The ability to listen is one of the keys to effective communication, but for students with a hearing impairment it can be a real barrier to education.
Fortunately, schools can do a lot to make sure that students with hearing problems don’t miss out on opportunities to develop and learn.
A silent problem
The degree to which we rely on our hearing often goes unnoticed until we experience hearing loss ourselves or need to communicate with someone who is affected. For an adult, hearing loss is a problem that can cause difficulties in many aspects of their work and daily life including causing social isolation. For a child, a significant hearing impairment can also have a huge impact on their educational and overall development as well.
Permanent hearing loss is relatively uncommon in children:
• Around 0.1 per cent of children are born with hearing loss
• Another 0.2 per cent of children develop a hearing impairment that requires hearing aids by the age of 17.
However, ear infections like otitis media (also known as glue ear) are relatively common in children and can cause temporary or fluctuating hearing loss. A student who has recurrent ear infections may fall behind at school because of ongoing hearing problems.
Sound student support
For some students, hearing aids or other listening systems may provide assistance, but this won’t always be appropriate or effective.
According to Australian Hearing, part of the Department of Human Services, teachers can use simple strategies to make the classroom an easier place to learn and be for children with hearing impairments:
• Take time to work out the best positions in the classroom for the student. Sitting close to the teacher will help with hearing, being able to see the teacher’s face and understand what’s going on. Other things to take account of are whether the student has a better ear (and so seat them accordingly) and to try to minimise their exposure to distracting background noise.
• Speak in a clear, natural voice. Exaggerating speech or shouting can actually make it more difficult for someone with a hearing problem to understand you. It’s also best to do what you can to make sure the student can see your face clearly. Standing still when you speak and not speaking when you’re turned away from students will also help.
• It can take a lot of concentration for a student with a hearing impairment to keep up with everything that’s going on, so it’s natural that they will get tired and their attention may wander. Help them out by making sure you’ve got their attention before you speak, particularly when you’re moving from one activity to another, asking a question or assigning tasks. If in doubt, make eye contact with the student after you’ve finished speaking and check to confirm that they’ve understood your instructions.
• Pay attention to how the student is interacting with other kids. As for every student, it’s important that they feel accepted by their peers. You could also institute a buddy system in which another student is responsible for helping out with sharing notes and repeating anything that might have been missed.
Of course every student with a hearing impairment is different and will require an approach tailored to their particular needs. By being aware of potential issues, co-operating with parents and working with health professionals such as audiologists if more advice is needed, teachers can make the most of every educational opportunity for students with hearing impairments.
Australian Hearing. Fact sheet. The hearing impaired child in the classroom. Viewed 18/04/11. Available at http://www.hearing.com.au/digitalAssets/8911_1241584786681_Hearing-impaired-child-in-the-classroom.pdf
Australian Hearing. Fact sheet. Hearing loss in Australia: It’s more common than you might think. Viewed 18/04/11. Available http://www.hearing.com.au/upload/media-room/Hearing-loss-in-Australia.pdf
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