Hearing+Impairments

Erin O’Connor Characteristics of Individuals with Exceptionalities Ed 226 Ramsey September 28, 2009 Abstract A hearing impairment is a loss of hearing that prevents a person from completely receiving sounds through the ear. A mild loss is when the person has difficulty hearing faint or distant speech. Hearing aids can be used to help amplify sounds for these people. “Partial hearing loss occurs in about 10-15 percent of newborns” (National Network for Child Care). In severe cases some people may not be able to distinguish sounds at all. “Profound deafness occurs in about 4,000 infants born each year” (National Network for Child Care). There are 4 types of hearing losses: conductive, sensorineural, mixed, and central. Conductive hearing loss is “caused by diseases or obstructions in the outer or middle ear that usually affect all frequencies of hearing” (Ryan, Norb). Conductive hearing loss is the most prevalent type of hearing loss. The most common cause of conductive hearing loss in kids and teens is otitis media which is the medical term for an ear infection that affects the middle ear. “Ear infections cause a buildup of fluid or pus behind the eardrum, which can block the transmission of sound. Even after the infection gets better, fluid might stay in the middle ear for weeks or even month, causing difficulty hearing” (TeensHealth). Blockages in the ear, such as a foreign object, implanted earwax, or dirt, or fluid due to colds and allergies, can also cause conductive hearing loss” (TeensHealth). Damages to the eardrum and ear canal from things such as pushing a cotton swab too far in the ear, sudden explosion or loud noise, head injury, or sudden change in air pressure can also create conductive hearing loss. Generally a hearing aid helps a person with this type of hearing loss. “Sensorineural hearing impairments results from damage to the inner ear” (Ryan, Norb). This loss can range from in different levels. Certain frequencies might be affected more than others. Sounds can still often be distorted, even if a hearing aid is being used. There are different causes for sensorineural hearing impairments. Some genetic disorders interfere with the proper development of the inner ear and then auditory nerve. Injuries such as skull fractures can also cause this impairment. Premature babies are at a higher risk of hearing impairments. “A sudden loud noise or exposure to high noise levels, such as loud music, over time can cause permanent damage to the tiny hairs in the cochlea, which then can’t transmit sounds as effectively as they did before” (TeensHealth). “Mixed hearing loss occurs in both the inner and outer, or middle ear. Lastly, a central hearing loss results from damage to the central nervous system” (Ryan, Norb). There are different types of methods that can be used for people with hearing impairments to communicate, such as American Sign Language, finger spelling, lip-reading, and written communication. American Sign Language is the primary language of people who are deaf. “It is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. American Sign Language is said to be the 4th most commonly used language in the United States” (NIDCD). There isn’t one form of sign language that is universal. Aside from the American Sign language, there is also the British and French Sign Languages. Even though American Sign Language is used in America, it is completely different than English. “ASL contains all the fundamental features a language needs to function on its own. It has its own rules for grammar, punctuation, and sentence order” (NIDCD). In English, when a question is asked, the tone of voice is raised at the end of the sentence. In American Sign Language, the user raises their eyebrows and widens their eyes. Tilting of the body might also indicate a question. Just like a spoken language, American Sign Language is learned more quickly at a younger age. This is why all newborns are screened for hearing impairments before they even leave the hospital. Finger spelling is a way to communicate by spelling out every word with hand motions. Every letter of the alphabet is represented by a movement. They are shown below.

Picture of fingerspelling --- http://asl.ms//fingerspellingchart.htm Lip-reading is a very difficult skill used by only about 10% of people with hearing impairments. “Lip-reading is seeing the sound of speech, the movements of the lips and the tongue, together with facial expression and body language are all clues. The hearing impaired person will also observe the syllable, the natural flow, the rhythm and phrasing and the stress of speech” (Lipreading). Lip-reading is difficult, but once you get used to it, it can be very helpful. Difficulties can come when people talk too fast, mumble, or cover their mouths. The last form of communication is written, also known as pad and pencil. Writing things down is a simply way to communicate. Words have to be kept simple because English can sometimes be a deaf person’s second language to American Sign Language. There are many different accommodations and adaptations that people can make when they are in contact with the hearing impaired. You should always maintain eye contact with them and let them see your lips. “If a sign language interpreter is present, talk directly to the person who is deaf, not the interpreter” (Ryan, Norb). To speak to children that are hard of hearing you should speak slowly and clearly, but do not exaggerate. You should be expressive, but not overly so. Using sign language should be used if you’re qualified. Incorrect form could convey the wrong information. Do not shout because hearing aids make sounds louder, but they do not clarify the person’s reception or understanding of the sound. In a classroom, arranging the seats in a semi circle form can be helpful so that the student can see everyone when they are talking. Be cautious and look for facial expressions and body language cues. This will help you to know if they understand what you are trying to say (Ryan, Norb). Teachers can use strategies for the inclusion of their hard of hearing students. Teachers should try to reduce the noise in their environments so that students are competing with loud background noise. Places carpets, area rugs, and soft wall coverings placed around the classroom helps to make a student’s environment less noisy. Corkboard on the walls will also help minimize the noise in the room. Other methods teachers can use are to learn to implement non-verbal cues to communicate. To get the attention of a hearing impaired student, teacher may tap the table so that the student can respond to the vibrations. Waving of the arms or flickering the lights can also work, but teachers must do this in a way that isn’t distracting to the other students. Today, people have new technologies that really help them lead as much of a normal life as possible. Some students have programmable hearing aids, which are wired to a microphone on the teacher so that they can clearly hear lectures. Captions on TV and movies ensure that they can still enjoy these activities. Other things that hearing impaired people have are lights that flash when the doorbell or phone ring and telephones with digital screens so that they know what someone is saying and they can respond to them. With the technology of today, there are few things that the hearing impaired are held back from doing.

Ryan, Norb. Kentucky’s Office for the Americans with Diabilities Act: Hearing Impairments. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://characteristicsofexcept.wikispaces.com/Learning+Disabilities. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: American Sign Language. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/asl.asp. Caring for Children with Special Needs: Hearing Impairments. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/pdfs/nc13.pdf. TeensHealth: Hearing Impairments. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sight/hearing_impairment.html#. Short, Maggie. Lipreading. Retrieved on September 29, 2009, from http://www.lipreading.net/lipreading.htm.

Interviews  Albert Einstein once said, “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.” His words spoke to me while I was conducting my interviews. This class is not about reading a text book and memorizing the characteristics of exceptionalities. It is about getting out into the real world and finding answers for yourself. Through interviews, I discovered many more things about hearing impairment than I ever would have by simply reading about them. Hearing impairments can have a great effect on families, the school community and social relationships outside of the family. This exceptionality can also result in the loss of incidental learning and put limitations on certain activities. My interviews consisted of teachers, parents, and students who had hearing impairments. Through my questioning I discovered that “Hearing impairments are hidden disabilities and create isolation because of the lack of communication” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1EE). This idea was a repeated theme in many of the interviews. Families can be affected by hearing loss in different ways. I found that when a parent or another sibling is deaf, dealing with the new fund disability is not the end of the world. However, for some families, discovering a hearing impairment can shake their world to the core. A deaf and hearing specialist that I talked to said, “A big part of my job is to educate the parents and get them through the grieving period” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4H). Once you can get them past the shock of the situation, that’s when the learning begins. “These students need their parents at home to be as educated as they can be on hearing impairments. The parents need to know the kind of accommodations they can make at home for their children” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4I). During one of my interviews with a woman whose daughter was deaf, she said, “I took sign language class when my oldest daughter was a baby. I was able to teach my husband and children” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1C). It can be really difficult to deal with an impairment like this, but by taking lessons and being around others in your similar situation can help in the coping process. In one family I talked to, there were three children and two of them were deaf. Their brother was hearing and had a big role to take on ever since he was young. “My son is hearing and has known from a very young age that he has to be the girls’ ears” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1G). “When they go through the drive thru at fast food restaurants, he has to listen and order for them” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1H). Even little things like that can only be done with assistance. Families are forced to make up for the losses that hearing impaired children have. However, there is no one else that would rather be there helping along the way than family. One of the sisters said, “He learned sign language when he was very young. He always knows to look at me when he talks” (EO/SL/Hearing Impairments/10-8-09/2G). “He learned at a young age that he needs to tap the girls and face them when he talks” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1I). The effects do not stop at home with the family. The schools, students, and teachers that hearing impaired children come in contact with can be greatly affected. The student that I interviewed had been homeschooled since she was in the first grade. Her parents thought that would be the best situation for her. However, she did go to a regular school in kindergarten. When she was there she was paired with a hearing specialist. “I had a teacher who worked with me from the age of 4 to my sophomore year in high school” (EO/SL/Hearing Impairments/10-8-09/2C) “I learned sign language with her” (EO/SL/Hearing Impairments/10-8-09/2D). This teacher knew how important it was to make her hearing impaired students feel as much a part of the class as any other student. “She taught my kindergarten class sign language so that they could communicate with me. I really liked that because I felt included in my class” (EO/SL/Hearing Impairments/10-8-09/2E). This teacher understood that she needed to make it clear to the hearing students that the way they communicated was the only difference between hearing and non hearing children. This however, can be time consuming. Teachers have to work it into their day to teach sign language and other accommodation that their hearing impaired students might need. One such accommodation would be the auditory learner. “With auditory learning, the teacher is wearing a microphone and her words are directly transmitted to the hearing impaired child’s ear. However, the teacher must do a little extra to help this student out” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4L). The only problem with this technology is that when students in the classroom are asking questions and discussing things, these words are not transmitted to the student. “Teachers need to restate questions that other students are asking so the child can know the question” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4M). “Since the other students in class do not have microphones, questions and side conversations are lost on the hearing impaired child” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4N). Teachers have a lot of extra work ahead of them when they have a hearing impaired student in their classroom. The deaf and hearing impairment specialist I talked to described that every student and situation is different, so you must go about educating them differently. “The time I spend with each student completely depends on their need. Some students I see once a week for 50 minutes, while there are others I have to see every single day” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4B). Another effect of their impairment is the lose of incidental learning. One person I interviewed brought it to my attention the little side conversations that are lost of a deaf person. When people talk out their problems, hearing impaired and deaf children don’t hear this. If their parents are deciding which route to take home and explain that route A has construction, but route B has a lot of stop lights, the hearing impaired child misses the discussion and frankly misses out on that bit of education. This is why sign language can be a huge help. Even if parents are not directly talking to their deaf child, they should still use sign language so as much information about the world around their child can be gained. Social relationship outside of one’s family can also take a toll on someone with a hearing impairment. From the outside, a deaf or hearing impaired person looks just the same as a hearing person. This can cause problems for many people. One of the people I interviewed described problems she had at a new job because the customers did not know about her disability. “When she started her new job, customers were being very rude to her because she would turn her back to them to start their order and they would try to say something to her, but she would not hear them” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1Q). “They did not realize that when they say something to her, she does not hear them” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1P). This is a good example of how this invisible disability can be so isolating. “Many people think she is a rude girl who is just ignoring them” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1O). It can be very frustrating to know that people are mad at you, but not know why. For this individual, this problem was resolved by placing a sign on the counter where she works that explains she is deaf and needs to see your lips when you speak to her. Another individual described how her daughter felt inferior to others in her class and was even made fun of because of her hearing impairment. “My oldest daughter was made fun of by the girls in her class in high school” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1J). Hearing impairments can be frustrating for people because some people are too ignorant to understand that the only difference between them is their mode of communication. “She never wanted us to sign in public” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1H). This kind of situation is hard on a family because they want to make their children feel as normal as possible but its hard when outside influences are constantly reminding them of their differences. “She wanted to be just like the other kids” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1M). Others are met with a different situation. “My friends like it when I teach them sign language” (EO/SL/Hearing Impairments/10-8-09/2J). “They are eager to learn” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1T). Every situation is different and every person will react differently when faced with problems such as these. In areas that are more populated, there are groups for families with hearing impairments. These types of social networking groups can be beneficial to parents of deaf children and the children themselves. However, one woman I talked explained that these types of groups are not possible for everyone. “Where I am, towns can be as far apart as 60-70 miles, so it is difficult to create groups for hearing impaired families” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4G). In other social gatherings, small groups are best when there are hearing impairments involved. “We can only have other families over in groups of two or three” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1CC). For lips readers, trying to follow a conversation between many people can be impossible. Once the hearing impaired person figures out who is talking, the conversation has switched and another person is now speaking. As with any other disability, hearing impairments come with many limitations, on the individual and their family. The mother of a hearing impaired child said, “Going to the movies as a family does not happen. When there is a movie I really want to see, I either go by myself, or wait until it comes to RedBox and we can use the closed captioning” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1X). Hearing aids can also be limiting. “Many people think that if they see someone wearing a hearing aid then they can hear perfectly. These only amplify the sound. It does not make it clearer. Also the amplification only works within 6 feet” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1FF). Phones can also be limiting to families with multiple people with hearing impairments. For the mother of two hearing impaired daughters and a hearing impaired husband, calling home to check in is not as simple as you would think. “When I would leave town for the weekend, calling and communicating was really difficult” (EO/JL/Hearing Impairment/10-8-09/1Z). Texting, however, has dramatically changed this limitation. This family can now stay in touch with each other through their cell phones and texting. “Communication is our only limitation, but with sign language, lip reading, and texting, our family has gotten around that set back” (EO/SL/Hearing Impairments/10-8-09/2M). Another limitation that someone shared with me was not being able to sing. “I love singing, but I can only do it when on one is around” (EO/SL/Hearing Impairments/10-8-09/2K). This individual has found that signing her favorite songs can be a fun way of expression too. Limitations on education can be as simple as not having the right resources available. When you live in a small town, you may have to drive a long time to find a specialist that can work with your child. Also, age can be somewhat limiting. “With significantly hard of hearing students, the younger the student is, the larger the window is for them to learn. The older the students are, the harder it is to teach them. Age is a huge factor” (EO/DS/Hearing Impairments/11-20-09/4D). Through interviewing people personally affected or related to hearing impairments, I feel like I learned more than I ever would from reading a text book. It was really interesting to communicate personally with people who were hearing impaired. I was able to see first-hand these individuals read lips and communicate back with me. Every individual I talked with had a different perspective on this disability which made it really interesting when I started comparing all the information. I learned that there is no cookie cut out of a child with a hearing impairment. They are all different. This also goes for their families and others who surround them.