Deafness and Hearing Loss

1. Deafness and Hearing Loss Candice Stribling January 14, 2012

2. What is the difference? • Deafness- a hearing loss so severe that the individual cannot process spoken language even with amplification devices. • Hearing Loss/Hard of Hearing- a lesser hearing loss but still has an effect on social, cognitive, and language development • Pre-Lingual Deafness: describes hearing loss occurring before the child has acquired speech • Post-Lingual Deafness: describes hearing loss occurring after the child has acquired speech

3. What are the types of hearing loss? Higher Auditory Cortex- that section of the gray matter of the brain that processes sound Combined Loss- refers to two or more types of hearing loss together • Conductive Hearing Loss- refers to problems in the mechanical transmission of sounds through the outer, middle, or inner ear • Sensorineural Hearing Loss- malfunctioning of the cochlea or auditory nerve

4. Warning signs to be aware of! • Does not respond when spoken to • Does not understand, or looks puzzled, when addressed directly with a simple question or request • Cocks his or her head to one side, studies the speaker’s face, or watches the speaker’s mouth • Asks for frequent repetitions… huh or what • Turns one ear to the source of sound or speech • Seems shy: avoids other children/teachers • Inattentive • Makes irrelevant responses • Complains of ringing or buzzing in ears • Speaks too loud or soft

5. Effects Language Development Social Development Hearing loss itself does not cause abnormal social development. It is the poor communication that develops between the child and others that leads to social adjustment difficulties • A child who cannot hear sounds and verbal stimulation at certain points in development may never fully master language • A child’s language skills can become even more delayed

6. How to communicate • Speech Reading- understanding what one is saying by watching the speaker’s face, mouth, tongue and throat movements • Cued Speech- a system that uses eight hand shapes in four different placements near the face in combination with the mouth. This makes the sounds of spoken language look different from each other • American Sign Language- signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body • Total Communication- system for teaching children with deafness that combines speech reading and a sign system

7. Modification in teaching • Seating in front of classroom and facing the teacher. • Face the student when using visuals (such as blackboards/white boards). This allows for reading of lips for some students. • Use visual aids as much as possible. • Provide outline/summery when showing slides/videos. • Repeat questions and answers from students in classroom. • Make sure all instructions are provided in writing, not just verbal. • Include students in all classroom experiences and encourage other to include them as well. • Remember each student is different and may need different assistance. Taylor your classroom and procedures to their own personal needs.

8. References • Allen, Eileen K. & Cowdery, Glynnis E. The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education.7th Edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2012 • Chotiner-Solano, B. (n.d.). The itinerant connection. Retrieved from http://www.theitinerantconnection.com/page1.htm