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Overview

Over 5% of the world's population - or 430 million people - require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people - or 1 in every 10 people - will have disabling hearing loss.

'Disabling' hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear. Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries. The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, among those older than 60 years, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.

Hearing loss and deafness

A person who is not able to hear as well as someone with normal hearing - hearing thresholds of 20 dB or better in both ears - is said to have hearing loss. Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. It can affect one ear or both ears and leads to difficulty in hearing conversational speech or loud sounds.

'Hard of hearing' refers to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices as well as captioning.

'Deaf' people mostly have profound hearing loss, which implies very little or no hearing. They often use sign language for communication.

Causes of hearing loss and deafness

Although these factors can be encountered at different periods across the life span, individuals are most susceptible to their effects during critical periods in life.

Prenatal period

genetic factors including hereditary and non-hereditary hearing loss

intrauterine infections - such as rubella and cytomegalovirus infection.

Perinatal period

birth asphyxia (a lack of oxygen at the time of birth

hyperbilirubinemia (severe jaundice in the neonatal period)

low-birth weight

other perinatal morbidities and their management.

Childhood and adolescence

chronic ear infections (chronic suppurative otitis media)

collection of fluid in the ear (chronic nonsuppurativeotitis media)

meningitis and other infections.

Adulthood and older age

chronic diseases

smoking

otosclerosis

age-related sensorineural degeneration

sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Factors across the life span

cerumen impaction (impacted ear wax)

trauma to the ear or head

loud noise/loud sounds

ototoxic medicines

work related ototoxic chemicals

nutritional deficiencies

viral infections and other ear conditions

delayed onset or progressive genetic hearing loss.

The impact of unaddressed hearing loss

When unaddressed, hearing loss impacts many aspects of life at individual level:

communication and speech

cognition

education and employment: In developing countries, children with hearing loss and deafness often do not receive schooling. Adults with hearing loss also have a much higher unemployment rate. Among those who are employed, a higher percentage of people with hearing loss are in the lower grades of employment compared with the general workforce.

social isolation, loneliness and stigma

impact on society and economy

effects on years lived with disability (YDLs) and disability adjusted life years (DALYs).

WHO estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of US$ 980 billion. This includes health sector costs (excluding the cost of hearing devices), costs of educational support, loss of productivity, and societal costs. Of these costs, 57% are attributed to low- and middle-income countries.

Prevention

Many of the causes that lead to hearing loss can be avoided through public health strategies and clinical interventions implemented across the life course.

Prevention of hearing loss is essential throughout the life course, from prenatal and perinatal periods to older age. In children, nearly 60% of hearing loss is due to avoidable causes that can be prevented through implementation of public health measures. Likewise, most common causes of hearing loss in adults, such as exposure to loud sounds and ototoxic medicines, are preventable.

Effective strategies for reducing hearing loss at different stages of the life course include:

immunization;

good maternal and childcare practices;

genetic counselling;

identification and management of common ear conditions;

occupational hearing conservation programmes for noise and chemical exposure;

safe listening strategies for the reduction of exposure to loud sounds in recreational settings; and

rational use of medicines to prevent ototoxic hearing loss.

Identification and management

Early identification of hearing loss and ear diseases is key to effective management.

This requires systematic screening for detection of hearing loss and related ear diseases in those who are most at risk. This includes:

newborn babies and infants

pre-school and school-age children

people exposed to noise or chemicals at work

people receiving ototoxic medicines

older adults.

Hearing assessment and ear examination can be conducted in clinical and community settings. Tools such as the WHO "hearWHO" app and other technology-based solutions make it possible to screen for ear diseases and hearing loss with limited training and resources.

Once hearing loss is identified, it is essential that it is addressed as early as possible and in an appropriate manner, to mitigate any adverse impact.

Measures available to rehabilitate people with hearing loss include:

the use of hearing technologies, such as hearing aids, cochlear implants and middle ear implants;

the use of sign language and other means of sensory substitution,such as speech reading, use of print on palm or Tadoma, signed communication; and

rehabilitative therapy to enhance perceptive skills and develop communication and linguistic abilities.

The use of hearing assistive technology, and services such as frequency modulation and loop systems, alerting devices, telecommunication devices,captioning services and sign language interpretation, can further improve access to communication and education for people with hearing loss.

WHO response

WHO's work on ear and hearing care is to promote integrated people-centred ear and hearing care (IPC-EHHC).

WHO's work is guided by the recommendations of the WHO World report on hearing (2021) and the World Health Assembly resolution on prevention of deafness and hearing loss.

WHO's work includes:

guiding, assisting and supporting Member States to increase awareness on EHC issues;

facilitating data generation and dissemination of ear and hearing care related data and information;

providing technical resources and guidance to facilitate planning and health systems capacity building for ear and hearing care;

supporting heath workforce training in ear and hearing care;

promoting safe listening to reduce the risk of recreational noise-induced hearing loss through the WHO Make Listening Safe initiative;

observing and promoting World Hearing Day as an annual advocacy event;

building partnerships to develop strong hearing care programmes, including initiatives for affordable hearing aids, cochlear implants and services; and

advocating for ear and hearing care through the World Hearing Forum.

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Deafness and hearing loss fact sheet from WHO: providing key facts and information on causes, impact, prevention, identification, management and WHO response.

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ASL - American Sign Language: free, self-study sign language lessons including an ASL dictionary, signing videos, a printable sign language alphabet chart (fingerspelling), Deaf Culture study materials, and resources to help you learn sign language. Good for homeschool sign language classes, parents (baby signing), interpreters, and people who just want to learn fun ASL phrases like hello, thank you, I love you, etc.

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While deaf people share certain experiences, the community is highly diverse. Some consider themselves to be part of the unique cultural and linguistic minority who use sign language as their primary language, while others do not. Deaf people have a wide range of communication preferences, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and additional disabilities that shape their […]

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Deafness, or hearing loss, happens when one or more parts of the ear aren't working effectively. To understand this, it's useful to know how the ear works.

The ear and how it works

The ear has two main functions.

1. It receives sound and converts it into signals that the brain can understand.

2. It helps us to balance.

The two functions are closely related.
Diagram of the ear
The ear is the first part of the hearing system. The outside part of the ear (pinna) catches sound waves and directs them down the ear canal. The waves then cause the eardrum to vibrate.

These vibrations are passed across the middle ear by three tiny bones: the malleus, incus and stapes (sometimes known as the hammer, anvil and stirrup, known together as the ossicles). The bones increase the strength of the vibrations before they pass through the oval window into the cochlea.

The cochlea looks like a snail's shell. It's filled with fluid and contains thousands of tiny sound-sensitive cells. These cells are known as hair cells. The vibrations entering the cochlea cause the fluid and hair cells to move, much like the movement of seaweed on the seabed when waves pass over it.

As the hair cells move, they create a small electrical charge or signal. The auditory nerve carries these signals to the brain where they are understood as sound.

For an ear to work fully and pick up sound, all of these parts must work well.

The main types of deafness

Sensorineural deafness, or nerve deafness as it's sometimes called, is a hearing loss in the inner ear. This usually means that the cochlea isn't working effectively. Sensorineural deafness is permanent.

Conductive deafness means that sound can't pass efficiently through the outer and middle ear into the inner ear. This is often caused by blockages such as wax in the outer ear, or fluid in the middle ear (glue ear). Glue ear is a very common condition, especially in pre-school children. Conductive deafness is usually temporary, but it can be permanent in some cases.

It's possible for children to have a combination of sensorineural and conductive deafness. This is known as mixed deafness. One example of mixed deafness is when someone has glue ear as well as sensorineural deafness.

Deafness in one ear only is known as unilateral deafness , which can also be referred to as one-sided hearing loss or single-sided deafness (SSD).

Very few deaf children have no useful hearing. Most deaf children can hear some sounds at certain frequencies and loudness, and with the use of hearing aids or implants they are often able to hear more sounds.

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What Is Deafness? | Main types of deafness

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Get more information about how the ear works and the main types of deafness, such as: sensorineural deafness, ANSD and conductive deafness and mixed deafness

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This section includes website addresses, contact information, and brief descriptions for organizations, agencies, and corporations that provide information related to children with hearing loss and their families.

Hearing screening
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Provides information on newborn hearing screening.

Address: 2200 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850

Email: actioncenter@asha.org

Phone: (800) 638-8255-(Voice, TTY) for Non-Members

(800)-498-2071-(Voice, TTY) for Members
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); NCBDDD; Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (EHDI)
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/index.html (federal website)

Provides information about children and hearing loss and answers some commonly asked questions. Information about state EHDI programs is also available.

Address: 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333
Email: CDC-INFO
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides information about children with hearing loss and Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs.

Address: Parklawn Building Room 18-05, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857

Phone: (301) 443-2170-(Voice)

1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)-(Voice) The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
National Center for Hearing Assessment & Management
Provides information on newborn hearing screening programs, legislation, equipment, and other related issues.

Utah State University Address: 2615 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322

Email: mail@infanthearing.org

Phone: (435) 797-3584-(Voice)

Hearing loss
Better Hearing Institute
Provides comprehensive information on hearing loss, tinnitus, and hearing aids, as well as a directory of hearing care providers (audiologists, hearing instrument specialists, and otolaryngologists).

Address: 1301 K Street NW, Suite 300W, Washington D.C. 20005

Email: mail@betterhearing.org

Phone: (202) 975-0905-(Voice)
Central Institute for the Deaf
A unique network of resources on the progressive treatment of adult and childhood deafness.

Address: 825 S. Taylor Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110

Email: cid@cid.edu

Phone: (314) 977-0132-(Voice)

(877) 444-4574
Hereditary Hearing Loss Homepag e House Ear Institute
Provides current information on the genetic causes of hearing loss.

National nonprofit research and educational institute that studies the auditory system and provides information on hearing and balance disorders. Also offers professional and general public educational programs.

Address: 1127 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1620, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Email: hello@hifla.org
Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
Phone: (213) 770-2187

Provides information on various topics related to deafness, including topics of interest to parents of children with hearing loss and multicultural issues.

Gallaudet University Address: 800 Florida Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002
My Baby's Hearing
Email: clerc.center@gallaudet.edu

This site was developed by Boys Town National Research Hospital; it provides information about infant hearing loss, how the ear works, family issues, and some available intervention options.

Boys Town National Research Hospital Address: 555 N 30th St., Omaha, NE 68131
National Institutes of Health; National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders
Phone: (531) 355-1234

Federal government's focal point for biomedical and behavioral research in human communication. Website provides information about hearing, ear infections, and deafness.

Address: 31 Center Drive, MSC 2320, Bethesda, MD, 20892-2320

Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov

Phone: (800) 241-1044-(Voice)
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Family support

International nonprofit membership organization, support network, and resource center on pediatric hearing loss and spoken language approaches and related issues.

Address: 3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, DC 20007

Email: info@agbell.org

Phone: (202) 337-5220-(Voice)
American Society for Deaf Children
(202) 337-5221-(TTY)

A national organization of families and professionals that helps create opportunities for children who are deaf and hard of hearing to gain full communication access, particularly through the use of sign language.

Address: P.O. Box 23 Woodbine, MD 21797

Email: info@deafchildren.org
Beginnings For Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc.
Phone: (800) 942-2732-(Voice)

Provides emotional support and access to information as a central resource for families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing, age birth through 21 years of age.

Address: 156-A Wind Chime Court Raleigh, NC 27615

Phone: (919) 715- 4092-(Voice)
Boys Town National Research Hospital www.boystownhospital.org/Pages/default.aspx
(800) 541-4327-(Voice) In North Carolina Only

Provides parents with a variety of helpful information related to hearing loss in children and information about how some parents have responded to their child's hearing loss and how they have learned to better cope with it.

Address: 555 N 30th St., Omaha, NE 68131
Family Voices
Phone: (531) 355-1234-(24 Hour Hotline)

A national, grassroots organization that is a clearinghouse for information and education concerning the health care of children with special health needs.

Address: 561 Virginia Rd, Bldg. 4, Suite 300, Concord, MA 01742

Phone: (781) 674-7224-(Voice)
Hands & Voices
(888) 835-5669-(Voice)

Nonprofit, parent driven organization that provides support to families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Families For Hands & Voices

Address: P.O. Box 3093, Boulder, CO 80307

Email: parentadvocate@handsandvoices.org

Phone: (303) 492-6283
Cochlear Implant Education Center Nussbaum_Scott[1].pdf (gallaudet.edu) Microsoft Word - CIandSL-CriticalIssues.docx (gallaudet.edu)
Cochlear implants

A unit of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. Investigates, evaluates, and disseminates effective practices related to cochlear implant technology and its role in the education and lives of deaf children from birth through high school.

Gallaudet University Address: 800 Florida Ave. NE, Washington, DC 2000
NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
Phone: (202) 651-5638-(Voice, TTY)

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/cochlear-implants (federal website)

Answers the following questions: What is a cochlear implant? How does a cochlear implant work? Who gets cochlear implants? How does someone receive a cochlear implant? What does the future hold for cochlear implants? Where can I get additional information?

National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Address: 31 Center Drive, MSC 2320, Bethesda, MD USA 20892-2320

Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov

Phone: (800) 241-1044-(Voice)

Communication options
Auditory Learning Center
Auditory/verbal

The Center's objective is to promote listening and speaking as a way of life for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Address: Auditory Learning Centre Suite #8 - 2230 West 3rd Ave Vancouver, B.C., V6K 1L4 Canada

E-mail: rosalie@auditorylearningcentre.com
National Cued Speech Association
Phone: (778) 737-7577-(Voice)

Nonprofit membership organization that provides information about Cued Speech and its applications and educational services. Establishes standards for Cued Speech and certifies Cued Speech instructors and transliterators.

Address: P.O. Box 2733 Fairfax, VA 22031-2733

Email: Info@cuedspeech.org

Phone: (800) 459-3529-(Voice, TTY)
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Oral education

International nonprofit membership organization and resource center on hearing loss and spoken language approaches and related issues.

Address: 3417 Volta Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20007

Email: info@agbell.org

Phone: (202) 337-5220-(Voice)
Oral Deaf Education "MAKE a joyful noise" information kit
(202) 337-5221-(TTY)

Provides parents and pediatric professionals with resources and information about oral education for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The kit includes a handbook, video, copies of articles, and a reading list for parents.

Address: P.O. Box 3093 Boulder CO 80307

Email: webmaster@oraldeafed.org

Phone: (303) 492-6283
The S.E.E. (Signing Exact English) Center for the Advancement of Deaf Children
Total communication

Although this is not strictly a site for information on Total Communication, S.E.E. is often used in Total Communication programs.

Nonprofit organization to work with parents and educators of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Provides information on Signing Exact English and its uses with the goal of improving English skills and communication.

Address: 5701 Springdale Road Austin, TX 78723

Phone: (512) 919-5313
American Association of the Deaf-Blind
Deaf-blind

National consumer organization of, by, and for deaf-blind Americans. "Deaf-blind" is a broad term that describes people who have varying degrees and types of both vision and hearing loss together.

Address: PO Box 12222 Silver Spring, MD 20908
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths & Adults https://www.helenkeller.org/

Email: info@aadb.org

Deaf-blind school that offers intensive and comprehensive rehabilitation training to youth and adults who are deaf-blind. Also provides field services and general information.

Address: 141 Middle Neck Road Sands Point, NY 11050
National Family Association for Deaf-Blind
Email: hkncinfo@hknc.org

Phone: (516) 944-8900-(Voice)

Federally funded information and referral service that identifies, coordinates, and disseminates information related to children and youth who are deaf-blind.

Address: P.O. Box 1667 Sands Point, NY 11050

Email: info@nfadb.org
Dawnsign Press
Phone: (800) 255-0411

Deaf culture

American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Materials (books, videos, workbooks, etc.).

Address: 6130 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA 92121-3223

Email: contactus@dawnsign.com
National Association of the Deaf
Phone: (858) 768-0428-(Video Phone)

(858) 625-0600-(Voice)

Provides information on programs and activities including grassroots advocacy and empowerment, public awareness, deafness-related information, legal assistance, and policy development.

Address: 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 820 Silver Spring, MD 20910

Email: NADinfo@nad.org
Sign Media, Inc
Phone: (301) 587-1788-(Video Phone)

(301) 810-3182-(TTY)

Videotapes and print materials on American Sign Language and American Deaf Culture.

Address: 4020 Blackburn Lane, Burtonsville, MD 20866-1167

Email: info@signmedia.com

Phone: (800) 475-4756
Council on Education of the Deaf
(301) 421-0268-(Voice)

Educational resources
Gallaudet University
This site facilitates informational sharing and collaborative activities within the field of deaf education.

Kent State University Address: 405 White Hall, College of Education, Kent, OH 44242-0001

This site provides information on the only liberal arts university in the United States for undergraduate students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Graduate degree programs and continuing education courses are available as well. In addition, the University's Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center serves deaf and hard-of-hearing children at its two demonstration schools and throughout the nation.
National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID)
Address: 800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695

Phone: (202) 651-5000-(Voice, TTY)

This site provides information on the world's first and largest technological college for deaf and hard of hearing students. NTID provides deaf and hard-of-hearing students with technical and professional education programs, complemented by a liberal arts and sciences curriculum.

National Technical Institute for the Deaf Rochester Institute of Technology Address: 52 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, NY 14623
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education
Email: ntidmc@rit.edu

Phone: (585) 475-6400-(TTY and Voice)

OSERS supports programs that help educate children and youth with disabilities, provides for the rehabilitation of youth and adults with disabilities and supports research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.
Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. (PAT)
Address: 400 Maryland Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20202-7100

Phone: (800) 872-5327

PAT is an international early childhood parent education and family support program. PAT serves families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, usually age 5. The program is designed to enhance child development and school achievement through parent education accessible to all families. It is a universal access model.

Address: 6 City Place, Suite 100St. Louis, MO 63141

Email: customerservice@parentsasteachers.org

Phone: (314) 432-4330-(Voice)
Hearing Loss Association of America
(866) PAT4YOU; (866) 728-4968

Hard of hearing children

Provides adults and children with the tools for self help; sensitizes the general population about the special needs of people who are hard of hearing.

Address: 6116 Executive Blvd., Suite 320 Rockville, MD 20852

E-mail: info@hearingloss.org
American Academy of Audiology
Phone: (301) 657-2248-(Voice)

Professional organizations

Dedicated to providing quality hearing care to the public and provides consumer and professional resources related to hearing care.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Address: 11480 Commerce Park Drive Suite 220 Reston, VA 20191

Phone: (703) 790-8466

A national medical organization of more than 93,000 members (family physicians, family practice residents, and medical students).

Address: 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, KS 66211-2672
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Email: aafp@aafp.org

Phone: (800) 274-2237-(Voice)

The world's largest organization of physicians dedicated to the care of ear, nose, and throat disorders. This site provides health tips and information related to hearing disorders.

Address: 1650 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 22314-2857
American Academy of Pediatrics http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Pages/Early-Hearing-Detection-and-Intervention.aspx
Email: info@entnet.org

Phone: (703) 836-4444-(Voice)

Provides information, alerts, and resources related to the physical, mental, and social health of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Address: 345 Park Boulevard Itasca, IL 60143

Phone: (800) 433- 9016-(Voice)

Provides information for the public, professionals, and students about communication and communication disorders.

Address: 2200 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850

Email: actioncenter@asha.org

Phone: (800) 498-2071-For Members Only
Bright Futures at Georgetown University www.brightfutures.org/georgetown/index.html

(800) 638-8255-For Nonmembers
Hands & Voices
Resources and services

The mission of Bright Futures is to promote and improve the health, education, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, families, and communities.

Email: mayerr@georgetown.edu

Nonprofit, parent driven organization that provides services, resources, and support, to professionals and families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
John Tracy Clinic
Address: PO Box 3093, Boulder, CO 80307

Email: parentadvocate@handsandvoices.org

Phone: (303) 492-6283

Nonprofit organization that provides, world-wide and without charge, parent-centered services to young children with a hearing loss. Services include audiological testing, parent and infant programs, parent classes, a preschool, and a correspondence course that includes information about cochlear implants and auditory development.
ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
Address: 2160 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles CA, 90018

Email: web@jtc.org

Phone: (213) 748-5481

A national non-profit organization that promotes the healthy development of infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf. Dedicated to advancing current knowledge; promoting beneficial policies and practices; communicating research and best practices to a wide variety of audiences; and providing training, technical assistance and leadership development.
Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
Address: 2445 M Street NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20037

Phone: (202) 638-1144-(Voice)

State resources
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides information and referral services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing in each state.

Gallaudet University Address: 800 Florida Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002

E-mail: c lerc.center@galludet.edu

Provides information about children with hearing loss and Universal Newborn Hearing Screening programs.
National Center for Hearing Assessment & Management
Address: Parklawn Building Room 18-05, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857

Phone: (301) 443-2170-(Voice)

1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)-(Voice) The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

Provides information about newborn hearing screening programs, contacts, and resources related to hearing loss in each state.
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Utah State University Address: 2615 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322

Phone: (435) 797-3584-(Voice)

Unilateral hearing loss

Information about unilateral hearing loss in children, its effects, and where to seek further information.

Audiology Department Address: 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, NE 68131

Phone: (531) 355-1234-(Voice)

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There are many resources for parents or caregivers of children with hearing loss.

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This is a resource guide to programs that can assist deaf people as well as resources that will assist educators and parents.

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Practice ASL with a Deaf role model! SignOn lets you practice ASL with a Deaf role model online, in real time. You can choose your schedule, select the topics of conversation, and even go back and review your recorded session any time. For a limited time, ASDC member familiescan get five FREE sessions of SignOn (a $125 value). Not a member yet? Join ASDC.

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U.S. Resources Directory - American Society for Deaf Children

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Raising a deaf child? Find national resources for deaf children. Get a complete list of organizations serving deaf and hard of hearing children.

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This is an excellent resource that focuses on providing ways in which the families of deaf kids can help them assimilate to society and become productive adults.

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Deaf teenagers with stronger family support are more successful after high school. To succeed, deaf people need to be able to make their own

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This is a link to a website that provides information on hearing loss and also includes a list of providers that specialize in hearing care.

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These are a few of the accommodations that deaf students can ask for to make the classroom more inclusive.

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Deaf children in mainstream schools face challenges to their learning which their hearing peers don't experience. Teachers with deaf students in their class need to use inclusive strategies to assist their learning.
Here are 7 teaching strategies that will help empower your deaf students to do their best in school and set them up for success at college, university and in the workplace.

1) Ensure there is a clear line of sight
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
You can help your hard-of-hearing students by inviting them to sit at the front of the classroom if they want to. If your student is using an interpreter or relying on lip-reading, visual clues or a hearing aid, being closer to the front will help them learn.

Ensure you are facing the classroom when you speak, not the whiteboard. Good lighting is also a must so they can see you clearly.

Speak normally and clearly, emphasising keywords. Repeat and rephrase when necessary.

If you are organising a group activity, help students who lip-read by positioning the group in a circle so that the deaf learner can see all the other participants as they speak.

2) Provide written handouts & visual aids

Deaf learners who are lip-reading, watching an interpreter or using a hearing aid may find it difficult to take notes from a whiteboard at the same time. So your deaf students don't miss anything important, make all information and announcements from class available as a written handout.

Visual aids and learning materials are a great way to support deaf learners but it's important not to rush through visual content, particularly when you are speaking at the same time.

Give your deaf learners time to look at the visual content and take it in before you start speaking. They need time to switch between the visual and the auditory.

3) Show captioned or interpreted video

If you are using video as part of your class teaching, try to find captioned or sign language interpreted options. If these aren't available, consider how else to engage your deaf student with the learning material in the video.

The most important thing for teachers is to be as inclusive as possible every step along the deaf learners' journey.

4) Reduce background noise
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For students who use a hearing aid, it helps if you reduce the amount of background noise in the room. Easier said than done in some noisy classrooms! Besides managing student behaviour, however, think of other ways you can limit background noise in the room. Can you close the windows and doors, for example?

Clearly repeating questions or responses from other students in the class will help your deaf learners understand what their classmates are saying.

You want your deaf and hard-of-hearing students to feel included in your class conversations. Ask them how they will feel most comfortable participating in class discussions.

5) Use available resources

You could consider learning sign language and encourage other class members to learn sign language too. Additionally, you can use the technology available to assist deaf learners.

For example, if possible, allow deaf students to record the lesson with live remote captioning, or provide a recording of the lesson yourself so that a transcript can be made available later.

Some hearing aids have a transmitter and receiver system with a clip-on microphone for the speaker so find out if this equipment might be useful to your deaf student.

Send your students copies of your teaching notes and any visual aids you used in the lesson. Wherever you can, make use of resources like peer tutoring, special educators, interpreters, notetakers, therapy services and teacher aides.

6) Check-in with your deaf students

Make sure your deaf students know that you are there for them and adjust your teaching strategies according to whatever they feel comfortable with.

Respecting their choices is important. You want to help empower them to be the best learners they can be. Before, during and after a lesson check that they have understood what you are teaching and repeat anything they ask you to repeat.

According to the deaf health charity, Sign Health, deaf children are 30% to 50% more likely to experience mental health challenges, compared to hearing children. If your deaf student is experiencing challenges to their mental health, it is important as their teacher that you know how you can help.

Fortunately, there are specialised resources out there that help children cope and understand their emotions, thoughts and feelings. The National Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (NDCAMHS) works with D/deaf children and young people aged 0 - 18 who have emotional or behavioural issues. Deaf4Deaf offer psychological therapies for students and can support in getting this support funded. For students over the age of 18, Sign Health offers Psychological Therapy services in BSL too.

Sign Health has a range of BSL Health video resources to help deaf or Deaf people get the information they need to thrive.

7) Adapt your teaching for distance-learning strategies

While online and remote learning is far from a new concept, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many teachers to rapidly adapt their in-class teaching methods to help students learning from home.

The lack of face-to-face communication has, however, added another barrier to the Deaf Community in accessing information and feeling connected. To learn some tips on coping with COVID-19 when you are deaf or know a deaf person, read this article and check out the BSL translation.

A lot of the above tips for teaching deaf learners are still relevant for distance learning. If you are teaching via Zoom, for example, it's important to ensure the lighting is good. Set yourself up in a quiet area to reduce the background noise that could interfere with closed captioning or transcripts.

Are you a teacher wanting to know more ways to support your deaf or hard-of-hearing student? Contact us and we will help.

Conclusion

Teaching has got to be one of the most creative, innovative jobs out there. There simply isn't a one size fits all approach to teaching. Therefore, the most dedicated teachers adapt their methods according to whatever their students need.

If you have deaf or hard-of-hearing students in your class, you need to adapt your teaching methods to best support their learning with inclusive strategies.

The suggestions above are also beneficial for students who have other barriers to learning, like auditory processing disorders, dyslexia, etc. If we create environments that enhance and support the education of students with more barriers to their learning, it can actually benefit everyone in the room.

It's okay to make mistakes along the way as long as you are open to feedback, use the resources out there and work closely with the deaf students to empower them to learn.

Key takeaways:

1. Set your deaf and hard-of-hearing students up for success by adapting your teaching methods to support their learning.

2. Prepare your classroom. Ensure they have a clear line of sight to you at all times and reduce background noise by shutting the classroom door, for example. Speak normally but clearly and emphasise keywords.

3. Use the technology, resources and visual aids available to support your deaf students' learning. Include them in the plan of action so they feel empowered and you know what they are comfortable with.

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7 Teaching Strategies to Empower Deaf Students

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These 7 teaching strategies will help empower your deaf students to do their best in school and set them up for success at university and in the workplace.

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Classroom Interpreting for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

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California Department of Developmental Services

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Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Resources

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Agency through which the State of California provides services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities.

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Hands & Voices - Supporting families with D/HH children

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Hands & Voices is a parent driven, non-profit organization dedicated to providing unbiased support to families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing

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This is a non-profit organization that helps to aid parents or caretakers of deaf children. There are resources on the website as well as a section dedicated for events that could help deaf people come together. Events like this could help create a platform for deaf people to talk about their issues as well as allow parents to be able to share ideas and resources with each other.

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Parents of Deaf Children (PODC), formerly Parent Council for Deaf Education, is a non-profit organisation, supporting families with babies, children and teenagers with hearing loss in NSW and the ACT. The organisation offers a range of information, support and capacity building services for parents and carers, respecting the method or methods of communication that the family has chosen for their child.

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Parenting Deaf Children as a Deaf Mother and Sign Language Advocate

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This article is about the importance of getting the proper resources for your deaf or hard of hearing child as well as how important it is for them to have a community of people in their same boat that can help support them.

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In This Family, We Wear Our Deafness as a Badge of Honor

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Here’s how I’m teaching my son to take pride in his identity and community

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This article is about how the parents of deaf children are fighting for their children to be able to be taught in a classroom with other deaf children. This is beneficial for them because it allows them to interact with other deaf people besides their parents or siblings.

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‘They need to be around other deaf children’ | Parents of children who are deaf pushing for change

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Until 2016, CMS had a special program for deaf students in Mecklenburg County where the kids were taught under one roof at Cotswold Elementary School.

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This is a video that showcases the perspective of hearing parents to a deaf child and the struggles that they face through trying to learn and teach sign language.

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American Society for Deaf Children - ASDC

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Deaf Awareness Month: Perspective of Hearing Parents of Deaf Child