Difficult Situations for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students
Listening to Instructions It is easy for a Deaf/Hard of Hearing student to misinterpret instructions given orally. Writing out instructions on the board will prevent misunderstandings. It would also be a good idea to outline the day’s work on the board. When students have to look at materials like maps or books and listen simultaneously to what you are saying, they miss some of the learning points from both.
Dictation and Spelling Tests Deaf and Hard of Hearing students cannot speechread and write at the same time. You can read the words slowly and give words in sentences to provide some context for the word being tested. It may be necessary to modify dictation and/or spelling tests.
Reading Lessons If lessons are read aloud, it is hard for the student to locate the reader and follow the text. A solution is to ask a “buddy” to identify the reader and point to the text passage for the student with a hearing loss.
Lessons Using Television or Slide Projectors It is impossible to speechread in a darkened room, and noise from machines may mask voices. Select an educational video with closed-captioning to supplement your lesson. Keep in mind when you order/record new media that it be closed-captioned as the mainstreamed population of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students is increasing.
Lessons Using Tape Recorders with Language Lessons Provide a transcript of the tape or, better yet, try to present the material some other way. Listening centers may not be appropriate for students with hearing aids since headphones will create loud feedback.
Introducing New Topics Difficulty in following your lecture and classroom conversation may be eased by writing technical terms or new vocabulary on the board.
Standardized Examinations
Standardized testing in large rooms typically results in instructions and “time remaining” announcements being made by public address system. This makes following directions very difficult for a Deaf/Hard of Hearing student. Notify the exam boards ahead of time that a candidate who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing will be taking the exam so the proctors can accommodate him/her.
Substitute Teachers It is importantto mention Deaf/Hard of Hearing students and their accommodations and modifications in your substitute teacher plans. Many general education teachers use videos in the event of their absence. If this is the case, please notify substitutes that they are to turn on closed-captioning for visual media being shown.
Taking Notes It is almost impossible for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to take notes from oral lectures and visual media (with or without captioning) since when they look away, they miss information. Hearing individuals can maintain attention auditorially to what is going on, but individuals with hearing loss will miss information. To help in this area there are several acceptable accommodations. First, a student notetaker can be used. This should be a strong student. I can provide you with carbon notebooks for this purpose. Second, you can provide the student with a copy or your teacher notes. Third, you allow the entire class time to write down notes before or after discussing them; thus, allowing students with hearing loss to attend to instruction fully.
Dictation and Spelling Tests Deaf and Hard of Hearing students cannot speechread and write at the same time. You can read the words slowly and give words in sentences to provide some context for the word being tested. It may be necessary to modify dictation and/or spelling tests.
Reading Lessons If lessons are read aloud, it is hard for the student to locate the reader and follow the text. A solution is to ask a “buddy” to identify the reader and point to the text passage for the student with a hearing loss.
Lessons Using Television or Slide Projectors It is impossible to speechread in a darkened room, and noise from machines may mask voices. Select an educational video with closed-captioning to supplement your lesson. Keep in mind when you order/record new media that it be closed-captioned as the mainstreamed population of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students is increasing.
Lessons Using Tape Recorders with Language Lessons Provide a transcript of the tape or, better yet, try to present the material some other way. Listening centers may not be appropriate for students with hearing aids since headphones will create loud feedback.
Introducing New Topics Difficulty in following your lecture and classroom conversation may be eased by writing technical terms or new vocabulary on the board.
Standardized Examinations
Standardized testing in large rooms typically results in instructions and “time remaining” announcements being made by public address system. This makes following directions very difficult for a Deaf/Hard of Hearing student. Notify the exam boards ahead of time that a candidate who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing will be taking the exam so the proctors can accommodate him/her.
Substitute Teachers It is importantto mention Deaf/Hard of Hearing students and their accommodations and modifications in your substitute teacher plans. Many general education teachers use videos in the event of their absence. If this is the case, please notify substitutes that they are to turn on closed-captioning for visual media being shown.
Taking Notes It is almost impossible for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to take notes from oral lectures and visual media (with or without captioning) since when they look away, they miss information. Hearing individuals can maintain attention auditorially to what is going on, but individuals with hearing loss will miss information. To help in this area there are several acceptable accommodations. First, a student notetaker can be used. This should be a strong student. I can provide you with carbon notebooks for this purpose. Second, you can provide the student with a copy or your teacher notes. Third, you allow the entire class time to write down notes before or after discussing them; thus, allowing students with hearing loss to attend to instruction fully.