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Defined by IDEA as: "an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance."

Also includes deafness, which is defined as: "a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification."

(source: http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/hearing-impairments/)

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Conductive Hearing Loss- damage in the external/middle ear that disrupts the passage of sound (can usually be treated medically)

Sensorineural Hearing Loss- damage in the inner ear (cochlea)/auditory nerve that transmits impulses to the brain (more severe, permanent, & usually affects oral language development)

Mixed Hearing Loss- combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss

Central Hearing Disorders- results of a disorder/dysfunction in the central auditory system between the brain stem and the auditory cortex in the brain

(source: http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/hearing-impairments/)

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American Sign Language

used to support instruction

Favorable seating in the class to facilitate speechreading

Minimal distance from teacher

Provide visuals & examples

Write out instructions on the board

handouts/extra supplements

Face the class/student when speaking

Look at the student so he/she can see your mouth & face clearly

Speak slowly & naturally

Use common phrases

Avoid exaggerating pronunciation

(source: https://ttaconline.org/instructional-strategies-students-deaf-hard-of-hearing)

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Being parents of a child with impaired hearing is challenging and requires more patience. You yourself have to learn how to communicate differently so that there is mutual understand among everyone. In our situation, my husband and I need to constantly touch base with one another to make sure that we are aware of the appointments our son has and to ensure we know who would be taking him. Despite all of this, it doesn’t take away the wonderful experiences of being parents!

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How is your child developmentally the same & different from other children at the various ages?

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How is your child developmentally the same & different from other children at the various ages?

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Overall, our son’s development aligns with children who are not impaired. However, there are a few areas of development that are evidently different. He is a little behind his peers in regards to vocabulary, the sentences that he is writing are very simple, and he is having a little trouble speaking due to his inability to pronounce certain words clearly because he cannot hear quiet speech sounds. However, with extra support and assistance, he is slowly catching up with the other students in his class.

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What professionals or agencies do you deal with?What services are available to you & your child?

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What professionals or agencies do you deal with?What services are available to you & your child?

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First, we consulted our son’s pediatrician and she recommended us to a audiologist who suggested different intervention programs that would work best for us. We recently started audiologic rehabilitation and are receiving a variety of different strategies and resources that focus on training us how to accommodate our son’s needs at home as well as how to communicate effectively and clearly. So far it has been great and we are currently reviewing different types of hearing aides to figure out which one would best suit our son.

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As previously mentioned, we first consulted our pediatrician who then redirected us to our current audiologist. Before reaching out to our audiologist, my husband and I did some researching on our own to find out what services were available to us nearby.

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What financial burden, if any, are you experiencing?

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What financial burden, if any, are you experiencing?

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There have definitely been times when my husband and I were worried we would not be able to afford the extra services our child needs. This has brought us extreme amounts of emotional, mental, and financial stress. Over time, it has been increasingly costly to bring our son to rehab on a consistent basis, to purchase necessary resources, and to pay for audiologist visits. However, through the support of our family and close friends, we have been able to provide our son with all that he needs.

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Parenting a child with hearing impairments is challenging, therefore it is important to seek help for the benefit of both the parents and the child. Approach each day with a positive attitude, taking in each need one at a time. There are plenty of resources available, so consult your audiologist and other professionals frequently to receive the help you need. Remember, you are NEVER alone!

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For teachers..

http://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/students-with-hearing-impairments/

This website provides teachers with the appropriate tools, resources, and recommended uses for technology in the classroom that foster success for students with different abilities

http://www.betterhearing.org/hearing-loss-children/hearing-loss-classroom

This website provides accommodations and modifications for teachers to use in the classroom that benefit students with impaired hearing

For parents..

http://www.hearingloss.org/content/parents-children-hearing-loss

This website provides parents with information that will help them better understand their child with hearing impairments and a variety of resources that they can look through to decipher which option will best suit their child

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/parentsguide/index.html

This website acts as a guide for parents to navigate through research, different services, and support groups that are available to them