Say WHAT?!?: Oblstacles for students who are hard of hearing and deaf

Students who are deaf have many obstacles to face while in the typical classroom. These children specifically may have a hard time speaking, and may be self-conscious of speaking with other students as their speech may be altered. Other students, unless they can sign, will have a hard time communicating with students who are deaf. Therefore these students tend to feel isolated from the rest of their class, unless they have an interpreter with them in class. Even then, they may still feel different from the rest of their peers and lack the feeling of independence.

Students who are hard of hearing, not deaf, also have challenges in the typical classroom. Although they do not rely on sign language for communication, most use hearing aids, they can have a hard time following class discussions especially if students and the teacher talk too fast, too quietly or there are multiple people talking at once. Most classrooms also have terrible acoustics that diminish the hearing aid's effectiveness. Another tactic children who are hard of hearing use is lip reading. This can also be ineffective while the teacher walks around the room, or turns his/her back to the student.

There are ways that teachers and administrators can make the classroom friendly and inviting to those who are deaf and hard of hearing. The use of Assistive Listening Devices can help drown out bad acoustics and unwanted background noise to help focus the teacher's voice. ALD's can be worn around a teacher's neck, just like a microphone. There are many different types of ALD's such as FM System, Infrared Systems, Induction Loop system and Sound Field Amplified Systems.

Reference:

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.