What Teachers Should Know Some people are born with hearing impairments, while others lose their hearing through injuries, infections, or even loud noises. Hearing-impaired students may use hearing aids that fit inside or behind the ear. Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices that bypass the damaged inner ear and send signals directly to the auditory nerve. New technologies are making it possible for more hearing-impaired students to attend school and participate in activities with their hearing peers. Students with hearing impairments may: wear hearing aids, have cochlear implants, or use FM systems, which include a microphone/transmitter worn by the teacher and a receiver worn by the student need to use real-time captioning for any audio-visual videos used in the classroom need voice-recognition software on their computers, which can help with note-taking understand speech by watching the speaker's mouth movements, facial expressions, and gestures, within context. This skill is called speech-reading or lip-reading. use ASL (American Sign Language), Cued Speech, or other sign languages need an interpreter to facilitate communication require speech therapy due to delayed speech or language development need to sit closer to the front of the class to read lips or hear more clearly need quiet areas need instructions repeated What Teachers Can Do Encourage your hearing-impaired students to participate in all classroom and extracurricular activities. Most hearing-impaired students can speech-read to some extent, but try to determine how well. To help your hearing-impaired students speech-read, make sure to face them when you talk, talk slowly and clearly, and don't yell. As long as they have their amplifiers on, you can speak in a normal tone. Try to minimize background noises. Use lots of pictures, graphics, and text labels. Try not to turn your back and speak while writing on a board. Remember: Many hearing-impaired students are visual learners. Consider arranging chairs in your classroom in a circle so your hearing-impaired students can interact with classmates. Check with a special education teacher, speech–language pathologist, or school nurse to see if any assistive hearing devices or other technology might be helpful. Back to Articles Related Articles What's Hearing Loss? Hearing loss happens when there is a problem with the ear, nerves connected to the ear, or the part of the brain that controls hearing. Someone who has hearing loss may be able to hear some sounds or nothing at all. To learn more, read this article for kids. Read More Hearing Impairment Hearing impairment occurs when there's a problem with or damage to one or more parts of the ear. Find out its causes and what can be done to help correct it. Read More Going to a Speech Therapist You might visit a speech therapist if you're having trouble speaking or understanding others. Find out more in this article for kids. Read More Cochlear Implants Cochlear implant can help many kids with severe hearing loss. Find out how they work and who can get them. Read More Delayed Speech or Language Development Knowing what's "normal" and what's not in speech and language development can help you figure out if you should be concerned or if your child is right on schedule. Read More Can Loud Music Hurt My Ears? Loud music can cause temporary and permanent hearing loss. Learn how to protect your ears so you won't be saying, "Huh? What did you say?" Read More Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD) Some kids have hearing loss due to auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD), a problem in the transmission of sound from the inner ear to the brain. Read More Going to the Audiologist When a kid has trouble hearing, an audiologist can help. That's a person specially trained to understand how hearing works and to help kids who don't hear normally. Read More Hearing Aids Want to hear what's being said to you, by you, and about you? Find out how hearing aids help people with certain types of hearing loss. Read More Speech-Language Therapy Working with a certified speech-language pathologist can help a child with speech or language difficulties. Read More Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) Some kids may be eligible for individualized education programs in public schools, free of charge. Understanding how to access these services can help you be an effective advocate for your child. Read More 504 Education Plans If your child has special needs in the classroom, he or she may be eligible for a government-supported learning plan. Read More Hearing Evaluation in Children Hearing problems can be overcome if they're caught early, so it's important to get your child's hearing screened early and checked regularly. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. 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