Hearing Impairment

Progress:

Types of Students

Signing student

  • Profoundly deaf (little hearing)
  • Have NO hearing assistive technology whatsoever. They look like any other hearing person. Same, same but different!
  • Need an AUSLAN Interpreter if classes are oral
  • They will let you know by either: tapping on their ears to signal their deafness, or tell the interpreter to tell you.

Tips with a signing student

  • Face and talk to the student as if she is a hearing person: don’t look at the interpreter to speak to the student. It’s considered very insulting, as you’re acknowledging the interpreter’s importance, not the deaf student’s!
  • Pause until the interpreter has finished, then continue. Tough when it is a heated discussion!

Hard of hearing student

  • Mildly or Severely deaf; wears hearing aid(s); they often do not wear other hearing support equipment
  • Sometimes they prefer the assistance of an AUSLAN interpreter
  • All can speak and hear, but many may prefer signing

This is what a hearing aid look like:

Tips with a hard of hearing student

  • When speaking, ensure the noise level is kept to a MINIMUM, they will really appreciate that: their hearing aids do pick up background noises
  • Repeat all answers from other students, the hearing impaired student will want to verify what they have heard.
  • Not yawning? Then put those hands away from your mouth! They do lip-read, as their hearing is not perfect.
  • They do have extra assistive hearing support, but they will most likely not use it.

Cochlear Implanted student

  • Profoundly deaf (little hearing)
  • Wears cochlear implant(s) and hearing aids
  • All can speak and hear, but many may prefer signing
  • Some may ask for an interpreter for certain classes (especially if the language is difficult for the student to hear. I.e. History, classes with films, philosophy, law, mathematics, science, or any class that is outside the student’s knowledge)

A Cochlear Implantee: a magnetised hearing implant (notice that there are no ear moulds into the ear, like the hearing aid). It is surgically implanted in the person’s ear at a very young age.

Tips with a CI student: They have very similar needs to those with hearing aids.

Further Information