How to accommodate for a student who is hard of hearing

Students with hearing impairments cannot hear well enough to use hearing as a primary channel of learning without significant assistance. Due to this impairment, language development and reading skills are likely to be influenced.

Hearing loss is grouped into four general categories: mild, moderate, severe, and profound or deaf. In the general population, as many as one in four people may have some form of hearing impairment and one in sixteen have an impairment serious enough to affect communication.

Although this is a low-incidence exceptionality, it is important for a teacher to be able to identify the signs of hearing loss and be aware of how to modify their classroom environment and course work to suit the needs of a students with this exceptionality.

Here are some signs of a hearing impairment:

• Failing to respond to their name.
• Asking for directions to be repeated.
• Turning the head to hear.
• Speaking too loudly or too softly.
• Recurring earaches.
• Often experiencing fatigue and/or frustration when trying to follow along with lessons.

Here are some accommodations that can be used in the classroom to ensure the success of a hearing impaired student:

Classroom Accommodations

• Seat the student near the front of the class.
• Assemble the desks in a semi-circle seating plan so the exceptional student has a strong visual of teacher and all students in the class.
• Set the student up with a buddy that he/she trusts. The buddy can repeat instructions, point out any important information and provide clarification when necessary.
•  Place tennis balls on the ends of chairs and desks to avoid any access noise.
• Create a “quiet corner” in the room where the student can go when they are having difficulty concentrating and needs quiet time to complete work.
•  Gather an assortment of visual materials so that each lesson can be complete with more visuals.
• Place area rugs in the room so there is no reverberating noise in the classroom.
•  Eliminate access noise in the classroom by shutting the door and windows during instruction periods.

Lesson Accommodations

• Provide activity instructions in written print outs for student to follow along.
• Use visuals in each lesson.
• During class discussions identify speakers by name, ask speakers to stand up and face the class, repeat comments if necessary and paraphrase or summarize the comments.
• Summarize classroom discussions by creating point form notes on the board.
• While providing instructions, ensure your face is visible to the exceptional student while speaking clearly and normally. This will enable the student to lip read.
• Set up a signal system that can be used to indicate they are following with the lesson (thumbs-up, thumbs down).
• Use captioned videos.
• Ask students to reflect in a journal every day. Review journals often to ensure understanding.
• Set up frequent check-ins to determine if their needs are being met.
• Establish reading groups to hold a guided reading sessions for any assigned reading materials.