Deafness/Hearing Impairment

IDEA Definition

(3) 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.

(5) 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.

Types of Hearing Loss

Conductive

Sensorinerual

Mixed

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION/ PHYSICAL EDUCATION CONSIDERATIONS

Characteristic

Student may show a delay in speech and delayed motor development.

Strategy

When it comes to motor development students' who are deaf and have hearing impairments will primarily learn through vision. This will come from peers, visual demonstrations, teacher, and family. Constantly pairing different aids with your teachings will provide a smoother motor development. (Check Fine and Gross Motor Skills Link Below)

Characteristic

Student may have difficulty with social/emotional or interpersonal skills.

Strategy

When working with students' who are deaf or who have a hearing impairment, utilizing visual aids such as written notes, diagrams, pictures, or videos to supplement verbal communication. Visual aids can enhance understanding and provide additional context for the student. (Check Teaching Strategies Link Below)
When speaking to students' who are deaf or who have a hearing impairment it is important to speak as you regularly would. This goes for facial gestures and body gestures. Pairing your teaching with assistive technology specific to the deaf community will benefit. (Check Assistive Technology Link Below)

Characteristic

Can become distracted easily with surrounding stimuli.

Strategy

To reduce stimulus for students, it's essential to create a conducive learning environment by minimizing auditory and visual distractions. This can be achieved by designating quiet spaces within the gymnasium, implementing noise reduction strategies such as using noise-canceling headphones or earplugs, and reducing visual clutter by organizing materials and maintaining clear pathways. By providing quiet areas, minimizing noise, and reducing visual distractions, students can focus more effectively on communication and learning tasks. (Check Listening Conditions Link Below)

Links & Supports