Hearing Impairment in Young Children

1. Hearing Impairmentin Young Children Aubrey Radford EEC 4731

2. Definition • A hearing impairment is a hearing loss that prevents a person from totally receiving sounds through the ear • If the condition is mild, a person may have a problem hearing faint or distant speech • If the condition is extreme, a person may not be able to hear anything

3. Types of hearing loss • Conductive: caused by diseases or obstructions in the outer or middle ear that usually affect all frequencies of hearing. A hearing aid generally helps a person with a conductive hearing loss. • Sensorineural: results from damage to the inner ear. This loss can range from mild to profound and often affects certain frequencies more than others. Sounds are often distorted, even with a hearing aid. • Mixed: occurs in both the inner and outer or middle ear. • Central: results from damage to the central nervous system. ( Least common)

4. Signs/Symptoms Young Children • Frequent mouth breathing • Failure to turn toward the direction of a sound • Difficulty understanding and following directions • Asking to have statements repeated • Rubbing or pulling at ears • Mumbling, shouting, or talking loudly • Reluctant to interact with others; quiet, withdrawn • Having an unusual voice quality

5. Signs/Symptoms Contd.. Infant • Absence of a startled response to a loud noise • Failure to stop crying briefly when adult speaks to baby (three months) • Failure to turn head in direction of sound • Absence of babbling or interest in imitating simple speech sounds (6-8 months) • No response to adult commands, such as “no”

6. Management • Some hearing impairments can be successfully treated if they are identified in the early stages. • Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Could range from ear drops and antibiotic therapy to surgery • Hearing aids are beneficial to some children • Sign language is the last resort and can be extremely useful

7. Management in the Classroom • Reduce background noises in the classroom • Use complete sentences to help language development • Provide individualized instruction • Do not shout • Face and stand near the child when speaking • If a word is not understood, try another • Speak slowly and clearly and be expressive, but do not exaggerate • Demonstrate what you are trying to say • If all else fails, use a pencil and paper • Don’t hesitate to ask a hearing impaired child to repeat what they said

8. How should teachers address this condition? Hearing impaired children are to be treated with the utmost care in a classroom environment. Many of the management strategies in the previous slides are excellent guidelines to use. Patience and persistence are necessary. The placement of the child in the classroom should allow for the best possible learning experience. Other students in the classroom should be aware and educated on the hearing impaired child’s situation so they can be understanding and helpful. The teacher must be willing to go the extra mile.

9. Works Cited • Roller, C.. ""Hearing impairments"." Kentuck'ys Office for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Kentucky Education Cabinet, n.d. Web. 30 Jan 2012. <http:// ada.ky.gov/hearing_imp_def.htm>. • Marotz, Lynn R. Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child. 7th. Clifton Park: Cengage Learning, 2009. 79-83. Print.