 Hearing Impairment is full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or

understand sounds.

 That adversely affects the educational performance.

 This may be created due to improper development, damage ,or disease

to any parts of the ear.

 This Impairment may be permanent or fluctuate.

 Hearing Impairment is a generic

 Based on the ability to hear sound, hearing Impairment divided into two:

A .hard of hearing

B. Deaf

A. Hard of hearing

 Hard of hearing refers to people who still have some useful

Hearing and understand spoken language in normal conversation with loud

speech or with hearing aids.

 It hears auditory acuity of (26-70 dB

 Hard of hearing person requires different services such as

Auditory training, hearing aids, psycho-social supports, speech, Therapy lip

reading.

B. Deaf

 A person who cannot hear or little hearing spoken language

in normal conversation with or without hearing aids.

 Sign language uses as a first language

 Hearing above 71 dB.

 2. Classification of hearing Impairment
Hearing Impairment created by different cause or problem in the auditory
pathway. Certain terms associate with different types of hearing Impairment
may be maintained children individual educational plans. By understanding this
terms the different types of hearing Impairment will be helpful for planning
instructional strategy. Three factors are considered in the classification of
hearing Impairment, degree, age of onsets, and nature of Impairment.

2.1. Degree of hearing Impairment

 Before we describe the degree of hearing Impairment .It is useful to
know decibel and Hertz.

 Decibel: - Is the unit of loudness or intensity of sounds.

 Hertz: - is the unit of frequency or pitch.

 Degree of hearing impairment refers to how much hearing

Impairment is present. There are six categories of hearing
Impairment by degree

1. Normal hearing (0-15dB)

2. Slight hearing Impairment (15-25dB)

 May have trouble quiet or distance speech.

 It misses up to 10 % of speech signal in noise classroom.

 May miss portion of fast-paced peer interaction

 Child may be more fatigue the classmates due to listening effect needed

3. Mild hearing Impairment (26-40dB)

 Understanding speech difficult when more than one person speech

 They can usually hear wall if they are listening to single person speaking
in quite situation

 At 30 dB Can miss 25-40% of speech signal

 The degree of difficulty experienced in school will depend the noise level
in the classroom and distance from the teachers.

 Without amplification the child with 35-40dB hearing Impairment may

miss 50%of discussion.

4. Moderate hearing Impairment (41-55dB)

 Understanding conversation speech at a distance of 3.5 feet’s (face-to-

face)

 Without amplification the amount of speech signal miss can be 50%-

75%.

 It needs to have parts of conversation repeatedly.

 Is likely to have delayed or defective syntax.

 Limited vocabulary, imperfect speech production and tonal voice

quality.

 Socialization of peers with normal hearing become increasingly difficult

5. Moderate-severe (56-70dB)

 Without amplification, conversation must be very loud to be understand.

 The child may miss 100% of speech in conversation.

 Delay language, syntax, reduction of speech intelligent and voice quality.

6. Severe hearing Impairment (71_90dB)

 A child with severe hearing Impairment hear speaking one foot away
from his or her ear if the person speaking loud voice
  They may be able to identify noise in their environment such as traffic
outside. But often to appear to be ignoring conversation from the
person around them.

 Child may prefer other children with hearing Impairment as friends and
playmates.

7. Profound hearing Impairment (above 90dB)

 Children with profound hearing Impairment will not any speech.

 They may detect loud sound.

 They aware the vibration or movement around them.

 The degree of lose may rely on visions rather than hearing.

 Person with profound hearing Impairment may benefit from cochlea

implant.

2.2. Age onset of hearing impairment

1. Congenital hearing impairment

 Hearing impairment occurred prior to the birth of the baby. This lose
could be due to genetic factors or could have happened due to
complication arising during pregnancy of mother or a time of birth.

2. Acquired hearing Impairment

 Hearing impairment occurred any time after the birth of the baby.

 This could be due to infection or injury.

3. Pre-lingual

 It suggests that hearing impairment has occurred prior to the

completion of basic language acquisition process.

 The language acquisition age is 0-5 years.

 The reason, implication, characteristics and management is the same to

congenital hearing impairment.
  Easily communicate with other by sign language.

4. Post-lingual hearing Impairment

 It suggests that hearing Impairment has occurred after the completion of

basic language acquisition process.

 Any hearing loss after 5 years.

 The reason, implication, characteristics and management are the same

to acquired hearing impairment.

 The social interaction of post-lingual hearing impairment student is more

affected than pre-lingual hearing. But their language development is
more effective.

2.3 Nature of hearing Impairment

1. Sudden hearing Impairment

 The person hearing was suddenly stop.

 Shock, fails of severe nature, accident or ware affected area having loud
expositors.

2. Gradual hearing Impairment

 The person who has normal hearing, but slowly losing.

 Children with prolonged infection or constant exposure to noise.

3. Types of hearing impairment

Hearing impairment is categorized into different types depending on where or
what parts of the auditory system damage. Therefore, in order to understand
the types of hearing impairment we need understand the parts of auditory
system or the structure and function of ear.

3.1. Structure and of the functions of ear

The ear consists of three parts these are:

1. Outer ear: includes Pinna and Ear canal

 2. Middle ear: Eardrum and Ossicle

3. Inner ear: Cochlea and Vestibular

1. The outer ear

1.1. Pinna: made up of cartilage covered by normal skin. The cartilage must be
bent.

 Pinna picks up sound vibration and directs them into the ear canal.

 Hard of hearing students sometimes put their hand behind the pinna
to pick up sound.

1.2. Ear canal

 Ear canal is an open tube with skin lining.

 At the entrance there is hair to try and stop things getting into the
ear canal. The hairs are glands that produced wax that spread to
cover skin in the ear canal and help to keep healthy. The ear canal
normally clean itself and clear the waxes out by itself.

 If the ear canal is blocked, the sound vibration cannot reach eardrum.

 The common cause of ear canal blockage of ear wax.

 Some people produce more wax than normal and some ears don't
clear wax out properly.

 May people try to get wax out of their ear by poking things into the
ear canal, this can damage and cause infection because there is small
bend in the ear canal and in the deep parts of the skin is thin and
sensitive to pain.

2. Middle ear
2.1. Eardrum: - Is a thin membrane that separates the outer ear from middle
ear. Middle ear has space that is filled with air. The air goes middle ear through
Eustachian tube.
  There are three tiny bones in the middle ear is called ossicles, it
includes: malleus, incus, stapes

 The malleus is connected to incus and incus connected to stapes.

 The middle ear has lining that usually secretes a tiny amount of
mucus; this mucus is drained away through the Eustachian tube. If
the lining produces too much mucus this blocked up Eustachian tube
and air cannot get in the middle ear and the mucus cannot drain
property. The middle ear space will fill up with mucus and the
eardrum and ossicles will not be able to vibrate property to transmit
sounds.

3. Inner ear
 The inner ear has two parts: -

A. Cochlea deals with sound vibration and is responsible to hearing.

B. Vestibular system is responsible to balance.

 Cochlea is filled with fluids and contains a delicate membrane lined

with tiny hairs cell. The hair cell is all connected to the hearing nerve.

 The vibration of the ossicles makes the fluids vibrate, the vibrate pick
up by hairs cell. The hair cell changes sound vibration into tiny nerve
signal and the tiny nerve signal travel to brain and the brain interpret
as sound we hear.

There are three TYPES OF hearing impairment that occurred depending on

what parts of the ear is not working properly.

1. Conductive hearing impairment

 Occurred when sound is not sent easily through the outer ear canal to
the eardrum and tiny bones (ossicles) of the middle ear.

 Conductive hearing impairment make sound softer and less easy to hear.

 Conductive hearing impairment usually affected all frequency of hearing.

  A person who has conductive hearing impairment usually able to use
hearing aids or can be helped by medical or surgically.

2. Sensor neural hearing impairment

 Happened when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or the

nerve pathway from the inner ear to the brain.

 This is most common types of permanent hearing impairment.

 Sensor neural hearing impairment cannot be medically or surgically

correct.

 Sensor neural hearing impairment not only a reduction in the sound

level or ability to hearing faint sounds, but affect speech
understanding or hearing clearly.

3. Mixed hearing impairment

 Occurred when conductive hearing impairment happened at the

same time to sensor neural hearing impairment.

 In other words, they may be damage outer, middle and inner ear
or auditory nerve.

4. The cause of hearing impairment

There are several causes of hearing impairments. The following are the cause
of hearing impairment:

 Generics

 Eardrum perforation (when there is a hole in the eardrum from a bad

ear infection or ear trauma).

 Narrowing in the ear canal due to the ear disease.

 Excessive ear wax that plugs the ear canal.

 Infection like: - rubella, syphilis toxoplasmosis.

 Meningitis
  Measles

 Mumps

 Drugs: - antibiotics such as streptomycin and gentamicin.

- Anti malarial such as quinine and chloroquine.

 Noise such as working with noise machinery and loud music.

 Accident like head injury or injury to the ear canal.

 Old age

 Malformation of outer ear and inner ear.

 Prematurity birth..

5. Developmental characteristics of person with hearing

impairment
5.1. Social development

Communication barrier affect s the students social and emotional

development. The social development and language acquisition are
intertwined. Delay language acquisition experienced by most deaf children
leads to limited opportunity for social interaction. In addition to this the self-
concept of students with hearing impairment affect social interaction. Some
students believe that they are inadequate and inferior to the others; the other
students see them self-successful and socially interact. In the other hand the
following are affect the social development:-

 parents_ child interaction

 peers and teachers

 awareness of social cues

 Increase the concept of isolation and loneliness.

5.2. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The first 5 years are critical for the development of auditory and language
development.

There are developmental stages that children follow. Hearing impairment can
affect how communication develops in many ways. This includes

 Age at identification of hearing Impairment

 Family involvement and support

 Types and degree of hearing impairment

 Age of amplification

 Types of treatment

 Cognitive and motor skills

 Other medical condition.

If the children identifies early and give intervention, their language is

developing like hearing students.

5.3. Academic achievement

 Because of educational curricula are so language based, communication

and learning are strong linked.

 There is rising number of students with hearing lose with diverse

background.

6. Prevention of hearing impairment

Factors, some which occurred prior to birth and some which cause later.
Hearing impairment cause by several may even be hereditary but in several
cause, hearing impairment can be prevented. Some of the following are listed,
to prevent hearing impairment.
1. Do not use Sharp object to clean your ear

 Using pen, pencil, needles and other pointed object to clean your ear
canal even the eardrum. This would lead to hearing impairment. Wax
generally comes out of the ear naturally, if there is any impact hard
wax or excessive wax secretions get your doctor.

2. Do not insert any object in to ear canal

 Children may insert seeds, grains, pebbles and soil etc. into the ear canal
during playing. In cause of adults insects are the most common found
foreign bodes. At that time get help from doctor immediately. Foreign
body may block the eardrum and it cause mild to moderate hearing
impairment. At that time don't poor water in to the ear as it may cause
infection.

3. Don't neglect earaches or ear discharge

 Ear infection, if not treated can cause hearing impairment. Consult your
doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:-

 ear pain
 Fluids in the ear
 stching sensation
 Ringing in the ear.

4. Wear a helmet

 It helps to avoid injury to your head and ear. Road traffic accident may
damage hearing and injury in the head may also cause hearing
impairment. Wearing a helmet to protect your road traffic accidents.

5. Avoid noise

 Be aware of source of noise exposure to loud and excessive. Noise is one

of the most common causes of hearing impairment. Protect your ear
from the sound of gunfire, firecracker, very loud music etc. If your
requires you to work in noise situation (saw-mill, road construction,
printing work factors etc.) make sure you wear hearing protective device
such as ear muffs or ear plugs in order to protect your hearing.
6. Don't take medication indiscriminately

 Certain antibiotics (streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin and aspirin)

may cause hearing impairment, if you have taken indiscriminately or
take any of these drugs for prolonged duration. Your hearing evaluate
periodically and talking to the doctor.

7. Take good care of healthy during pregnancy

 Infection such as measles, syphilis and rubella during pregnancy may

damage the unborn child hearing. Drugs intake during pregnancy, fall
and injury can also affect the child hearing pregnancy woman should
meet their doctor regularly for advice on diet, generally healthy, and
vaccines. This needs to protect the unborn child from healthy problem
including hearing impairment.

8. Get immunization done on time

 Disease like mumps, Meningitis, encephalitis, typhoid etc. may affect

hearing. As far as possible present this disease and get children
vaccinated on time.

7. Identification and assessment of hearing impairment

7.1. IDENTIFICATION OF PERSON WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Identification of hearing impairment helps us to improve the quality of residual

hearing. Because of this it’s important that baby and children have their
hearing regularity.

Sign of hearing impairment

To identify hearing impairment, the following are the sign of hearing

impairment

 Lack of attention for sound.

 Don't response when you call his or her name.

 Don't following simple direction.

 Show delay in speech and language.

 Difficult to achieve academically especially mathematics and reading.

 Social isolation or unhappy in school.

 Persistence ear discomfort.

 Inattentive.

 Buzzing or ringing the ear.

 Muffled hearing

 Constant frustration hearing speech and other sound.

 Avoiding conversation.

 Depression.

 A child talks loudly or too softly.

 The child who keep radio, Tv and radio to loud volume.

 Writing matters, show missing gap place of words like ending ed, ing
and es ,s.

 Child don't response question to asked behind

 Child don't response question from distance.

 Child doesn’t response to question from other room.

7.2. ASSESSMENT OF PERSON WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT
Hearing test is the most important way of assessing hearing.

This test requires equipment and training. The instruments or equipment used
to measure hearing is known as audiometry.

Hearing impairment measures in different test .This includes _:

 Audiometry test

 Tuning fork test

1. Rinne test

2. Weber test

3. Schwabach test

 Voice test

7.2.1. Tuning fork test

 Tuning fork is acoustic resonator the form of two pronged fork. It is u
shaped elastic metal . It provides reliable clinical methods for assessing
hearing impairment .

 They are most useful with unilateral hearing impairment which is purely
conductive and sensor neural hearing impairment .

 Person with bilateral hearing impairment or mixed impairment rather

assessing with formal pure tone audiometry .

A. Schwabach test

 schwabach test is a bone condition test and compare the hearing

sensitivity of patients with examiner .

 The tuning fork set into the vibration and the stem is place into the
mastoid (the bone conditions behind the ear )of the person and
examiner .
  The patients indicate whether the tone heard . The vibration energy
often tiny of the fork decrease over the time and make the tone softer

 When the patients not longer heard the tone ,the examiner immediately
place the tines of fork behind his or her ear.

 In this test assume that the examiner has normal hearing

 If both the examiner and patients have normal hearing both stop
hearing as the same time or immediately .

 If patients have sensor neural hearing impairment, hearing by bone

conduction are impaired ,and they stop hearing sooner than examiner .

 If patients have conductive hearing impairment ,hearing by bone

conduction are normal and they hear tone at least long as examiner .

 But it is difficult to test mixed hearing impairment .

B. The Rinne test

 This test compares air conduction to bone conduction .

Air conduction

 This test assess sensitivity when signal is transmitted through

outer ,middle and inner ear and then through the brain and cortex.

Bone conduction

 This techniques assess sensitivity when the signal is transmitted through

the bone of the skull to the cochlea and then through the auditory
pathway of the brain .

 This test done by asking to them to state weather the tone is lower
when the tuning fork stem is held behind the ear and when the time of
fork that are generating an air conduction should held next to the
opening of the ear.

 Because air conduction is more efficient means of sound transmission if

the ear than bone conduction .
 People with normal hearing heard louder tone when the fork next to the
ear (air conduction ) than when behind the ear (bone conduction). This is
called positive Rinne.

 If a person have conductive hearing impairment ,they hear loud tone

with the stem of fork behind the ear (bone conduction ) than tines at the
ear(air conduction ). This is called negative rinne.

C. Weber test

 Weber test is a quick screen test for hearing .

 To perform the weber test stick the fork against your keen or elbow.
Then place the base of the fork in midline .

 It is important steady the person head with other hand so that firm
pressures can be paid.

 Then ask the person "do you hear the sound louder than the other ear.

 If so in which ear is it louder?

 If the person have unilateral conductive hearing impairment the tuning

fork sound will be louder in the deaf ear.

 If a person have unilateral sensor neural hearing impairment the tuning

fork sound will be louder in the hearing ear.

7.2.2. Audiometer test

An audiometry exam tests how well your hearing functions. It tests both the
intensity and the tone of sounds, balance issues, and other issues related to
the function of the inner ear. A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and
treating hearing loss called an audiologist administers the test. The
audiologist charts the results of your hearing tests on a graph called an
audiogram. Graphed results usually include your hearing threshold (the
softest sounds you can hear) for a range of frequencies for both ears.

By comparing the figures, the audiologist can assess your degree of hearing
loss and find clues to its origin. For example, if the air and bone conduction
results are the same, then the audiologist knows that the hearing loss is
caused by problems of the inner ear, and not the outer or middle ear.
A hearing test is a painless, non-invasive test that measures a person’s
ability to hear different sounds, pitches, or frequencies.

The audiologist will look inside your ear with an otoscope, which is a small
cone shaped scope with a light on the end. This helps see inside the ear
and check whether there is anything visibly damaged.

You are then required to sit in a soundproof booth wearing earphones

which are connected to an audiometer. The audiometer produces sounds
and tones of different levels and frequencies, which are transmitted to each
individual ear.

The audiologist charts the loudness on the audiogram which is a graphical

representation of how well your ear responds to different levels of
frequencies. You will be asked to raise your hand or press a button
whenever you hear sound being sent to your ears. The audiologist records
all the information received and analyses it. The extent of your hearing loss
is based on the frequencies you could or couldn’t hear.

The audiometry test measures the softest, or least audible, sound that a
person can hear. The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (dB). A
whisper is about 20 dB, loud music ranges 80-120 dB, and a jet engine is
about 180 dB. The tone of sound is measured in frequencies (Hz). Low bass
tones range 50-60 Hz, high-pitched tones range 10,000 Hz or higher.
Normal hearing range is 250-8,000 Hz at 25 dB or lower.

The test is recorded on a chart called the audiogram.

 7.2.3. Voices test
All new born babies should have their hearing tested by the time they are
a month old. Your baby most likely had their hearing screened before you
left the hospital. This simple test takes just a few minutes, and babies
often sleep through it.

Know the Milestones

Some babies develop hearing problems as they get older. Even if your baby
passed their new born hearing screening, continue to watch for signs that
they're hearing well as they grow and change. Use these guidelines to see if
your baby’s hearing development is on track. Just keep in mind that all
babies are different and reach milestones at slightly different ages.

Birth to 3 months:

 Reacts to loud sounds

 Makes soft sounds

 Smiles or calms down when spoken to

 Knows your voice and calms down if crying

4 to 6 months:

 Follows sounds with their eyes

 Responds to tones of voice

 Makes babbling sounds

 Likes rattles and other toys that make sounds

 Pays attention to music

 Can become upset by loud sounds

7 to 12 months:

 Responds to their own name or another sound, even if it isn’t loud

 Looks or turns in the direction of sounds

 Listens when spoken to

 Responds to simple requests, like “come here”

 Looks at things you talk about

 Begins to repeat sounds

Above 12 months

With the patient sitting on an exam table or chair, stand an arm’s length
away (approximately 2 ft.) behind the patient.

2. Have the patient cover the ear that’s NOT being tested with one finger
over the tragus. 3. Have the patient slowly move the finger in a circular
motion.

4. Take a deep breath and exhale fully before whispering the number-
letter combination. 5. Tell the patient: “During the hearing test, I will ask
you to cover the ear that is not being tested as I say the letters and
numbers out loud. You will cover your ear by putting your finger over your
tragus.”

5. Give a number-letter-number combination (LISTED BELOW). Ensure

that the number-letter-number combination is different for each ear.

6. Have the patient repeat what they hear.

7. If the patient successfully repeats, move on to testing the other ear.

8. If the patient is unsuccessful, reattempt testing with a different

number-If the patient is unsuccessful, reattempt testing with a different
number-letter number combination. If a patient gets 3 total letters and/or
numbers correct after a second attempt, it is considered a pass.
 8. Intervention for person with hearing impairment
Many people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing have some hearing. The
amount of hearing a deaf or hard-of-hearing person has is called “residual
hearing”. Technology does not “cure” hearing loss, but may help a child
with hearing loss to make the most of their residual hearing. For those
parents who choose to have their child use technology, there are many
options, including:

8.1. TECHNOLOGICAL APPROCH

 Hearing aids

 Cochlear or brainstem implants

 Hearing aids make sounds louder. They can be worn by people of any
age, including infants. Babies with hearing loss may understand sounds
better using hearing aids. This may give them the chance to learn speech
skills at a young age.

 There are many styles of hearing aids. They can help many types of
hearing losses. A young child is usually fitted with behind-the-ear style
hearing aids because they are better suited to growing ears.

 Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Implants

 A cochlear implant may help many children with severe to profound

hearing loss — even very young children. It gives that child a way to hear
when a hearing aid is not enough. Unlike a hearing aid, cochlear
implants do not make sounds louder. A cochlear implant sends sound
signals directly to the hearing nerve.

 Persons with severe to profound hearing loss due to an absent or very

small hearing nerve or severe inner ear (cochlea), may not benefit from
a hearing aid or cochlear implant. Instead an auditory brainstem implant
may provide some hearing. An auditory brainstem implant directly
stimulates the hearing pathways in the brainstem, bypassing the inner
ear and hearing nerve.
 Both cochlear and brainstem implants have two main parts — the parts
that are placed inside the inner ear, the cochlea, or base of the brain,
the brainstem ear during surgery, and the parts that are worn outside
the ear after surgery. The parts outside the ear send sounds to the parts
inside

 Other Assistive Devices

 Besides hearing aids, there are other devices that help people with
hearing loss. Following are some examples of other assistive devices:

 FM System
An FM system is a kind of device that helps people with hearing loss
hear in background noise. FM stands for frequency modulation. It is the
same type of signal used for radios. FM systems send sound from a
microphone used by someone speaking to a person wearing the
receiver. This system is sometimes used with hearing aids. An extra
piece is attached to the hearing aid that works with the FM system.

 Captioning
Many television programs, videos, and DVDs are captioned. Television
sets made after 1993 are made to show the captioning. You don’t have
to buy anything special. Captions show the conversation spoken in
soundtrack of a program on the bottom of the television screen.

 Text messaging

 Telephone amplifiers

 Flashing and vibrating alarms

8.2. The Classroom

The classroom itself can help or hinder the student’s success in your class.
Most students who are *deaf or hard of hearing depend on their vision to
either speech read the teacher or to watch an interpreter, so the physical
aspects of the classroom become very important.
  Standing in front of a light source puts your face in a shadow,
making it very difficult to speech read you.

 Try to avoid speaking any time the student can’t see your face,
such as when you write on the board or walk around the room.

 When using an overhead projector, stand to the side of the

projector so that it doesn’t block your face.

 Use visual aids whenever possible.

 When referring to items on the board, try to be specific about the

word or phrase you’re making reference to by pointing directly to
it.

 When showing a videotape to the class, make sure it is captioned

and that the television has a decoder. Make sure any videos you
purchase are captioned. Videos may be ‘open captioned’ (always
visible) or ‘closed captioned’ (visible only when a decoder reveals
them).

 For small classrooms, arrange desks in a semicircle.

 If that is not possible, the deaf or hard of hearing student may

want to sit in front and to the side to better see you, and aware
from level of noise level. Hard of hearing students, whether or not
they are using an assistive listening device, may be very sensitive
to environmental (background) sounds, which tend to ‘mask’
speech. Background noise should be kept to a minimum.

8.3 Communication Issues

 The host of the tape voices and uses sign language. The deaf or hard of
hearing students you have in your class may do this, or they may just
sign, or they may just use their voice. It is best not to make assumptions
about how a student will communicate.

 Students who are deaf or hard of hearing receive information in

various ways: through an interpreter, through speech or lip
reading, through an assistive listening device (ALD), real-time
 captioning, C-Print ® or a similar system of speech to print
transcription.

 Sometimes students use a combination of methods (for example,

ALD and C-Print).

 Having a student who is deaf or hard of hearing in your class does

not mean you have to learn sign language. Although it is
preferable for you to learn some fingerspelling or some sign
language (perhaps being able to say, “My name is…” or “Good
morning. How are you?”) to help put the student at ease, it is not
expected that teachers who only occasionally have deaf or hard of
hearing students in their classroom will learn to sign. Interpreters
will be provided upon request to facilitate the communication in
the classroom (or the lab, field trips, etc).

8.4. Using Interpreters

An interpreter is someone who facilitates communication and conveys all

auditory and signed information so that both hearing and deaf individuals
may fully interact.

 Interpreters shall function in a manner appropriate to the

situation.

 Speak directly to the deaf or hard of hearing person, using first

person speech (the example on the video was don’t say, “Does
she have her assignment?” but rather, “Do you have your
assignment?”).

 The interpreter is there to facilitate communication. Don’t ask

him or her to proctor a test or pass out papers, as this makes it
impossible to interpret at the same time.

 Avoid private conversations with the interpreter or others in the

presence of deaf persons, as everything you say will be
interpreted.

 Consider including breaks. The interpreter periodically needs time

to relax, as interpreting is taxing, both mentally and physically.
 Without adequate ‘down’ time, receiving information visually can
be tiring and cause eye fatigue for the deaf student.

 Make sure there is adequate lighting. If you dim the lights to use
the overhead projector, make sure the lighting is adequate for the
deaf student to see the interpreter.

 The interpreter will usually stand or sit near the teacher.

8.5. Teaching strategies

 When new materials are to be covered which involve technical

terminology not in common usage, supply a list of these words or
terms in advance to the student and interpreter? Unfamiliar
words are difficult to interpret.

 Students who use interpreters are receiving the information

several seconds after the rest of the class. Allow enough time for
the student to get the information from the interpreter before
calling on someone. When asking the class to respond, have them
raise their hands, rather than just shout out the answer. This will
allow the deaf or hard of hearing student to participate.

 Repeat questions from the class before responding. Remember, a

student using an ALD hears only what comes from the
microphone, thus misses anything else spoken.

 Don’t talk to the class at the same time you’re having them read
something.

 When reading aloud, don’t read so quickly that the deaf or hard of
hearing student and interpreter can’t keep up with you and the
rest of the class.

 Remember deaf and hard of hearing students rely on visual cues

such as body language and expressions to gather information.