Definition
Hearing impairment and deafness has been described by some people as a hidden special educational need because it is not always immediately obvious and yet its effects can lead to misunderstandings and confusion.
There are very few people who are unable to hear any sounds at all; a hearing loss may range from a very slight impairment to profound deafness. It has been estimated that as many as one in four children under the age of seven have, at some time, suffered from a hearing loss of some kind. The loss may affect only one ear, or both ears to different degrees. Whatever the hearing loss, the acquisition of language and the development of communication skills are important if the student is to have access to information and to receive their educational entitlement. This can be done through an oral/aural, total communication or bilingual approach. There are two main types of hearing loss, conductive and sensori-neural.
Conductive
Anything which interferes with the transmission of sound from the outer to the inner ear will result in a conductive loss. The interference may arise from congestion or from some kind of damage. It may be temporary or permanent. For instance, an infection can cause fluid in the middle ear cavity, leading to what is known as "glue ear". In persistent cases of glue ear, grommets are inserted to help drain off the fluid.
The result of a conductive hearing loss is that everything sounds as if the volume has been turned down. A normal speaking voice may sound like a whisper. Hearing aids can be helpful, as the volume of all speech sounds will need to be amplified (although, of course, background noise will be amplified as well).
Sensori-neural
Sensori-neural loss is less common, but more likely to be permanent as it results from damage to the mechanism of the inner ear. Whilst it can result in a hearing loss similar to conductive deafness, it generally results in sounds becoming distorted, because some sounds are heard but not others. For instance, a high frequency loss will affect the person's ability to hear most of the consonants. Speech will sound like a series of vowel sounds; word endings, which indicate plurals and tenses, will be missing. Less common is low frequency loss which will affect the student's ability to hear vowels, important for rhythm and intonation. Hearing aids, while beneficial, will not enable a person to hear the missing sounds so the distortion will still be there. Children with sensori-neural loss find it harder to acquire speech and there will also be a general language delay.
Cochlear implants are relatively new but are being used with more and more children. A prosthesis is worn partly inside the body and partly outside and is used to aid hearing. A lengthy selection process is involved and it is not suitable for all individuals. However some research has shown it can be of benefit to some pupils.
Further information can be found on the following Internet sites:
Information site for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students who have AD(HD) and teaching strategies.
Offers innovative programmes and resources to facilitate "lifelong learning".
Deaf education web site (Council Education of the Deaf). Information, curriculum materials, teacher preparation programmes and instructional strategies.