Learners who are Deaf or Hard of

HearingLeslie Bailey, Andrew Barrand, Lizzy Curtis, Brandon

Hiatt

DefinitionsA deaf person is one whose hearing disability

precludes successful processing of linguistic information through audition, with or without a hearing aid.

A person who is hard of hearing generally, with the use of a hearing aid, has residual hearing sufficient to enable successful processing of linguistic information through audition.

IDEA ‘04 recognizes these two groups, but it considers them to belong to one special education category, which it calls hearing impairments.

Types of DeafnessCongenitally deaf

Deafness present at birth.

Adventitiously deaf Deafness that occurs through illness or accident in an

individual born with normal hearing.

Prelingual deafness Deafness that occurs before development of spoken

language, usually at birth.

Postlingual deafness Deafness occurring after the development of speech

and language.

Deaf vs. deafDeaf: refers to people who are born deaf or

deafened during early childhood.

deaf: refers to those who lost some or all their hearing in early or late life.

Prevalence0.13% of students 6-17 years old are hearing

impaired.Hard of hearing is more prevalent than those

identified as deaf.

23% of students who are deaf come from Hispanic-speaking homes.

Overview of the EarThe Outer Ear

Funnels the sound in.

The Middle EarThree bones (malleus, incus, and stapes) that passes

the sound through and air-filled space

The Inner EarSize of a pea, contains the vestibular mechanism –

which is responsible for your sense of balance, most important organ for hearing is the cochlea. Connexin-26 gene: leading cause of deafness, mutation

of which causes deafness.

IdentificationScreening Test

Pure-Tone Audiometry

Speech Audiometry

Tests for Young and Hard-to-Test Children

Screening Testing93% of newborns are being screened

Screenings measure otoacoustic emissions

Less accurate that tests done in audiologist’s office.

Pure-Tone AudiometryFrequency measured in Hertz (Hz)

Number of vibrations per unit of time of a sound wave

Speech AudiometryTo test a person’s detection and understanding

of speech.

Speech reception threshold (SRT): the decibel level at which one is able to understand speech

Tests for Young and Hard-to-Test Children

Combination of different techniques including:Play audiometry – uses pure tones or speechTympanometry – rubber-tipped probe inserted into

the ear, gages the pressure and sound which determines how the middle ear functions

Evoke-response audiometry – changes in brain wave activity used during sleep

Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language (ASL)

Three parts: handshape, location, and movement

As complex as the spoken language

Accepted as a true language

Oral ApproachesAuditory-Verbal Approach – focuses exclusively

on using audition to improve speech and language development.

Auditory-Oral Approach – similar to the auditory-verbal approach but also stress the use of visual cues.

Early Intervention and Monitering Progress

Programs for early intervention may be beneficial in reducing parents stress levels.

Important because early childhood is a development of language.

Technology/TipsEmail

Texting

Video relay service

Computer assisted instruction

ActivityMusical chair game