L4 - Hearing Impairment Flashcards
Hearing Impairment Facts
- Hearing is the sense people are most likely to lose
- The incidence of hearing loss increases with age
- Affects a student’s academic, social and emotional development
- Impairment can be unilateral or bilateral
- Important to use all residual hearing to enhance learning
Causes of hearing loss
- Genetic
- Developed through excessive noise
- Infections
How many primary aged children will have some form of conductive hearing loss at any given time?
1 in 3
Audiogram
Is useful for identifying which sounds are the most difficult for the student. Tested by an audiologist.
Classroom considerations
- Layout
- Grouping
- Floor coverings
- Lighting
- Transitions
- Equipment
Assistive Technology
- Hearing aids
- Radio transmitters
- Cochlear implants - only for those who are profoundly or severely impaired
- Lights as signals
- Ext telephones
- National Relay Service
Sign Languages
- Sign - AUSLAN
- Speech reading (lip reading, gesture, expression). Only 30% of words can be lip read.
- Cued speech
Otitis Media - Middle ear infection
- Blow your nose
- Pop your ears
- Empty your chest
- Exercise
- Repeat steps 1 to 4
- Take 5 deep breaths, 2 coughs and blow your nose.
- Check nose is empty
- Pop ears.
CATCH for students with conductive hearing loss
Closeness - talk closely to student
Attention - call student’s name before giving instructions
Teamwork - encourage a buddy system
CHeck understanding - ask questions e.g. “what will you do now” or simply observe
School Support for Hearing Impairment
- Visiting teachers from WAIDE (WA Institute of Deaf Education):
- strategies
- physical setup
- assistive devices
- Liaison with family
- Telethon Hearing Centre
Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)
- Affects approx 5% of students
- The ears & the brain do not coordinate together effectively
- Students do not process sound the same way as other students
- May result in speech & language delays
- May result in academic difficulties
- May look like ADHD, learning difficulties, etc.
- Audiologists can use auditory processing tests to determine if this is the difficulty
Students with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) May have difficulties with:
- Noisy, low structured classrooms
- Remembering auditory information
- Hearing the difference in sounds (Coat/Boat)
- Attention difficulties
- Auditory cohesion (verbal maths problems, understanding riddles)
Strategies for Students with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)
- Reduce background noise
- Have the student look at you when speaking
- Use simple sentences to convey instructions
- Speak at a slightly slower rate & slightly increased volume
- Get the student to repeat the instruction back to you
- Routines, writing instructions
- Alter seating plan (front of the room, back to window)
- Tape recorder
