Accommodations to Enhance Learning for Student with Hearing Loss

I recently attended a professional development session that focused on how classroom teachers can enhance the learning of the students in their class who have hearing loss. I found this session very helpful as I personally have not working with students who have hearing loss. I believe it is important as pre-service teachers that we develop our knowledge and understanding on how we can help all our students learn. I will share some of the information that was presented by Jacob Sulkers and a colleague from the Central Speech and Hearing Clinic, and also some information that I found after doing further research on this topic.

Five things that are important for teachers to understand

1. Hearing aids and cochlear implants do not restore the individuals hearing to normal. Hearing aids help to amplify sounds, while cochlear implants are surgerically implanted to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf.

2. Hearing devices allow most students to perceive speech occurring within 3 to 6 feet.

3. Students with hearing loss will always miss something that is said in the classroom if there is any background noise.

4. Students with hearing loss may sometimes appear like they are listening or not paying attention. This could be because they have been working very hard to listen to discussions in the classroom and are taking a listening break or it could be that the batteries in their hearing devices are low or dead.

5. Using technology such as an FM system in your classroom can significantly help students with hearing loss.

FM Systems in the Classroom

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln8NHzVfJkQ

The presenter of the professional development session shared this video with us. I have included it to help you visualize how the FM system should be used in the classroom. The use of FM systems in the classroom is used to enhance the learning experiences of students with hearing loss. The presenter informed us that FM systems can be directly connected to student’s hearing aids or cochlear implant so that the student can hear the teacher as if they are standing right next to them speaking.

FM systems help students to focus on the teacher’s voice and limit any background noises. This technology is a device that is worn around the speaker’s neck and wirelessly connects directly to a student’s hearing device. FM systems can also be used through splicing the signal so that it can be used for the entire classroom to amplify the teachers voice through a speaker system. This still provides a direct signal to students with hearing loss but also allows all students in the classroom to benefit.

The presenter of the session stressed that while this technology is excellent for helping students understand the teacher using the receiver, the teacher will need to remember that students with hearing loss will not necessarily be able to hear their peers during a classroom discussion. So it is important for the speaker wearing the device to remember to repeat what a student has said so that your student with hearing loss can hear the answers of their peers during discussions.

For more information I would recommend visiting, http://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/inservicing-the-classroom-teacher/.

This website was used during my research to continue to inform my understanding. The information I have provided comes from this website and from the professional development session that I attended.