Supporting Hard of Hearing children in Your classroom

1. Supporting Hard of Hearing children in Your classroom

2. Overview • What is hearing loss? • How can you support children with hearing loss in the classroom? • Technology • Classroom Modifications • Communication Strategies • Teaching Strategies • Resources

3. Sensori-Neural Hearing Loss • The sensors or nerve fibers which connect the inner ear to the hearing center in the brain are damaged. • This causes problems with reception of sound in the inner ear or in the transmission of electrical impulses along the auditory nerve to the brain. • Since damaged nerve fibers do not regenerate or repair themselves like some other parts of the body, this damage is permanent.

4. Understanding hearing loss R L R R R L L L L L L R R R

5. How do hearing aids work? What is this word? What do you need to know to figure it out?

6. Listening is hard work!!!! • Hard of hearing people must make extra effort to process information: • Recognize what they do hear. • Fill in the blanks for the rest using context and prior experience. • If the information is unfamiliar, it will be difficult to accurately fill in the blank. • Wrong interpretations feel right – people don’t know what they don’t know. • It is not enough to say, “tell me if you don’t understand” – check for understanding!

7. Other noise makes it even harder! • People wearing hearing aids hear what is closest to them the loudest. • Typically hearing people’s brains filter out unimportant sounds. Hearing aids cannot do this. • As the teacher, it is important to make sure that your voice is heard. • Get close to the student or use an FM system. • Make sure the student can see your mouth.

8. What can you do? • Technology • Classroom Modifications • Communication Strategies • Teaching Strategies

9. Technology – Hearing Aids Behind the Ear Hearing Aid • Microphone inputs with Microphone Protector • Program switch (optional) • Battery compartment with ON/OFF switch • Hook / sound output • Individual earmold Remember! • Hearing Aids cost more than my car!!!! Please take care of them! • Hearing Aids cannot get wet. Please remove for activities that involve water. • On younger children, make sure that hearing aids don’t get lost. • Keep extra batteries on hand.

10. Technology - FM System • Turn on the FM receiver and transmitter whenever the hard of hearing person needs to hear what you are saying and there is noise or distance between you and the student. • During group activities • During “center-time” or independent play time if you are talking to Will and/or you need his attention. • During outside play time if you need to get Will’s attention. (Outside you can keep the FM on “MUTE”, and then un-MUTE it when you need Will’s attention -- for example, when you tell children to come inside). • When watching a video – you can put the microphone next to the TV speaker or hook it into the audio jack. • It is OK to let other children talk into the mic during group discussions. • Turn the FM OFF (both the transmitter and receiver), when: • You are talking to another person and Will should not hear the information. • In the bathroom. • If you will be loud (i.e. you are cheering for kids in a race) • It is OK to keep it on even when you are not talking directly to the hard of hearing child. Other children learn when overhearing people talk. The FM allows hard of hearing children to overhear conversations.

11. General Classroom Modifications • Add carpeting, area rugs or drapes to the classroom. If you don't have carpeting, attach tennis balls to the bottom of chair legs to stop chairs from scraping on the floor • Focus on reducing background noise as much as possible (i.e., loudly ticking clocks, air conditioning units, open door to hallway, noise from open windows, etc.). • Add other noise absorbing materials such a cork board to the walls. • Consider background noise when choosing the child's seating placement. • Use fully lighted classrooms. • Make sure videos are captioned. • Provide written school announcements (or make sure you make announcements face to face). • Use FM system. • Select classrooms away from noise, i.e. adjacent traffic, road construction, playgrounds, cafeterias, music/band room, gymnasium.

12. Communication Tips • Focus on familiarity of topic – be very clear about unfamiliar vocabulary. • Reduce the distance between the student and the speaker. • Speak directly to the student, never behind or over the shoulder . • Many words and sounds look the same on the lips; do not repeat a single word over and over again if the student does not understand; use another word or phrase to express the same thought. • Get the persons attention before you speak. • Try to speak to the student from a position which allows for adequate light to fall upon your face; shadows make lip movements difficult to see; don't exaggerate lip patterns. • Repeat what other students say, especially questions that they ask. • Be aware of acoustic conditions, especially noise interference; allow the child time to respond. • Remember that two people with almost identical hearing losses may function very differently; each is an individual; seek help from other professionals or agencies whenever you have a question or problem.

13. Teaching Tips • Expect behavior and achievement levels which are similar to that of your other students. • Use visual aids whenever possible. This will provide additional access to information for all types of learners and benefit the deaf or hard of hearing child as well as the entire class. • Present new vocabulary to the student prior to the lesson. This will enable the child to recognize the word and maximize comprehension during the lesson. • Be aware that the deaf or hard of hearing student is expending extra energy to attend and may fatigue easily. Allow for an occasional break. • Educate the class about hearing loss. Invite a professional in if possible to answer questions the students may have. Allow the children to see and learn about the assistive technology that will be used in the classroom. • Be positive. If your attitude is positive, it will carry over to the class.

14. Resources • http://www.ncbegin.org/school_issues : Beginnings has lots of information on hearing loss and tips for teachers and families. • http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/multiused_content/iframe_apps/fm_eschooldesk.html: The eSchoolDesk includes many useful tips and recommendations for daily life, background information and articles about FM. • http://www.listen-up.org/haid/with-aid.htm: Listen Up has a wide vareity of information about hearing loss and technology.

15. How will this information impact the ways you work with HOH students?