Disability Snapshot Fact Sheet

TREATMENT
Treatment for hearing impairment and deafness is

dependent upon several factors, including the age of the child
and the degree and type of hearing loss. Individuals with
hearing loss may be helped by the use of the following:

Hearing Aids amplify sounds and can be worn by people of

any age.Younger children are usually fitted with behind-theear style hearing aids because they are better suited to
growing ears.

Cochlear Implants may help many children with severe to
profound hearing loss. Unlike a hearing aid, cochlear
implants do not make sounds louder. A cochlear implant
sends sound signals directly to the auditory nerve. The
internal component is placed inside the ear during surgery,
and the external components are worn outside the ear
after surgery. The parts outside the ear send a coded
electrical currents to the parts inside the ear, creating
sensations which the brain, with considerable listening
training, can learn to interpret as sound.

Frequency Modulation (FM) System is a kind of device
that helps people with hearing loss hear in background
noise. FM systems send sound from a microphone used by a
speaker to the person wearing the receiver. This system is
sometimes used by a teacher and student in a classroom.

Depending on the degree of impairment, it may also be

necessary for a family to seek professional assistance in
learning sign language or alternative forms of
communication. American Sign Language (ASL) may be
used in combination with lip reading, natural gestures, and
other forms of finger-spelling/sign language to help
children diagnosed with hearing loss or impairment
acquire language.

DEAFNESS & HEARING

IMPAIRMENT DEFINED
According to IDEA & the U.S. Department of Education, deafness
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 that adversely affects a child's
educational performance. The same source defines hearing
impairment as 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.

Hearing loss can further be defined by various clinical
classifications.

Bilateral Hearing Loss: hearing loss in BOTH ears.

Unilateral Hearing Loss: hearing loss in ONE ear.

Conductive Hearing Loss: when the outer and middle ears do
not transfer enough acoustic energy to the inner ear fluids.
Blockage of the ear canal by congenital malformation,
abnormalities of the middle ear structures, or otitis media
(infection of the middle ear) are some of the causes of
conductive hearing loss.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss: caused by damage to the cochlea
(inner ear) or the auditory nerve. This type of hearing loss is
usually permanent.

Mixed Hearing Loss: when conductive hearing loss occurs in
combination with sensorineural hearing loss.

Hearing loss is further classified as

DISABILITY SNAPSHOT
DEAFNESS & HEARING

IMPAIRMENT
MILD: 26-20 dB HL

MODERATE: 41-55 dB HL

MODERATELY SEVERE - SEVERE: 56-90 dB HL

PROFOUND: +91 dB HL
PRESENTED BY:

Miriam Galvez

Jennifer Quinly

Carline Waltman
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

Prof. Jacqueline Gomez

EDES 6001
DIAGNOSING A
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
CURRENT TRENDS
Hearing loss impacts a childs language and

speech development, as well as their social
development, so the earlier that hearing
impairment is detected and diagnosed, the
better. Currently, each state has an Early
Detection and Intervention (EDI) program
that is supported by the Center for
Disease Control (CDC).

Earlier Screening and Intervention:

Legally mandated neonatal hearing-screening programs are changing
the average age of hearing loss diagnosis from three years to three
months. Research has shown that when appropriate hearing aids and
early intervention are in place by six months of age, a child is likely
to have age-normal language and learning milestones at kindergarten
entry.

Dual Language Instruction:

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) supports dual language
instruction - in American Sign Language (ASL) and English with
deaf infants, children, and youth in educational settings. The use of
both ASL and English can encourage language acquisition. Since ASL
uses a childs vision, a deaf or hard of hearing child in an
environment where ASL is used consistently can acquire language
easily. (NAD, 2013)
!
Cochlear Implants for the Very Young:
Cochlear implants are being made available to
increasingly younger children. Research suggests that
children with cochlear implants surpass children with
similar degrees of hearing loss who use hearing aids
in the areas of speech recognition, speech production,
language content and form, and reading.

EDUCATIONAL BEST PRACTICES

Deaf and hard of hearing students in elementary and
secondary school programs should be provided instruction in the
districts adopted core curriculum. In addition, instruction should be
provided in specialized curriculum areas, including but not limited to:
deaf studies, use of assistive technology, American Sign Language (ASL),
telecommunication devices for the deaf, telecommunication skills, speech
and speech reading, auditory training, social skills, independent living
skills, career education, and vocational education. During the IEP
meeting, curriculum adaptations and specialized instructional strategies,
materials, media, equipment, and technology should be identified to
ensure access to the core curriculum.

There are several practices that can be employed in a
classroom setting that will encourage the social, emotional, and
intellectual development of a child with hearing loss:

Provide preferential seating to ensure that the student can see you, the
interpreter, and visuals clearly.

Face the student directly and use gestures when you speak. Use visual
demonstrations when teaching.

Minimize environmental and background noise by using carpets and

curtains to absorb noise. Keep doors that lead to noisy hallways or
playgrounds closed.

Use visual cues and clues to aid in understanding. Graphic organizers,
lists, posted schedules, photos, picture books, and experiential learning
opportunities will make lessons meaningful for the hard of hearing.

Promote collaboration through the use of peer notetakers and tutors.
Inform interpreters about class topics before the lesson.

Employ frequent progress monitoring and ask the student to repeat or
rephrase directions. If you find a gap in understanding, reteach as
needed or provide written instructions.

Provide the appropriate assistive technology, like closed captioning or
computers, when available.

Ask yourself, How can I make this lesson more accessible to my
hearing impaired students?

AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE (ABR)
During an ABR test, electrodes are placed on the

childs head and brain wave activity is recorded in
response to sound.

OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS (OAE)
OAEs are sounds given off by the inner ear when it is

stimulated by sounds. This stimulation causes hair
cells in the outer ear to vibrate. An OAE test uses a
small and non-invasive probe in the ear canal to
measure and evaluate these nearly inaudible
vibrations. If a patient has hearing loss greater than
2530 decibels (dB), the very small sound vibrations
are not produced.

BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION AUDIOMETRY (BOA)
A BOA evaluation is based on a childs responses to

sounds in a controlled environment. For the very
young (0-5 months), a response to sound may include
eye widening or startles. In older children (5 years and
older), the response may be a raised hand or a verbal
indication that a sound has been recognized.

MONITORING FOR WARNING SIGNS
Parents and teachers suspecting hearing impairment

should look for the following signs: inattention, failure
to follow oral directions, limited speech or vocabulary,
difficulties with verbal tasks, unusual voice quality, and/
or persistent colds.

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TREATMENT

Treatment for hearing impairment and deafness is

Hearing Aids amplify sounds and can be worn by people of

Depending on the degree of impairment, it may also be

DEAFNESS & HEARING

DEAFNESS & HEARING

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

Hearing loss impacts a childs language and

Earlier Screening and Intervention:

Dual Language Instruction:

EDUCATIONAL BEST PRACTICES

Minimize environmental and background noise by using carpets and

AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE (ABR)

During an ABR test, electrodes are placed on the

OAEs are sounds given off by the inner ear when it is

A BOA evaluation is based on a childs responses to

Parents and teachers suspecting hearing impairment

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