What is Hearing Impairment & Deafness?

Hearing impairment is "an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Deafness is a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification” (IDEA, 2020).

There are four types hearing loss:

Sensorineural:
- Caused by issues with the inner ear and auditory nerve.

Conductive:
- Caused by an issue with the outer or middle ear, usually some type of blockage.
Mixed:
- Describes a mixture of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
Central:
- Caused by a disorder of the nervous system and the brain.

Characteristics of Hearing Impariment & Deafness

Reluctance to interact with their peers because of communication issues related to hearing impairment.
There may be a deficit in maturity and social acuity because of reduced social interaction opportunities.

Social

Academic

Difficulty with language acquisition.
Difficulty or inability to receive information through verbal speech, depending on severity level of impairment.
Academic achievement is typically below hearing peers.
Higher academic achievement in mainstream vs. self-contained classrooms.

Cognitive

Physical

Impairment of the outer, middle or inner ear.
May wear hearing aids or have a cochlear implant.

Affective

May become easily frustrated.
May be reluctant to lead in social situations.
Can be embarrassed by the need for hearing aids or other supports.

A difference in cognitive functioning is not associated with hearing impairment.
Intellectual development can be negatively impacted by any difficulties associated with language acquisition.

Levels of Severity

Hearing impairment ranges from mild, moderate, severe, or profound.
The severity level depends upon how well a person can hear the intensities or frequencies associated with speech.
Impairments in hearing can occur in either or both areas, and may exist in only one ear or in both ears.
Deafness describes a hearing loss is greater than 90 decibels (dB).

Strengths

Adaptable
Detail oriented
Very visual
Excels at reading non-verbal cues

Incidence

It is estimated that 12,000 babies are born each year with a hearing impairment.

Educational

Implications

Around 40% of students with a hearing impairment are in a mainstreamed classroom.
Students with hearing impairment may have issues hearing in a noisy setting.
Assistive technologies, like hearing aids and amplification devices, need to be utilized to optimize learning.
Teachers should always face hearing impaired and deaf students while speaking, because lip reading and body language cues augment their spoken language comprehension.

Student Questions

Grades K-4:
- Do you want me to show you my name in sign language?
- What are the rules in class?
- What should I do if I feel bullied?

Grades 5-8:
- Can you face me when you talk?
- What do I do if things are distracting me in the classroom?
- Do you think everyone can see my hearing aids?

Grades 9-12:
- Will all of my teachers have amplification devices in the classroom?
- What should I do if I can’t hear the teacher?
- Can I get written notes for my classes?