Melanie Dominko-Richards Blog Questions- Deaf and Hard of Hearing November 5, 2006
1) How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws? Definition of Deafness; Federal Government- Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Definition of Deafness; NJ- The auditory impairment is so severe that the student is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification and the student's educational performance is adversely affected. Definition of Hard of Hearing; Federal Government- Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness. Definition of Hard of Hearing; NJ- An impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating which adversely affects the student's educational performance. 2) What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability? (This would include cognitive, social, emotional, physical, as well as levels of functioning.) Developmental characteristics of deafness and hard of hearing is hard to generalize because of the range of residual hearing, their learning styles and their abilities. It is thought that thirty to forty percent of those who are deaf or hard of hearing have other disabilities as well, but students whose deafness is inherited do no have multiple disabilities. In America, there is the Deaf community who use American Sign Language are their primary means of communication. These members share the determination to lead a normal life and the positive outlook that they have on life. For Students who are deaf, many do not develop language (oral or manual) at the time when they should which could be detrimental to their development of cognitive and social skills. Many parents fear that if their child learns ASL first, then they will be excluded from society and lose interest in their natural family. A majority of deaf students have problems with their academic achievement, especially with their reading. However, with earlier identification, their academic achievement improves greatly, as well as new approaches and validated practices. As intelligibility goes down, so does the ratings of cognitive competence and personality. It becomes hard for the teacher to distinguish between harsh behavior and a deaf student who is having difficulty learning how to speak and communicate with those around them. Students who are hard of hearing also struggle academically. It takes more effort for them to listen to what the teacher is saying, take notes, and process it all. The little things that teachers can do, like use more visuals, speak louder, keep the classroom quiet, and place the student closer to the teacher makes a big difference in their learning. For example, in a noisy classroom a loss of 16db, which is just within the range of normal hearing,” causes the student to miss up to 10% of what the teacher is saying. 3) If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability? This would include academic support as well as social support. Having special services for a child with hearing loss would greatly help to support the student. These services include audiologists, speech-language pathologists, teachers for the deaf, and if need OTs and PTs. As a teacher, I would like to know more about the hearing loss and the profoundness of it. To make the classroom more supportive, I could get rid a lot of the background noise in the classroom by placing a rug in my room, making sure all electrical appliances work so they do not make buzzing noises, place curtains of blinds on the windows, and place the student away from the appliances that make noise. When teaching, I would need to place the student who is deaf so that they could see everybody, reduce classroom noise when it arises, use a lot of visuals, define key vocabulary in my lectures, and use elaboration. Not only for students who are deaf, but for all students I should speak slow if the students appear to be confused, keep my hands away from my face, and try to keep figurative language to a minimum. 4) What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child? (This would include websites, agencies, people within the school; a two to three line description is required for each resource.) The speech-language pathologist in the school would be one person to go to. This person would be able to help with understanding the way speech works and what can be done for this student to help them use speech more often so that they might be able to talk. The audiologist would be able to help with understanding the extent of the hearing loss and possibly, what I could do as a teacher to make things easier for the student to hear and what the student themselves can do in order to hear better. If I wanted more help in understanding the disability, I could go to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse so that I would have a greater understanding of what the student themselves goes through and possibly have more suggestions about what I can do to help them. I would also possibly be able to talk to the student and other deaf students and their parents/families to see what their previous teachers have done, the good and the bad things, so that I would one be creating a relationship with both student and family and I would also be making their education specific to them. Smith, D. D. (2007). Introduction to special education: Making a difference. Massachusetts: Pearson Education. 3 November 2007.http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=91587.
Lisa Didow November 20, 2007 Response to Melanie’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Blog
Question 1- According to Federal Regulations: Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Hearing Impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section. State Rule defines “Deaf and Hard of Hearing” as a diminished sensitivity to sound, or hearing loss, that is expressed in terms of standard audio logical measures. Hearing loss has the potential to affect educational, communicative, or social functioning that may result in the need for special education instruction and related services. Question 2- Characteristics of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing-
Hard of hearing people generally have the following characteristics:
- Have some degree of audio logical hearing loss, from mild to profound. - Can benefit to some extent from the use of hearing aids and assistive listening devices (ALDs) - Rely primarily on spoken or written English for communication with others - Generally know no or very little sign language - Function in the hearing world in all aspects of their lives (friends, relatives, employment) - Are uninvolved in the Culturally Deaf community. - May or may not have taken steps to deal with their hearing loss (audio logical assessment, use of hearing aids, etc.)
Late deafened people are generally characterized in the following manner:
- Have a severe to profound hearing loss, as audio logically defined - Usually derive minimal benefit from hearing aids and Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) - Generally depend on a visual representation of English for communications. This includes written English, speech reading, or some form of sign language learned as a second language. - Function in the hearing world with regard to friends, family, and employment. - Generally do not have strong associations with the Culturally Deaf community - Have generally taken steps to deal with their hearing loss (e.g. audio logical testing, hearing aids, etc.) Some of the characteristics generally associated with Oral Deaf people include: - Have a severe to profound hearing loss, as audio logically defined - Generally depend on a visual representation of English for communications. This includes written English, speech reading, or some form of sign language learned as a second language. - Function in the hearing world with regard to friends, family, and employment. - Generally do not have strong associations with the Culturally Deaf community - Have generally taken steps to deal with their hearing loss (e.g. audio logical testing, hearing aids, etc.)
Culturally Deaf people generally possess the following characteristics:
- Have a severe to profound hearing loss, as audio logically defined - Generally depend on American Sign Language as their primary means of communication - Generally function primarily in the Deaf world, with regard to friends and social occasions. - Generally do not consider their deafness to be a handicap or an impairment, but a cultural difference.
Question 3-
The following strategies can be used by teachers with deaf or hard of hearing students in their classrooms: • Use a circular seating arrangement. This offers deaf or hard of hearing students the best advantage for seeing all class participants. • When desks are arranged in rows, keep front seats open for students who are deaf or hard of hearing and their interpreters. • Repeat the comments and questions of other students, especially those from the back rows; acknowledge who has made the comment so the deaf or hard of hearing student can focus on the speaker. • When appropriate, ask for a hearing volunteer to team up with a deaf or hard of hearing student for in-class assignments. • Assist the student with finding an effective note taker or lab assistant from the class • If possible, provide transcripts of audio information. • Face the class while speaking; if an interpreter is present, make sure the student can see both you and the interpreter • If there is an interruption in the class, get the deaf or hard of hearing student's attention before resuming teaching. • Use visuals frequently. Because visual information is a deaf student's primary means of receiving information, films, overheads, diagrams, and other visual aids are useful instructional tools. Question 4- Not only can the teacher contact a speech and language pathologist and an audiologist, but they can use the support of these two major organizations and websites for help. Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Webpage- http://www.cec.sped.org This council offers Special Education teachers and professionals with tools and resources to help them aide their Special Education students. The website offers articles and news covering different disabilities such as Deafness or Hard of Hearing. BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who are Deaf of Hard of Hearing Webpage- http://www.beginningssvcs.com This website is run by a non-profit agency providing an objective approach to meeting the diverse needs of families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and professionals who serve them. This website serves families and special education teachers with information on assistive technologies, early intervention, school issues, legislation and communication options for the disabled students.
2 comments:
Melanie Dominko-Richards
Blog Questions- Deaf and Hard of Hearing
November 5, 2006
1) How is your disability defined by the federal and state laws?
Definition of Deafness; Federal Government- Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
Definition of Deafness; NJ- The auditory impairment is so severe that the student is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification and the student's educational performance is adversely affected.
Definition of Hard of Hearing; Federal Government- Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness.
Definition of Hard of Hearing; NJ- An impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating which adversely affects the student's educational performance.
2) What are the developmental characteristics of persons with this disability? (This would include cognitive, social, emotional, physical, as well as levels of functioning.)
Developmental characteristics of deafness and hard of hearing is hard to generalize because of the range of residual hearing, their learning styles and their abilities. It is thought that thirty to forty percent of those who are deaf or hard of hearing have other disabilities as well, but students whose deafness is inherited do no have multiple disabilities.
In America, there is the Deaf community who use American Sign Language are their primary means of communication. These members share the determination to lead a normal life and the positive outlook that they have on life.
For Students who are deaf, many do not develop language (oral or manual) at the time when they should which could be detrimental to their development of cognitive and social skills. Many parents fear that if their child learns ASL first, then they will be excluded from society and lose interest in their natural family. A majority of deaf students have problems with their academic achievement, especially with their reading. However, with earlier identification, their academic achievement improves greatly, as well as new approaches and validated practices.
As intelligibility goes down, so does the ratings of cognitive competence and personality. It becomes hard for the teacher to distinguish between harsh behavior and a deaf student who is having difficulty learning how to speak and communicate with those around them.
Students who are hard of hearing also struggle academically. It takes more effort for them to listen to what the teacher is saying, take notes, and process it all. The little things that teachers can do, like use more visuals, speak louder, keep the classroom quiet, and place the student closer to the teacher makes a big difference in their learning. For example, in a noisy classroom a loss of 16db, which is just within the range of normal hearing,” causes the student to miss up to 10% of what the teacher is saying.
3) If you were a teacher in a general education classroom, what information and strategies would help you best support a child with this disability? This would include academic support as well as social support.
Having special services for a child with hearing loss would greatly help to support the student. These services include audiologists, speech-language pathologists, teachers for the deaf, and if need OTs and PTs. As a teacher, I would like to know more about the hearing loss and the profoundness of it. To make the classroom more supportive, I could get rid a lot of the background noise in the classroom by placing a rug in my room, making sure all electrical appliances work so they do not make buzzing noises, place curtains of blinds on the windows, and place the student away from the appliances that make noise. When teaching, I would need to place the student who is deaf so that they could see everybody, reduce classroom noise when it arises, use a lot of visuals, define key vocabulary in my lectures, and use elaboration. Not only for students who are deaf, but for all students I should speak slow if the students appear to be confused, keep my hands away from my face, and try to keep figurative language to a minimum.
4) What resources would help you as a teacher to serve this child? (This would include websites, agencies, people within the school; a two to three line description is required for each resource.)
The speech-language pathologist in the school would be one person to go to. This person would be able to help with understanding the way speech works and what can be done for this student to help them use speech more often so that they might be able to talk. The audiologist would be able to help with understanding the extent of the hearing loss and possibly, what I could do as a teacher to make things easier for the student to hear and what the student themselves can do in order to hear better. If I wanted more help in understanding the disability, I could go to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse so that I would have a greater understanding of what the student themselves goes through and possibly have more suggestions about what I can do to help them. I would also possibly be able to talk to the student and other deaf students and their parents/families to see what their previous teachers have done, the good and the bad things, so that I would one be creating a relationship with both student and family and I would also be making their education specific to them.
Smith, D. D. (2007). Introduction to special education: Making a difference.
Massachusetts: Pearson Education.
3 November 2007.http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=91587.
Lisa Didow
November 20, 2007
Response to Melanie’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Blog
Question 1-
According to Federal Regulations:
Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Hearing Impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section.
State Rule defines “Deaf and Hard of Hearing” as a diminished sensitivity to sound, or hearing loss, that is expressed in terms of standard audio logical measures. Hearing loss has the potential to affect educational, communicative, or social functioning that may result in the need for special education instruction and related services.
Question 2-
Characteristics of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing-
Hard of hearing people generally have the following characteristics:
- Have some degree of audio logical hearing loss, from mild to profound.
- Can benefit to some extent from the use of hearing aids and assistive listening devices (ALDs)
- Rely primarily on spoken or written English for communication with others
- Generally know no or very little sign language
- Function in the hearing world in all aspects of their lives (friends, relatives, employment)
- Are uninvolved in the Culturally Deaf community.
- May or may not have taken steps to deal with their hearing loss (audio logical assessment, use of hearing aids, etc.)
Late deafened people are generally characterized in the following manner:
- Have a severe to profound hearing loss, as audio logically defined
- Usually derive minimal benefit from hearing aids and Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)
- Generally depend on a visual representation of English for communications. This includes written English, speech reading, or some form of sign language learned as a second language.
- Function in the hearing world with regard to friends, family, and employment.
- Generally do not have strong associations with the Culturally Deaf community
- Have generally taken steps to deal with their hearing loss (e.g. audio logical testing, hearing aids, etc.)
Some of the characteristics generally associated with Oral Deaf people include:
- Have a severe to profound hearing loss, as audio logically defined
- Generally depend on a visual representation of English for communications. This includes written English, speech reading, or some form of sign language learned as a second language.
- Function in the hearing world with regard to friends, family, and employment.
- Generally do not have strong associations with the Culturally Deaf community
- Have generally taken steps to deal with their hearing loss (e.g. audio logical testing, hearing aids, etc.)
Culturally Deaf people generally possess the following characteristics:
- Have a severe to profound hearing loss, as audio logically defined
- Generally depend on American Sign Language as their primary means of communication
- Generally function primarily in the Deaf world, with regard to friends and social occasions.
- Generally do not consider their deafness to be a handicap or an impairment, but a cultural difference.
Question 3-
The following strategies can be used by teachers with deaf or hard of hearing students in their classrooms:
• Use a circular seating arrangement. This offers deaf or hard of hearing students the best advantage for seeing all class participants.
• When desks are arranged in rows, keep front seats open for students who are deaf or hard of hearing and their interpreters.
• Repeat the comments and questions of other students, especially those from the back rows; acknowledge who has made the comment so the deaf or hard of hearing student can focus on the speaker.
• When appropriate, ask for a hearing volunteer to team up with a deaf or hard of hearing student for in-class assignments.
• Assist the student with finding an effective note taker or lab assistant from the class
• If possible, provide transcripts of audio information.
• Face the class while speaking; if an interpreter is present, make sure the student can see both you and the interpreter
• If there is an interruption in the class, get the deaf or hard of hearing student's attention before resuming teaching.
• Use visuals frequently. Because visual information is a deaf student's primary means of receiving information, films, overheads, diagrams, and other visual aids are useful instructional tools.
Question 4-
Not only can the teacher contact a speech and language pathologist and an audiologist, but they can use the support of these two major organizations and websites for help.
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Webpage- http://www.cec.sped.org
This council offers Special Education teachers and professionals with tools and resources to help them aide their Special Education students. The website offers articles and news covering different disabilities such as Deafness or Hard of Hearing.
BEGINNINGS For Parents of Children Who are Deaf of Hard of Hearing Webpage- http://www.beginningssvcs.com
This website is run by a non-profit agency providing an objective approach to meeting the diverse needs of families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and professionals who serve them. This website serves families and special education teachers with information on assistive technologies, early intervention, school issues, legislation and communication options for the disabled students.
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