Hearing Impairment

The effects of mild or fluctuating hearing loss can vary considerably. These notes are for guidance only.

Pupilswith a hearing loss may show the following signs:

  • Their speech is unclear;
  • Their tone is flat and expression less;
  • The volume is too loud or too soft;
  • They tilt their head, so that their better ear is towards you;
  • They watch your face intently;
  • They tire easily and their concentration is limited;
  • They find out what to do by watching the other pupils in the class;
  • They do not react when you address them and they are not looking at you.
  • They misunderstand some instructions;
  • They appear not to pay attention or listen well;
  • They appear to be unaccountably slow, inattentive, dreamy, disruptive and/or demanding;
  • They appear to experience difficulty participating in group discussion;
  • They have difficulty understanding in noisy listening environments eg. The swimming pool or large hall;

Strategies for good communication in the classroom

Think about how you talk to your class. Below are some general hints and tips on how to ensure effective communication with a hearing impaired pupil.

  • Gain pupil’s attention before starting to talk.
  • Sit the pupil near the board and teacher.
  • Unless the pupil can see your face they cannot lip-read. Avoid turning your back on the pupil when writing on the board.
  • Check that instructions have been understood otherwise the pupil will follow the other pupil’s but not know why.
  • Do not exaggerate you lip patterns but make sure you lip patterns are clear and speak at a normal pace.
  • Pupils cannot lip-read words they do not know. Put these on the board and use pictures to explain to them.
  • If you need to talk for a long period of time use short sentences and explain new vocabulary or technical terms.
  • Moving around the teaching area makes it difficult for the hearing impaired pupil; remember they may need to lip-read.
  • Introduce the topic first before going into detail – pre-tutor new vocabulary.
  • Do not shout. Children using hearing aids may find loud noises painful or shocking
  • Keep your face clear and try not to cover it with your hands, hair or other objects
  • Use your hands to use natural gestures to support what you are saying
  • Do not use dictation as the child will not be able to follow what you are saying and take notes at the same time. This also applies when you are using videos or slide shows, each time a child looks down to write they will miss the information.
  • Keep background noise down and pay attention to the listening conditions/classroom acoustics. Attention should be given to corridor noise, overhead projectors and the hum of heating systems.

Clear Communication: There are five ways that you can enable a deaf pupil to understand, these are to

  1. repeat
  2. re-phrase
  3. explain
  4. simplify
  5. clarify

Think about the sentence: “The canary islands were formed by volcanic eruptions, millions of years ago.” What could you do if a deaf pupil doesn’t appear to understand?

Repeat

“The canary islands were formed by volcanic eruptions, millions of years ago.”

This gives another opportunity for a child to hear the whole message

Re-phrase

“Millions of years ago, volcanic eruptions formed the Canary Islands.”

This allows another chance to understand the message, without any reduction of the level of language used.

Explain

“When a volcano erupts under the sea, it pours out a substance called magma. Magma builds up over time and forms islands. The Canary Islands were made this way.”

This gives a pupil more information and context, giving them another opportunity to understand the message.

Simplify

“The Canary Islands are made from magma that comes out of volcanoes. This happened a long time ago.”

By using simpler language and a more basic structure the pupil may find it easier to understand the new concepts. When they understand the concept you can add any relevant vocabulary.

Clarify

“How do you think the Canary Islands were made? When do you think this happened?”

Asking the pupil questions allows you to check that the pupil has understood the message. It also reinforces the message for the pupil.

10 tips when using a radio aid

  1. Make sure that the transmitter and the receiver are working. If the child says that the radio aid isn’t working properly, don’t put off checking as they may be aware of problems that you can’t hear which will affect their access to the lesson.
  2. Ensure that the system is charged before the lesson and check that replacement batteries are available if they may be required.
  3. Switch the transmitter on when talking to the whole class or a group that a deaf child is working with.
  4. Remember to mute the transmitter microphone (press and hold power button for 3 seconds) when you are having a conversation that a deaf child does not need to hear, for example if you are talking to another teacher.
  5. A radio aid transmitter can pick up background noise so try not to stand in a noisy area such as next to an overhead projector or an open window.
  6. Clip or hang the microphone about 15-20 cm below your mouth.
  7. Do not let the microphone knock against clothing or jewellery.
  8. During class discussions or group work pass the microphone to the pupils who are talking. If this isn’t practical remember to summarise what has been said.
  9. The radio and transmitter can be connected to equipment such as a television, computer, radio or stereo. (Equipment and advice on how to do this is available from LF6).

Further information is available from:

Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID)

National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)