As written in Hutchinson and Martin’s Inclusive Classrooms in Ontario Schools, The Ontario Ministry of Education defines, "deaf and hard of hearing students as having an impairment characterized by deficits in language and speech development because of a diminished or non-existent auditory response to sound” (p. 92).
Types
- There are two medical categories of deafness: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive deafness is the result of an outer-ear obstruction or malfunction of the middle ear, usually a problem with the ossicles, small bones linked to the ear drum. Sensorineural deafness is caused by damage to the auditory nerve or cochlear inner ear cells.
An excellent resource titled the Special Education Companion by The Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner says the following:
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing have varying degrees of hearing loss. The degree of hearing loss may make it difficult for the student to acquire spoken language through the auditory channel alone. It should not be assumed that students who are deaf or hard of hearing have developmental, intellectual, or learning disabilities unless assessment data support these additional challenges.
Inclusive Classrooms- Documented Policies
- The Growing Success document states that, “The Ontario Government is committed to enabling all students to reach their potential, and to succeed. Our challenge is that every student is unique and each must have opportunities to achieve success according to his or her own interests, abilities, and goals”
- The Ministry of Education Curriculum document state that, “using a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerous opportunities for students to develop and refine their critical and creative skills, problem-solving, and communication skills, while engaged in projects, and exploration”
- Ontario Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Education Needs say that, “Treating all children exactly the same means that children who need accommodations or modifications to the program in order to succeed will be disadvantaged. Some students require more or different support than others in order to work at a level appropriate to their abilities and needs”
Conversation with parents
1) Can you describe a brief history of your child’s hearing deficit?
Ran was diagnosed at one year of age with hearing loss. Because she was living at a social welfare institute in China at the time she did not receive any treatment (ie. her hearing loss was left unaided).When we brought Ran home to Canada at the age of 28 months she was retested here and determined to have a moderate-severe/severe hearing loss. She received her first set of hearing aids at three years of age (she required ear tube surgery first).
Two years ago Ran developed chronic mastoiditis in her left ear, which left her with a large hole in the ear drum. It also reduced the hearing in that ear to a profound loss. For a year while she received treatment for the mastoiditis and had surgery to replace the damaged eardrum Ran was unaided in that ear. The surgery was successful and helped to restore hearing in her left ear.
Ran’s current hearing loss level is severe bilaterally. She is back to being aided (working well) in both ears.
2) Did she find the transition from home to school difficult?
We were fortunate in that the preschool resource teacher at our nursery school referred Ran to the Robarts School for the Deaf preschool outreach program before we brought her home. An itinerant teacher for the deaf visited Ran on a regular basis in our home from the time she arrived. When Ran was ready to start nursery school this teacher worked with Ran and her peers in the preschool setting as well. She also attended Ran’s preschool- JK transition meeting and was instrumental in providing recommendations for transition and Ran’s IEP.
This all served Ran well academically. She did struggle learning certain things – reading has been a challenge for example (not hearing all of the speech sounds makes it difficult), but overall Ran was prepared for a learning environment and was already used to working with teachers.
However, the social aspects of school have been difficult for Ran. She struggled with peer relationships in nursery school, through transition to school and even finds some difficulty still (end of grade three).
As a younger child she was very tentative about playing with other children. She cannot always follow the conversation, depending on the circumstances (noise in the environment, how the speaker is talking, etc) so she would avoid other kids. Other kids also often avoided (and still sometimes do now) Ran because her speech isn’t always easy to understand. Unfortunately sometimes they can’t be bothered to make the effort to listen and understand.
One thing we find frustrating with school is that hearing loss is a bit of an invisible disability. Ran manages quite well, is very adaptive, reads lips well and can be quite good at “faking it” to get by. As a result (and other parents we of hearing impaired kids we have talked to report the same) it’s easy for teachers and peers to forget the child has a disability. There are things in the IEP that get completely ignored or forgotten and even when reminded they eventually seem to get let go again. Examples are the need for Ran to take a break (listening all the time and constantly being bombarded by all the sounds that are being amplified by the hearing aids is exhausting), she should be given written instructions for complex tasks, etc. It seems when hearing impaired kids appear to be doing well the need for accommodations seems to be let slide or people feel they aren’t really necessary. They forget that part of the reason the child is functioning well is because of the accommodations.
It is also difficult that usually every year Ran’s teacher has not had experience working with a hearing impaired child and has to learn what needs to be done to best help Ran. She is now also at a grade level when there are other teachers, besides the homeroom teacher involved in teaching Ran. Often they don’t seem familiar with the accommodations in Ran’s IEP or what her needs are. It would be helpful if all of Ran’s teachers could have some sort of briefing at the beginning of the year to avoid some of the issues we have experienced.
3) How has the home and school worked together to ensure her academic successes?
We try to be very involved in Ran’s school situation. For example, we have attended all of Ran’s transition meetings, we requested an IPRC for her at the beginning of grade two since this not done or offered by the school when she started JK. I have attended all of those meetings as well.
We have contributed materials that have helped shape Ran’s IEP and check with Ran to ensure that it is being followed.
We also try to keep a dialogue going with Ran’s teachers if there are any issues, networking with the LRT, classroom and itinerant teacher for the deaf if necessary.
So far all of Ran’s schools and teachers have been very good to listen if we have a concern and seem to want to help find solutions when Ran has difficulties.
4) In what ways has new technology played a part in your child’s education?
Ran has been using a FM transmitter in conjunction with her hearing aids since preschool. This technology allows Ran to hear the teacher’s voice directly in her hearing aids, significantly reducing interference from background noise. The school board has also supplied an auxiliary microphone that is used by Ran’s classmates when they are doing work as a class (eg. presentations, question and answer sessions, etc)
1) Can you describe a brief history of your child’s hearing deficit?
Ran was diagnosed at one year of age with hearing loss. Because she was living at a social welfare institute in China at the time she did not receive any treatment (ie. her hearing loss was left unaided).When we brought Ran home to Canada at the age of 28 months she was retested here and determined to have a moderate-severe/severe hearing loss. She received her first set of hearing aids at three years of age (she required ear tube surgery first).
Two years ago Ran developed chronic mastoiditis in her left ear, which left her with a large hole in the ear drum. It also reduced the hearing in that ear to a profound loss. For a year while she received treatment for the mastoiditis and had surgery to replace the damaged eardrum Ran was unaided in that ear. The surgery was successful and helped to restore hearing in her left ear.
Ran’s current hearing loss level is severe bilaterally. She is back to being aided (working well) in both ears.
2) Did she find the transition from home to school difficult?
We were fortunate in that the preschool resource teacher at our nursery school referred Ran to the Robarts School for the Deaf preschool outreach program before we brought her home. An itinerant teacher for the deaf visited Ran on a regular basis in our home from the time she arrived. When Ran was ready to start nursery school this teacher worked with Ran and her peers in the preschool setting as well. She also attended Ran’s preschool- JK transition meeting and was instrumental in providing recommendations for transition and Ran’s IEP.
This all served Ran well academically. She did struggle learning certain things – reading has been a challenge for example (not hearing all of the speech sounds makes it difficult), but overall Ran was prepared for a learning environment and was already used to working with teachers.
However, the social aspects of school have been difficult for Ran. She struggled with peer relationships in nursery school, through transition to school and even finds some difficulty still (end of grade three).
As a younger child she was very tentative about playing with other children. She cannot always follow the conversation, depending on the circumstances (noise in the environment, how the speaker is talking, etc) so she would avoid other kids. Other kids also often avoided (and still sometimes do now) Ran because her speech isn’t always easy to understand. Unfortunately sometimes they can’t be bothered to make the effort to listen and understand.
One thing we find frustrating with school is that hearing loss is a bit of an invisible disability. Ran manages quite well, is very adaptive, reads lips well and can be quite good at “faking it” to get by. As a result (and other parents we of hearing impaired kids we have talked to report the same) it’s easy for teachers and peers to forget the child has a disability. There are things in the IEP that get completely ignored or forgotten and even when reminded they eventually seem to get let go again. Examples are the need for Ran to take a break (listening all the time and constantly being bombarded by all the sounds that are being amplified by the hearing aids is exhausting), she should be given written instructions for complex tasks, etc. It seems when hearing impaired kids appear to be doing well the need for accommodations seems to be let slide or people feel they aren’t really necessary. They forget that part of the reason the child is functioning well is because of the accommodations.
It is also difficult that usually every year Ran’s teacher has not had experience working with a hearing impaired child and has to learn what needs to be done to best help Ran. She is now also at a grade level when there are other teachers, besides the homeroom teacher involved in teaching Ran. Often they don’t seem familiar with the accommodations in Ran’s IEP or what her needs are. It would be helpful if all of Ran’s teachers could have some sort of briefing at the beginning of the year to avoid some of the issues we have experienced.
3) How has the home and school worked together to ensure her academic successes?
We try to be very involved in Ran’s school situation. For example, we have attended all of Ran’s transition meetings, we requested an IPRC for her at the beginning of grade two since this not done or offered by the school when she started JK. I have attended all of those meetings as well.
We have contributed materials that have helped shape Ran’s IEP and check with Ran to ensure that it is being followed.
We also try to keep a dialogue going with Ran’s teachers if there are any issues, networking with the LRT, classroom and itinerant teacher for the deaf if necessary.
So far all of Ran’s schools and teachers have been very good to listen if we have a concern and seem to want to help find solutions when Ran has difficulties.
4) In what ways has new technology played a part in your child’s education?
Ran has been using a FM transmitter in conjunction with her hearing aids since preschool. This technology allows Ran to hear the teacher’s voice directly in her hearing aids, significantly reducing interference from background noise. The school board has also supplied an auxiliary microphone that is used by Ran’s classmates when they are doing work as a class (eg. presentations, question and answer sessions, etc)
Making Accommodations for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students in the Classroom
- When possible, turn off equipment that makes background noises
- If classroom has tile floor, use area rugs and hush-ups to eliminate excess noise
- Naturally lit classrooms are most beneficial
- Look directly at the student and face him or her while talking
- Assign the student a desk near the front of the room
- A slower speech pace will benefit student’s who are hard of hearing (over-enunciating or speaking loudly does not help student)
- Arrange desks in circular patterns for more visual site lines
- Use a 'talking stick’ or have written summary for group discussions
- Use visual aids whenever possible
- Use sound amplification equipment (i.e. FM, microphone)
- Make effort to learn common signs for communication purposes
- Visual outline of classroom schedule, as well as course guidelines are helpful
Additional Resources (Click on Title to take you to the link)