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What are Hearing Impairments? Textbook page 368

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What are Hearing Impairments? Textbook page 368

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Less than normal hearing (either sensitivity or speech understanding) resulting from auditory disorder(s).

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Research on the intellectual characteristics of children with hearing impairments suggests that their IQ scores are similar to those of their hearing peers, and their intellectual development is more influenced by developmental factors than cognitive ability. Difficulties often arise in areas like speaking, reading, and writing in English, rather than intelligence itself. Speech and language development are particularly affected, with children born deaf facing significant challenges in learning to speak. However, for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, the impact on language development is less severe, and effective communication is possible, especially with early diagnosis and the use of technologies like cochlear implants. Despite this, children with hearing impairments tend to interact less with peers and engage more with other children with similar hearing difficulties, which can affect their social and educational achievement. Students with hearing impairments generally struggle in environments that rely heavily on spoken or written language to convey information.

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Genetics: Genetic disorders can interfere with the development of the inner ear.

Infection: Infections like cytomegalovirus (CMV), mumps, measles, chickenpox, and meningitis can cause hearing loss. CMV is the most common infectious cause of congenital deafness.

Injury: Head injuries can cause brain damage that leads to deafness.

Medication: Side effects from certain drugs can damage the auditory system.

Noise exposure: Exposure to loud noises can cause hearing loss, and smokers are at a higher risk.

Pregnancy and birth: Complications during pregnancy or birth can cause hearing loss.

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Early Intervention (0–3 years)

Speech and language therapy.

Sign language training (if applicable).

Family education and counseling.

Developmental support services through IDEA 2004, Part C.

Special Education (3–22 years)

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Specialized instruction for developmental and educational needs under IDEA 2004, Part B.

Assistive Technology Use

FM systems for clearer hearing in noisy settings.

Captioning for video/TV accessibility.

Text messaging tools.

Visual/vibrating alarms for safety and independence.

Community Support

Joining support groups for children and families.

Accessing educational and emotional resources.

Parental and Caregiver Training

Learning how to support communication development at home.

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Treatment and intervention types

Intervention Services

Early Intervention (0-3 years)

Hearing loss can affect a child's ability to develop speech, language, and social skills. The earlier a child who is deaf or hard-of-hearing starts getting services, the more likely the child's communication (speech or sign language) and social skills will reach their full potential.

Early intervention program services help young children with hearing loss learn communication and other important skills. Research shows that early intervention services can greatly improve a child's development.

Babies who are diagnosed with hearing loss should begin to get intervention services as soon as possible, but no later than 6 months of age.

There are many services available through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA 2004). Services for children from birth through 36 months of age are called Early Intervention or Part C services. Even if your child has not been diagnosed with a hearing loss, he or she may be eligible for early intervention treatment services. The IDEA 2004 says that children under the age of 3 years (36 months) who are at risk of having developmental delays may be eligible for services. These services are provided through an early intervention system in your state. Through this system, you can ask for an evaluation.

Special Education (3-22 years)

Special education is instruction specifically designed to address the educational and related developmental needs of older children with disabilities, or those who are experiencing developmental delays. Services for these children are provided through the public school system. These services are available through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA 2004), Part B.

Assistive Technology

Many people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing have some hearing. The amount of hearing a deaf or hard-of-hearing person has is called "residual hearing." Technology does not "cure" hearing loss but may help a child with hearing loss to make the most of their residual hearing. For those parents who choose to have their child use technology, there are many options, including

Hearing aids

Cochlear or brainstem implants

Bone-anchored hearing aids

Other assistive devices

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids make sounds louder. They can be worn by people of any age, including infants. Babies with hearing loss may understand sounds better using hearing aids. This may give them the chance to learn speech skills at a young age.

There are many styles of hearing aids. They can help many types of hearing losses. A young child is usually fitted with behind-the-ear style hearing aids because they are better suited to growing ears.

Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Implants

A cochlear implant may help many children with severe to profound hearing loss-even very young children. It gives that child a way to hear when a hearing aid is not enough. Unlike a hearing aid, cochlear implants do not make sounds louder. A cochlear implant sends sound signals directly to the hearing nerve.

Persons with severe to profound hearing loss due to an absent or very small hearing nerve or severely abnormal inner ear (cochlea), may not benefit from a hearing aid or cochlear implant. Instead an auditory brainstem implant may provide some hearing. An auditory brainstem implant directly stimulates the hearing pathways in the brainstem, bypassing the inner ear and hearing nerve.

Both cochlear and brainstem implants have two main parts. There are the parts that are placed inside the inner ear, the cochlea, or base of the brain, the brainstem during surgery; and the parts outside the ear that send sounds to the parts inside the ear.

Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids

This type of hearing aid can be considered when a child has either a conductive, mixed, or unilateral hearing loss and is specifically suitable for children who cannot otherwise wear 'in the ear' or 'behind the ear' hearing aids.

Other Assistive Devices

Besides hearing aids, there are other devices that help people with hearing loss. Examples of other assistive devices include

Frequency Modulation (FM) System. An FM system is a device that helps people with hearing loss hear in background noise. FM is the same type of signal used for radios. These systems send sound from a microphone used by someone speaking to a person wearing the receiver. FM is sometimes used with hearing aids. An extra piece is attached to the hearing aid that works with the FM system.

Captioning. Many television programs, videos, and DVDs are captioned. Television sets made after 1993 are made to show the captioning. You don't have to buy anything special. Captions show the conversation spoken in soundtrack of a program on the bottom of the television screen.

Other devices. There are many other devices available for children with hearing loss. Some of these include

Text messaging

Telephone amplifiers

Flashing and vibrating alarms

Audio loop systems

Infrared listening devices

Portable sound amplifiers

TTY (Text Telephone or teletypewriter)

Medications and Surgery

Medications or surgery may also help make the most of a person's hearing. This is especially true for a conductive hearing loss, or one that involves a part of the outer or middle ear that is not working in the usual way.

One type of conductive hearing loss can be caused by a chronic ear infection. A chronic ear infection is a build-up of fluid behind the eardrum in the middle ear space. Most ear infections are managed with medication or careful monitoring. Infections that don't go away with medication can be treated with a simple surgery that involves putting a tiny tube into the eardrum to drain the fluid out.

Another type of conductive hearing loss is caused by either the outer and or middle ear not forming correctly while the baby was growing in the mother's womb. Both the outer and middle ear need to work together in order for sound to be sent correctly to the inner ear. If any of these parts did not form correctly, there might be a hearing loss in that ear. This problem may be improved and perhaps even corrected with surgery. An ear, nose, and throat doctor (otolaryngologist) is the health care professional who usually takes care of this problem.

Placing a cochlear implant, auditory brainstem implant, or bone-anchored hearing aid will also require a surgery.

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Treatment and Intervention for Hearing Loss

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Early intervention, special education, assistive hearing devices, medical and surgical

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Hearing Devices

Hearing aids (e.g., behind-the-ear models for young children).

Cochlear implants for severe to profound hearing loss.

Auditory brainstem implants for absent hearing nerves.

Bone-anchored hearing aids for conductive or mixed hearing loss.

Medications and Monitoring

Antibiotics for chronic ear infections.

Monitoring of middle ear conditions by healthcare professionals.

Surgical Interventions

Placement of ear tubes for fluid drainage in chronic infections.

Surgical correction of congenital ear malformations.

Implant surgeries (cochlear, auditory brainstem, or bone-anchored).

Other Assistive Devices

Telephone amplifiers.

Portable sound amplifiers.

TTY (Text Telephone or Teletypewriter).

Infrared and audio loop systems for enhanced hearing environments.

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Treatment and intervention types

Intervention Services

Early Intervention (0-3 years)

Hearing loss can affect a child's ability to develop speech, language, and social skills. The earlier a child who is deaf or hard-of-hearing starts getting services, the more likely the child's communication (speech or sign language) and social skills will reach their full potential.

Early intervention program services help young children with hearing loss learn communication and other important skills. Research shows that early intervention services can greatly improve a child's development.

Babies who are diagnosed with hearing loss should begin to get intervention services as soon as possible, but no later than 6 months of age.

There are many services available through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA 2004). Services for children from birth through 36 months of age are called Early Intervention or Part C services. Even if your child has not been diagnosed with a hearing loss, he or she may be eligible for early intervention treatment services. The IDEA 2004 says that children under the age of 3 years (36 months) who are at risk of having developmental delays may be eligible for services. These services are provided through an early intervention system in your state. Through this system, you can ask for an evaluation.

Special Education (3-22 years)

Special education is instruction specifically designed to address the educational and related developmental needs of older children with disabilities, or those who are experiencing developmental delays. Services for these children are provided through the public school system. These services are available through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA 2004), Part B.

Assistive Technology

Many people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing have some hearing. The amount of hearing a deaf or hard-of-hearing person has is called "residual hearing." Technology does not "cure" hearing loss but may help a child with hearing loss to make the most of their residual hearing. For those parents who choose to have their child use technology, there are many options, including

Hearing aids

Cochlear or brainstem implants

Bone-anchored hearing aids

Other assistive devices

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids make sounds louder. They can be worn by people of any age, including infants. Babies with hearing loss may understand sounds better using hearing aids. This may give them the chance to learn speech skills at a young age.

There are many styles of hearing aids. They can help many types of hearing losses. A young child is usually fitted with behind-the-ear style hearing aids because they are better suited to growing ears.

Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Implants

A cochlear implant may help many children with severe to profound hearing loss-even very young children. It gives that child a way to hear when a hearing aid is not enough. Unlike a hearing aid, cochlear implants do not make sounds louder. A cochlear implant sends sound signals directly to the hearing nerve.

Persons with severe to profound hearing loss due to an absent or very small hearing nerve or severely abnormal inner ear (cochlea), may not benefit from a hearing aid or cochlear implant. Instead an auditory brainstem implant may provide some hearing. An auditory brainstem implant directly stimulates the hearing pathways in the brainstem, bypassing the inner ear and hearing nerve.

Both cochlear and brainstem implants have two main parts. There are the parts that are placed inside the inner ear, the cochlea, or base of the brain, the brainstem during surgery; and the parts outside the ear that send sounds to the parts inside the ear.

Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids

This type of hearing aid can be considered when a child has either a conductive, mixed, or unilateral hearing loss and is specifically suitable for children who cannot otherwise wear 'in the ear' or 'behind the ear' hearing aids.

Other Assistive Devices

Besides hearing aids, there are other devices that help people with hearing loss. Examples of other assistive devices include

Frequency Modulation (FM) System. An FM system is a device that helps people with hearing loss hear in background noise. FM is the same type of signal used for radios. These systems send sound from a microphone used by someone speaking to a person wearing the receiver. FM is sometimes used with hearing aids. An extra piece is attached to the hearing aid that works with the FM system.

Captioning. Many television programs, videos, and DVDs are captioned. Television sets made after 1993 are made to show the captioning. You don't have to buy anything special. Captions show the conversation spoken in soundtrack of a program on the bottom of the television screen.

Other devices. There are many other devices available for children with hearing loss. Some of these include

Text messaging

Telephone amplifiers

Flashing and vibrating alarms

Audio loop systems

Infrared listening devices

Portable sound amplifiers

TTY (Text Telephone or teletypewriter)

Medications and Surgery

Medications or surgery may also help make the most of a person's hearing. This is especially true for a conductive hearing loss, or one that involves a part of the outer or middle ear that is not working in the usual way.

One type of conductive hearing loss can be caused by a chronic ear infection. A chronic ear infection is a build-up of fluid behind the eardrum in the middle ear space. Most ear infections are managed with medication or careful monitoring. Infections that don't go away with medication can be treated with a simple surgery that involves putting a tiny tube into the eardrum to drain the fluid out.

Another type of conductive hearing loss is caused by either the outer and or middle ear not forming correctly while the baby was growing in the mother's womb. Both the outer and middle ear need to work together in order for sound to be sent correctly to the inner ear. If any of these parts did not form correctly, there might be a hearing loss in that ear. This problem may be improved and perhaps even corrected with surgery. An ear, nose, and throat doctor (otolaryngologist) is the health care professional who usually takes care of this problem.

Placing a cochlear implant, auditory brainstem implant, or bone-anchored hearing aid will also require a surgery.

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Treatment and Intervention for Hearing Loss

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Early intervention, special education, assistive hearing devices, medical and surgical

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In my future classroom, I would support a student with hearing impairments by fostering an inclusive and accessible environment tailored to their needs. This would include using visual aids, written instructions, and assistive technologies like FM systems or captioned videos while ensuring clear communication through strategies like seating them to see my face and minimizing background noise. Collaborating with special education professionals and utilizing tools such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) would ensure their needs are met effectively. Challenges might include managing communication barriers, balancing individualized attention with whole-class needs, and fostering peer understanding. However, the student could bring strengths like resilience, unique perspectives, and the ability to inspire empathy and inclusivity among their peers. By encouraging leadership roles, fostering collaboration, and celebrating their achievements, I would harness their strengths to enrich the classroom culture and support their growth.

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Understanding Deafness - Educational Video