The start of the school year is that time when you get your class lists, and you find out about any needs that your students in your classes might have. From time to time we find out that one of our students has hearing loss, maybe this is your first student with hearing loss, maybe it’s your fifth.
In North America 1 in 8 under 18’s have some form of hearing loss
National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders
Using the skills under your belt as a teacher and some simple steps you can help to integrate your student(s) with hearing loss into your classroom. Here are our top five tips:
1. Preferential Seating
Ensure that your student is sat in a position in your class where they can see you clearly, you are well lit and there are no obstructions. This might not always be right at the front of your classroom, talk to your student about where they would find the most ideal spot to sit. If you’re an elementary school teacher, work with your Teacher of the Deaf or Itinerant Specialist to determine the best spot in your room.
2. FM Systems
If your student uses an FM System (or a remote microphone system) make sure that you are using it, and understand how to use it effectively. These systems bring your voice closer to the student, and cut through the background noise in the classroom which is being amplified by their hearing device(s).
3. Captioning
If you’re using media in the classroom ensure that it has captions. In a pinch YouTube has auto-generated captions, and Google Chrome has live captioning available.
4. Teacher of the Deaf
Whether your student has a Teacher of the Deaf or an Itinerant Specialist, make sure that you get to know them. They hold a wealth of knowledge which they are more than happy to pass on to you, to help you, to help your student to succeed. Along with regular listening checks, and working on language skills, they are often supported by a knowledgeable team.
5. Auditory Fatigue
Listening is hard work, even for those of us who are not hard of hearing. Listening all day for our hard of hearing students is especially tiring. Make sure that you are allowing extra time for tests, assignments and quizzes and that you provide a copy of your notes in advance if possible to reduce the demand on multi-tasking during the class.
These are just a few things to get you started!
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