Chapter 9

Sherie LoikaSherie Loika Vickie Engel Vickie EngelEyrin BookEyrin Book Laure OwensLaure Owens

Kande BahlmanKande Bahlman

Learners Who Are Learners Who Are Deaf or Hard of HearingDeaf or Hard of Hearing

Sherie LoikaSherie Loika

Physiological Perspective

Measurable degree of hearing lossDecibels - units of relative loudness of

sounds

DeafDeaf = hearing loss greater than 90 dB

Hard of HearingHard of Hearing = hearing loss less than 90 dB

Educational Perspective

How much is the hearing loss likely to affect the child’s ability to speak and develop language?

At what age was the onset of hearing loss?

Terms Associated with Deafness

Congenitally deafCongenitally deaf - deafness present at birth Adventitiously deafAdventitiously deaf - deafness that occurs

through illness or accident in an individual born with normal hearing

Prelingual deafnessPrelingual deafness - deafness that occurs before the development of spoken language, usually at birth

Postlingual deafnessPostlingual deafness - deafness occurring after the development of speech and language

Hearing Threshold Classification

Mild 26-54 dBModerate 55-69 dBSevere 70-89 dBProfound 90dB & above

Decibel Table

Demographic Aspects of

Hearing Impairment

Gallaudet ResearchGallaudet Research

http://www.odc.state.or.us/tadoc/dmisc1.htm

Prevalence

Anatomy and Physiology

Movie clipEar Diagram Quiz

Microtia Grade III (Little Ear)

Deformity of the Outer Ear

Atresia

No Middle Ear, Ear Canal, or Ear Drum

Measurement of Hearing Ability

Eyrin BookEyrin Book

Screening Tests

At birth in hospitalsPeriodically in public schools

Grade Pre-K, K, 1,3,5,7, and 9Called a pure tone sweep check done with

the use of an audiometer.Can also be screened upon request or new

or re-eval special education students.

Pure Tone Audiometry

Hertz - unit of measurement of the frequency of sound; refers to the highness or lowness of a sound.

Audiometric zero - lowest level at which people with normal hearing can hear. Also known as the zero hearing threshold.

Speech Audiometry

Tests a person’s detection and understanding of speech, rather than using pure tones to detect hearing loss

Speech reception threshold (SRT) is the decibel level at which a person can understand speech.

Other Tests - Play Audiometry

Uses a game like format to test hearing of young and hard to test children.

The examiner teaches the child to do various activities when they hear a signal

Other Tests - Tympanometry

A method of measuring the middle ear’s response to pressure and sound.

A rubber tipped robe is inserted into the child’s ear, sealing the ear canal, and the effects of pressure and sound are then measured to assess the functioning of the middle ear.

Other Tests – Evoked Response Audiometry

Technique involving electroencephalograph (EEG) measurement of changes in brain-wave activity in response to sounds.

Method has become more popular with the development of more sophisticated computers.

Can be done while the child is sleeping.

Psychological & Behavioral Characteristics

Vickie EngelVickie Engel

QUESTION…

If you were forced to choose, which would

you rather be…

blind or deaf?

English Language & Speech Disorders

75% of children who are profoundly deaf have non-intelligible speech.

Children born deaf, are unable to hear themselves and adults’ responses to them.

Deaf children are handicapped in learning to associate the sensations they receive when they move their jaws, mouths, and tongues with auditory sounds these movements produce.

Another way the speech is impaired, is the lack of hearing adult speech.

Intellectual Ability

MythMyth - Hearing impaired people have a lower conceptual

intelligence.

Do not assume that the IQ level of hearing impaired is lower than hearing people strictly because their language is not as developed.

Academic Achievement

Most children with hearing loss have extreme deficits in academic achievement.

Reading ability is most affected. It is not unusual for graduating students who

are deaf to be able to read at no more than a fourth-grade level.

Math is their best academic subject, but they are usually far behind hearing students.

Interesting Fact…

Deaf children with deaf parents have a higher reading achievement and better language skills than do those who have hearing parents.

Why?Why?Positive influence of sign language

Social Adjustment

Studies show that students who are deaf are at risk for loneliness.

Two factors to that may contribute to the isolation of deaf students: InclusionHearing status of the parents

Deaf Culture

Factors that define the Deaf community as a true culture…

linguistic differentiationattitudinal deafnessbehavioral normsendogamous marital patternshistorical awarenessvoluntary organizational networks

Erosion of the Deaf Culture

InclusionDeaf clubs

Deaf Activism

Cochlear implants

Educational Considerations

Laure OwensLaure Owens

Approaches to Educating Deaf

Oralism-manualism debateVerbal communicationManual communication

Currently…Currently…Total Communication Approach

Used by most educational programsBicultural-Bilingual Approach

Advocated by Deaf community

Total Communication

SpeechSigning English system

Signing Exact EnglishSigned EnglishSeeing Essential EnglishFinger spelling

SimultaneousUse

Bicultural-Bilingual Approach

American Sign Language (ASL)--primaryEnglish—secondaryCurriculum consists of instruction in Deaf

cultureCurriculum & instruction developed by

deaf individualsASL naturally before teaching EnglishExposure to ASL & English simultaneously

Debate

Deaf Community argues…Use of signing English systems criticizedArgue word order is not critical element in

teaching EnglishSlow, awkward

Total Communication Defenders argue…Correspondence of word order benefits

learning of English language.

Service Delivery Models

Placement varies based on severity of hearing lossResidential schools

Profoundly deafStudents of deaf parentsOlder students

80% of deaf students in local schools39% in general education classrooms

Success in an Integrated Setting

Time to learn & planCommitment to the model of educationSupport servicesClarity of program designParent participationDirect instruction by teachers of the deaf

within the regular classroom

Technological Advances

Hearing AidsTelevision, Video, & Movie CaptioningTelephone AdaptationsComputer-Assisted Instruction (CAI)

Early Intervention

Kande BahlmanKande Bahlman

Early Intervention

Permanent hearing loss affects 24,000 infants in USA annually.

20-30% of hearing loss in children occurs during infancy and early childhood.

Most critical period of development of hearing and speech is first 6 months of life.

Time is of the Essence

First six years of lifeFirst three years most criticalAmerican Academy of PediatricsNational Institute of HealthScreened before hospital dischargeContinuance of hearing screenings

Average Age of Identification Average Age of Identification in U.S. is 2½ to 3 years.in U.S. is 2½ to 3 years.

Identification

Early diagnosis and intervention can mean the difference between toddlers entering school with severe language and concept

delays versus children with age appropriate language and concept

development.

Research Indicates…

Children whose hearing losses are identified in the first 6

months of life ANDAND

who receive intervention services, develop language

within the normal range.

Deaf Children of Deaf Parents

Babies develop ASL at a rate similar to rate that hearing babies of hearing parents develop English

Day to day interaction of moms and babies are more facilitative and natural

Parents who sign with their deaf children develop cohesive families with high degrees of bonding and sharing of interests

Parents are better prepared to cope with infant’s deafness

Deaf Children of Hearing Parents

Slow development of English and ASL

Interactions unrelated to child’s activity or interest

Lack of language model High degree of parental stress Unprepared parents Lack of understanding of visual

modality in communication Struggle with appropriate sign

language delivery

Communication Decisions

Preschool intervention projects teaching basics of sign language to parents and to children

Providing native signers as models Development of the IFSP and IEP Researching the different communication approaches Choice based on child’s needs, family situation, and

program availability in family’s area Learning the program and giving it a fair chance Re-evaluating and changing approach when appropriate.

“The one need all deaf and hearing children

have in common is the need for effective communication of

meaningful information, including information that says ‘I love you’.”

Communication

Transition to Adulthood

UnemploymentUnderemploymentCollege education

Postsecondary Education

Before mid-1960’s Traditional colleges/universities Federal funding Over 100 postsecondary

education institutions in U.S. and Canada

Some still choose traditional schools

Traditional schools providing special programs

Interpreters

TransliterationASL

Family Issues

95% of deaf adults choose deaf spouses

90% of offspring from these marriages have normal hearing

Hearing children often serve as interpreters for deaf parents

Deaf face greater obstacles when entering work force due to lack of unskilled and semi-skilled trades

Brighter outlook