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EDR 255: Alternative Literacy Programs
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
The Exceptionality
According to Wikipedia.com, hearing impairment refers to conditions in which

individuals are fully or partially unable to detect or perceive at least some frequencies
of sound which can typically be heard by members of their species. It occurs when
there's a problem with or damage to one or more parts of the ear. Hearing impairment
can be classified into four, namely:
 Conductive Hearing Loss - a condition that interferes with the transmission of

sound through the outer and middle ear to the inner ear. In cases of
conductive hearing loss, sound waves are not transmitted effectively to the
inner ear because of some interference in the external ear canal, the mobility
of the eardrum, the three tiny bones inside the middle ear, the middle-ear
cavity, the openings into the inner ear, and the Eustachian tube.
 Sensorineural Hearing Loss – also called “nerve deafness”, is a condition

wherein the damage lies in the inner ear, the acoustic nerve or both.
 Central Hearing Loss - In this type of hearing impairment, the problem lies in
the central nervous system, at some point within the brain. Interpreting
speech is a complex task. Some people can hear perfectly well but have
trouble interpreting or understanding what is being said. Basically, the
problem involves a person's inability to filter out competing auditory signals.
People with central auditory processing disorders have difficulties that include
problems "hearing" when there are several conversations going on; inability to
read or study with the radio or television on; problems reading if someone
turns on a vacuum cleaner or air conditioner near them; and, generally
missing the first sentence from people talking to them if they are involved in
an auditory attention task (such as watching television).
 Functional Hearing Loss - a condition that involves a psychological or

emotional problem, rather than physical damage to the hearing pathway.
Individuals with this type of hearing loss do not seem to hear or respond; yet,
in reality, they have normal hearing. The condition poses a challenge for
physicians, as there is difficulty in determining the specific emotional cause,
but if the classification is made accurately, the proper therapy can begin.
 Mixed Hearing Loss - frequently, a person experiences two or more types of

hearing impairment, and this is called mixed hearing loss. This term is used
only when both conductive and sensorineural hearing losses are present in
the same ear. However, the emphasis is on the conductive hearing loss,
because available therapy is so much more effective for this disorder.
Individuals with hearing loss, including those who are deaf, now have many
helpful devices available to them. Treatment for hearing loss varies depending upon the
cause of the hearing impairment. Treatment may involve removing wax or dirt from the
ear or treating an underlying infection. If there is damage or a structural problem with
the eardrum or ossicles, surgery may help to repair it. If the problem is with the cochlea
or hearing nerve, a hearing aid or cochlear implant may be recommended.
Hearing aids and cochlear implants are popular treatment for hearing
impairment. Hearing aids come in various forms that fit inside or behind the ear and
make sounds louder. They are adjusted by the audiologist so that the sound coming in
is amplified enough to allow the person with a hearing impairment to hear it
clearly. Cochlear implants, on the other hand, are surgically implanted devices that
bypass the damaged inner ear and send signals directly to the auditory nerve. A small
microphone behind the ear picks up sound waves and sends them to a receiver that has
been placed under the scalp. This receiver then transmits impulses directly to the
auditory nerve. These signals are perceived as sound and allow the person to hear.
Hearing loss or deafness does not affect a person's intellectual capacity or ability
to learn. However, children who are either hard of hearing or deaf generally require
some form of special education services in order to receive an adequate education.
Such services may include:
 regular speech, language, and auditory training from a specialist;

 amplification systems;
 services of an interpreter for those students who use sign language;
 favorable seating in the class to facilitate lip reading;
 captioned films/videos;
 assistance of a notetaker, who takes notes for the student with a hearing loss, so
that the student can fully attend to instruction;
 instruction for the teacher and peers in alternate communication methods, such
as sign language; and
 counseling.
Children who are hard of hearing will find it much more difficult than children who
have normal hearing to learn vocabulary, grammar, word order, idiomatic expressions,
and other aspects of verbal communication.
Reflection
Among all the exceptionalities that were discussed in class, I would have to say
that hearing impairment is the most difficult to deal with. Not so much for those who
were born hearing, but developed hearing loss… but more for those who were born with
hearing loss. The sense of hearing is like that one important puzzle piece for all other
senses. Hearing affects speech, language, as well as balance. If you can’t hear sounds
– even that of your own voice, how will you live safely in a world that seems to be
dependent on sounds? It is this issue that has been hounding me ever since speakers
from the Miriam College – Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf came over during
class.
There are, of course, interventions such as sign language and lip reading but the
complication of young children understanding and memorizing signs for the sole
purpose of communication is very tough. There is also the pressing issue of what “sign
language” to use at home and at school. The same thing can also be said to the
teachers and parents of the hearing impaired. I can only imagine how these people can
emphasize the importance of using sight as a channel to the world we are living in… to
children who are naturally curious and tend to act impulsively alone. Coupled with
inattentiveness of parents or guardians, this condition may actually cost children their
lives.
The importance of sight to the hearing impaired is given, but I also feel that
teachers and parents need to inculcate the importance of feeling vibrations even more.
For example, the hearing impaired should be able to determine the differences in the
vibrations made by a footstep or a coming bus. Feeling vibrations is an instinct, but this
may be the most basic instinct for the hearing impaired. The challenge lies on teachers
and parents to emphasize this and how feeling and acting upon these vibrations can
affect how the hearing impaired live.
It is because of this realization that I now look at deaf people in a new light. For
them to be able to learn how to read and understand what they are reading is a great
accomplishment. For them to be able to live normally now seems to me somewhat of a
miracle.
References:
Deafness and Hearing Loss. Retrieved: April 1, 2010. Available:

http://www.nichcy.org/Disabilities/Specific/Pages/DeafnessandHearingLoss.aspx
Southeast Asian Institute of the Deaf. Retrieved: April 1, 2010. Available:

http://www.mccidonline.net/said/welcome.htm
Hearing Loss. Retrieved: April 2, 2010 from eHealthMD. Available:

http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/hearingloss/HL_types.html
Hearing Impairment. Retrieved: April 16, 2010. Available:

http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/hearingloss/HL_types.html
Hearing impairment. (2010, April 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:12, April 16, 2010,
fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hearing_impairment&oldid=355595556

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EDR 255: Alternative Literacy Programs

According to Wikipedia.com, hearing impairment refers to conditions in which

 Conductive Hearing Loss - a condition that interferes with the transmission of

 Sensorineural Hearing Loss – also called “nerve deafness”, is a condition

 Functional Hearing Loss - a condition that involves a psychological or

 Mixed Hearing Loss - frequently, a person experiences two or more types of

 regular speech, language, and auditory training from a specialist;

Deafness and Hearing Loss. Retrieved: April 1, 2010. Available:

Southeast Asian Institute of the Deaf. Retrieved: April 1, 2010. Available:

Hearing Loss. Retrieved: April 2, 2010 from eHealthMD. Available:

Hearing Impairment. Retrieved: April 16, 2010. Available:

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