How to Handle Children with Hearing Impairment?

Handling Children with Hearing Impairment is a tough job. Consider the following strategies on how to handle them.

• Develop an altitude of readiness to listen.
• Use auditory signals.
• Use the voice to get attention.
• Allow sufficient time for auditory processing,
• Keep within close range when speaking.
• Use normal Conversational tone of voice.
• Provide good speech model.
• Use frequent repetitions.
• Orient the child to the activity or discussion.
• Encourage the parents to expand the work of school.

Communication Tips for teachers

Investigate sound field and FM systems.
These technologies are wonderful for the classroom.

(NOTE: We have repeated here some of the "Tips for friends and family" because they are relevant, and have added quite a few more.)

• Find out what works for the student.
• Open communication is essential. Speak to him.
• Under what circumstances does he experience difficulty?
• You might find if you change a few small things it could make a world of difference.
• Keep a clear channel of communication open with the parents.
• You can learn a lot from each other.
• Decrease the distance between you and the listener.
• This is the single most effective way to increase understanding.
• Moving a little closer can make a big difference.
• Don't eat, drink, or chew gum while speaking.
• Wait until passing noises subside.
• Wait for that plane to pass overhead or for the students to settle down.
• Don't talk while children are retrieving material.
• First of all, people make noise when they gather material.
• And the HOH student cannot rummage through things and hear you at the same time because he's not looking at you.
• Be sure the listener is ready to hear you.
• He'll need a moment to focus because understanding speech requires more concentration for him.
• To see why this is so, think of listening to someone with a thick accent; it's much more difficult to understand his first few words if you are unprepared to listen. Face him so he can see your lips, your entire face, and hands and body gestures. These all provide valuable cues and can help fill in for sounds he's not getting. Try to avoid bushy mustache or other facial hair that obscures the lips. Avoid shadows. When addressing the student, say his name first.
• Lighting should be above or in front of you, never coming from behind you. Don't stand in front of the window while talking to him. As discussed earlier, he needs to observe facial and body gestures. This is particularly important if the listener is further away, as in a classroom.
• Face him and talk directly to him so the volume of your voice doesn't fluctuate. Turning away from someone while talking sharply decreases the volume. Talking into the supply cabinet is even worse.
• Don't talk while writing on the board (this is tough on all students) and try not to talk while moving around so volume level and visual cues don't fluctuate. Speak louder and enunciate clearly, but don't exaggerate sounds and don't shout. Exaggerating can distort sounds as well as the shape of the lips while speaking. Rephrase, don't repeat.
• Vary the words. Some words are more difficult to understand than others and/or may be more difficult to lip-read. Introduce topics clearly, as well as transitions.