Hearing+Disabilities

Hearing Impaired Students By: Kelsey Keniston

In the article “Improving the Experience of Deaf Students in Higher Education” by Helen Noble, she explains the many difficulties deaf students face in the higher education classroom. Although this article was directed towards higher education professors and staff, I believe it should hold the same significance for every individual in the education field. Students who have hearing impairments often have very distinct difficulties in the classroom. As educators who are providing equal education to all our students, we must be aware of these difficulties and modifying content so that students with hearing disabilities can succeed in the classroom.

Noble’s article focuses on analyzing the difficulties of deaf students and creating the “potential support they require” (Noble 851), so that their learning experiences can be improved. Students with hearing impairments often struggle in the integrated classroom, both socially and academically. Right when a hearing impaired student enters the classroom there is a stigma attached to them, whether it is attached by a teacher, their classmates, or the deaf student themselves. The article states that “some students are uncomfortable being identified as deaf…while others accept it” (Noble 852). Deaf students often struggle to merge their identity as a person, to that as a learner with a disability. These students feel as if they have to “work harder than their peers to achieve similar goals” (Noble 852). Evidence suggests that hearing impaired students lag behind their peers with better hearing (Noble 852), creating a divide between students with deafness and the rest of their learning community. Often hearing impaired students will try not to disclose the fact that they struggle with deafness, simply so that they don’t become labeled in the classroom (Noble 852). As the main director of the classroom, it is a teacher’s responsibility to make the necessary modifications for deaf students, this includes making students feel comfortable in your classroom, and as a staff making them feel comfortable in your school.

The academic challenges of the hearing impaired student are immense. Not only do they struggle to work with their peers, but they simply struggle to receive the information enough to comprehend it. There are many things to consider when teaching a hearing impaired student. For instance, many deaf students can lip read, so as a teacher facing them, and using clear verbal motions is essential. Also, big rooms can sometimes create vibrations that will affect a speaker’s voice, making it harder for a deaf student to understand what is being said (Noble 853), which might mean moving to a smaller space to teach the student. Even light can create difficulties, if a bright light is on speaker it might deter the hearing impaired student from seeing clearly what is being said. Hearing aids can also complicate things, “the rustling of papers and pages being turned are often the first thing a hearing aid will pick up” (Noble 853). These are only a few instances that provide insight into the struggle of a hearing impaired student, as teachers, getting to know our students and the main challenges of their disability is the first step, being aware of our resources is another.

Understanding the resources of the hearing impaired student is crucial in being an effective teacher for them. Educating yourself on the tools available to you and your student can make the learning experience much clearer and enjoyable for both of you. Some resources include: speech and text reporters who input speech into a computer, electronic and manual note takers that summarize the main points of a lecture, and tutors who can teach lip reading and lip speaking (Noble 852). These are all resources, which if needed, must be provided for hearing impaired students and the teachers who work with them due to The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995. Understanding this act and others that may affect hearing impaired students in the classroom can give teachers and students the resources they need to succeed.

By using the resources that are available and understanding the struggles a hearing impaired student often faces in the classroom, a teacher can successfully employ diagnostic and assessment strategies. Usually, the main element stopping a student struggling with deafness from understanding and comprehending information is their hearing. Therefore assessment strategies must show what they understand and must do so in a way that is clear for them to complete. If the assessment itself doesn’t take into account a student’s hearing disability, then it could fail to represent their tangible knowledge concerning content. For instance, cold calling students or quizzing them out loud, might not be the best choice in testing this type of student, but giving them assessments on paper or writing the quiz questions on the board would. If students have trouble reading your lips or don’t have access to support service staff who can sign for them out-loud assessment isn’t a form of testing that should be used. Assessment might also have to occur in a quiet place for those who wear a hearing aid. If the rustling of papers and turning of pages possibly distraction to these students they should be eliminated, possibly by putting them in a separate room to take part in the assessment. Some hearing impaired students may struggle to work with others or struggle to understand what is going on in a group setting, due to the many voices that are being used, so group assessment activities might need to be modified or simply limited in this context. Perhaps a hearing impaired student has worked particularly well with another student and instead of using larger groups in assessment you use pairs or just have the student work with a signer and one other classmate. These are just some assessment strategies, however they all employ an understanding of particular students’ needs.

A good education is something that everyone should receive, whether a special needs, gifted, or average student. Being attentive of individual students and the complexities of their disability will allow teachers to be intentional in creating learning activities and assessments that will truly display their talents and skill. Using the resources available to students who struggle with deafness and being knowledgeable in the needs of their disability will make their educational experience all the more enriching.

Noble, H. (2010, July 8). //Improving the experience of deaf students in higher education//. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from EBSCOhost database.