
Dec 14, 2008
Vocalvolume, listening distance, and background noise are the three majorclassroom factors to be considered when teaching a child with specialhearing needs.
Parents of children with hearingdisabilities will quickly learn how to communicate with themeffectively at home. They will know how close they need to be and atwhat volume their voices must be kept for the child to interpret what isbeing said. With early intervention and available technology such ashearing aids and cochlear implants, language and learning delays thatwere once thought to be a forgone conclusion can be minimized.
Dueto these advancements in technology and understanding, many morehearing impaired children are able to enter into mainstream preschoolsand kindergartens with exceptional communication and listening skills.But there are environmental factors that exist in a classroom that willaffect their ability to listen, learn, and keep up with their peers.
Importance of Listening Range and Volume for Special Needs Child
Therange of an impaired child’s hearing ability is well defined in a quietspace. If a caregiver or teacher is out of that “listening bubble” andthe child is not watching intently, she will be unaware that an attemptat communication is occurring. It is very important that the studentwith partial hearing loss is placed very near the teacher at all timesduring lessons.
Here are a few other suggestions to aid a child with a limited listening range:
- Use visual aids during lessons
- Write major points on the board
- Provide handouts of important topic information
- Speak loudly and clearly
- Face the students when speaking
- Arrange classroom in a circle so child can see everyone
- Speak slowly and repeat ideas in different ways
- Allow tape recorders
- Pair student with a “study buddy”
Background Noise and Reverberation in the Classroom
Witha small amount of effort, children of average hearing are able to tuneout audible distractions such as road noise, air conditioning, andchatter. But kids with hearing disabilities have difficulty filteringout background noise, and hearing aids or cochlear implants do notperform this task either. All noises are amplified by the devices andhanded to the child in a mixed up bundle.
Additionally,varying degrees of hearing loss can present challenges for children aswell. Some children experience hearing loss at higher frequencies andsome have difficulties in the lower range.
Knowing how a childis hearing is very important in determining how to structure the mostsupportive classroom environment. Minimizing background noise andreverberation should be a priority. Here are some suggestions:
- Keep windows closed
- Turn down air conditioners
- Insist that students do not talk during oral presentations
- Look into floor rugs and/or acoustic wall panels
- Use an FM device to enhance signal-to-noise ratio (S/N enhancing device)
- Install tennis balls on the bottom of classroom chairs
Whenchildren with hearing loss try to learn in a noisy, unsupportiveclassroom environment, they can quickly fall behind in their educationalefforts. Listening to a lesson in this type of setting would be liketrying to do a puzzle with half the pieces missing. But when theappropriate accommodations are provided, children with hearingimpairment can enjoy school and thrive, as do their peers with normalhearing abilities.
The copyright of the article Learning Difficulties for the Hearing Impaired in Deaf Students is owned by Karen Plumley. Permission to republish Learning Difficulties for the Hearing Impaired in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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