St. FX Evening 10 ASSIGNMENT 3

What is Hearing Impairment?

Hearing Impairment occurs when there is a problem with or damage to one or more parts of the ear.

• Conductive hearing loss results from a problem with the outer or middle ear, including the  ear canal, eardrum, or ossicles. A blockage or other structural problem interferes with how sound gets conducted through the ear, making sound levels seem lower. In many cases, conductive hearing loss can be corrected with medications or surgery.
• Sensorineural (pronounced: sen-so-ree-nyour-ul) hearing loss results
  
  from damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve. The most common type is caused by the outer hair cells not functioning correctly. The person has trouble hearing clearly, understanding speech, and interpreting various sounds. This type of hearing loss is permanent. It may be treated with hearing aids.

In most severe cases, both outer and inner hair cells aren't working correctly. This is also a type of permanent hearing loss and can be treated with a cochlear implant. In some other cases, the outer hair cells work correctly, but the inner hair cells or the nerve are damaged. This type of hearing loss is called auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. The transmission of sound from the inner ear to the brain is then disorganized.

Children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder can develop strong language and communication skills with the help of medical devices, therapy, and visual communication techniques.


• Mixed hearing loss happens when someone has both conductive and sensorineural hearing  problems.
• Central hearing loss happens when the cochlea is working properly, but other parts of the  brain are not. This is a less frequent type of hearing loss and is more difficult to treat.
• Auditory processing disorders (APD). This is not exactly a type of hearing loss because someone with APD can usually hear well in a quiet environment. But most people with APD have difficulty hearing in a noisy environment, which is the usual environment we live in. In most cases, APD can be treated with proper therapy.

• The degree of hearing impairment can vary widely from person to person. Some people have partial hearing loss, meaning that the ear can pick up some sounds; others have complete hearing loss, meaning that the ear cannot hear at all (people with complete hearing loss are considered deaf). In some types of hearing loss, a person can have much more trouble when there is background noise. One or both ears may be affected, and the impairment may be worse in one ear than in the other.

The timing of the hearing loss can vary, too. Congenital hearing loss is present at birth. Acquired hearing loss happens later in life — during childhood, the teen years, or in adulthood — and it can be sudden or progressive (happening slowly over time).

When describing hearing impairment, three attributes are considered:

1. Type of hearing loss (part of the hearing mechanism that is affected).
2. Degree of hearing loss (range and volume of sounds that are not heard).
3. Configuration (range of pitches or frequencies at which the loss has occurred).

                              

What Causes Hearing Impairment?

The most common cause of conductive hearing loss in kids and teens is otitis (pronounced: o-tie-tus) media, which is the medical term for an ear infection that affects the middle ear. Ear infections cause a buildup of fluid or pus behind the eardrum, which can block the transmission of sound. Even after the infection gets better, fluid might stay in the middle ear for weeks or even months, causing difficulty hearing.

But this fluid is usually temporary, and whether it goes away on its own (which is usually the case) or with the help of medications, once it's gone a person's hearing typically returns to normal. Blockages in the ear, such as a foreign object, impacted earwax or dirt, or fluid due to colds and allergies, can also cause conductive hearing loss.

People also get conductive hearing loss when key parts of the ear — the eardrum, ear canal, or ossicles — are damaged. For example, a tear or hole in the eardrum can interfere with its ability to vibrate properly. Causes of this damage may include inserting an object such as a cotton swab too far into the ear, a sudden explosion or other loud noise, a sudden change in air pressure, a head injury, or repeated ear infections.

Sensorineural hearing impairment results from problems with or damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve. Its causes include:

• Genetic Disorders. Some genetic (inherited) disorders interfere with the proper development of the inner ear and/or the auditory nerve.
• Injuries to the ear or head. Injuries such as a skull fracture can cause hearing loss.
• Complications during pregnancy or birth. Some babies are born with hearing impairment due to infections or illnesses that the mother had while she was pregnant, which can interfere with the development of the inner ear. Premature babies are also at higher risk for hearing impairment.
• Infections or illnesses. Certain conditions, such as repeated ear infections, mumps, measles, chickenpox, and brain tumors, can damage the structures of the inner ear.
• Medications. Certain medications, such as some antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs, can cause hearing loss.
• Loud noise. A sudden loud noise or exposure to high noise levels (such as loud music) over time can cause permanent damage to the tiny hair cells in the cochlea, which then can't transmit sounds as effectively as they did before.
  The outer hair cells are usually affected first, because they're very sensitive to loud sounds. Remember that these cells help us hear soft sounds. If exposure to loud noise continues for long periods of time, the inner hair cells and even the auditory nerve can become affected.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 28 million Americans are deaf or hearing impaired. That's about 1 out of every 10 people. Another 30 million are exposed to hazardous noise levels on a regular basis. Hearing loss is also the most common birth anomaly.

People with hearing impairment can communicate using numerous methods of communication, such as:

• 
  American Sign Language (ASL): This is the primary language of people who are deaf. It consists of a combination of hand movements and positions to express thoughts and phrases.
• Finger spelling: This is a manual form of communication in which the hand and fingers spell out letters of the alphabet to form words.
• Lipreading: This is a difficult skill used only by about 10% of people with hearing impairments. Therefore, don't assume that a deaf person to whom you are speaking can lip read. Even if a person cannot lip read, however, being allowed to see the speaker's mouth provides helpful visual cues.
• Written communication ("Pad and Pencil"): This is a fairly simple way to communicate with a person who is deaf. Remember, however, that sign language is the primary language for most persons who are deaf; English is a second language, so keep your words simple.
• Oral Communication

Assistive Technology Support for Individuals with Hearing Impairment

Low Tech 

Paper and pencil is a low tech assistive technology that can be used to communicate with people who have a hearing loss. 

Whiteboards, like paper and pencil, can be used for informal conversation.

Mid Tech

Dragon Naturally Speaking is a voice recognition program that is used for the general public. Individuals with hearing impairments can also use this software because it creates text documents out of voice files.

Closed Captioning are the words at the bottom of the screen when watching television.

High Tech

Personal Frequency Modulation (FM) Systems are like miniature radio stations operating on special frequencies. This systems uses a transmitter microphone used by the speaker and a receiver used by the listener. The receiver transmits the sound to the ear of the listener or to the hearing aid directly if the listener is wearing one.
iCommunicator performs as a communication tool that concerts the voice of an individual into text on a computer. This technology translates voice into sign-language or a computer generated voice.

Powerful Videos that resonated with us!

 

Deaf Seahawk Inspires Hearing Impaired Students

The Lion Sleeps Tonight by African Deaf Children's Choir

Grayson Hears his Father's Voice for the First Time

References:

•  International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation
• Kids Health.org 
• Kentucky's Office for Americans with Disablities
• WPU Assistive Technology
• Assistive Tech for the Hearing Impaired
• Apps For The Deaf And Hearing Impaired

The Research Says...A Review of AT & UDL Research

Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technology: Leadership Considerations for Promoting Inclusive Education in Today's Secondary Schools

Jaime Messinger-Willman and Matthew T. Marino

This article introduces Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) and paints a true picture of the wide diversity of learners in our classrooms today as well as the difficult task of teachers to motivate and support this diversity so that all students have the opportunity to learn. "For many students with LD, the typical secondary curriculum (i.e., content, instructional methods, classroom materials, and assessments) contains formidable barriers to the learning process" (p. 6) and assessment results reflect the learning gap that exists because of this inequality. The necessity of intake of vast amounts of new information, skills for interpreting and analyzing text features and their significance, and task persistence on the part of secondary student coupled with the barriers created by their disability, is too often enough to cause high rates of frustration, repeated failure and eventual drop out, say the authors. The article turns to a brighter outlook, however, when it begins to discuss the multiple was in which UDL has been incorporated into a vast number of facets of our world, and how the employment of such a concept in our education system can change all of this for our young people. The fit of UDL and AT into our secondary school communities in this time of  rapid technological advancements is undeniable. The key to its success, however, say the authors is familiarity and professional development on the part of teachers. As the steps of making the AT Match are discussed, the significance of the role of teachers and administrators are outlined in this article which, in my opinion, gives hope and vision for the future of all of our learners up to and beyond high school.

Learning from Text

by Dave L. Edyburn, Ph.D.

This article focuses on the realities of the classroom and the prevalence of text as the primary presentation of information as being text. The article carefully articulates the importance of a wide variety of instructional strategies being employed by teachers as being critical to the success of students who are capable of  achieving appropriate academic expectations, however, demonstrates reading skills at a much lower level. Edyburn admits that this is a systemic issue in education today and that"proactive efforts must provide a compensatory technology enhanced performance system that produces functional outcomes indistinguishable from those of his peers" (p. 17). The debate of compensation vs remediation is also mentioned in this article as well as the failure that seems to be necessary prior to the realization that AT is needed in order for a students to be successful - a dangerous scenario if we are working to make schools safe and comfortable spaces for all children.Because the feeling of a student that "If the instructional and remediation efforts of all my teachers have failed to teach me to read, will I be provided with compensatory tools that allow me to access the meaning of text that I cannot read by myself?" (p. 18), is not uncommon, many students often drop out of school because of the prolonged experience of frustration and failure.

This article was both informative and realistic and I found it beneficial because it was solution-based and provided us as readers, practical options, both remedial and compensatory, to support our struggling readers in the classroom by making text more easily accessible to ALL.

A Unit-Based Approach to Adaptations in Inclusive Classrooms

Jennifer A. Kurth

This article does a great job defining UDL and clearly articulating its implementation in the classroom. The author's goal is to examine closely the useful and applicability of UDL to adaptations to support our struggling learners while simultaneously giving ALL learners multiple ways to access information as well as multiple ways to  represent their learning. The awareness and familiarity  that teachers must have of their students' strengths and challenges is at the forefront of this article and it clearly outlines many questions, steps and processes that teachers may both individually and collectively go through when planning the tasks, instructional and assessment strategies that will work best for ALL students. The Unit based Approach includes:

• Step 1: Determine Student Learning Support Needs 
• Step 2: Evaluate Classroom Routines
• Step 3: Define Student Learning Outcomes
• Step 4: Gather Materials and Create Specific Adaptations (Adaptations can be related to resources, classroom routines, instruction, assessment)
• Step 5: Implement Adaptations
• Step 6: Evaluate Adaptations

The Unit-based Approach also emphasizes the impact of collaboration on the part of teachers and formalizes the process of co-planning with Teacher Talks during which time any important adaptations for students are planned..."Talk sheets are used as a joint planning session, in which the general education teacher shares plans for the upcoming week, lesson, or unit, including worksheets or chapters that may need to be adapted as well as any tests or long-term assignments" (p. 37). Again, I really liked this article because of its overwhelming practicality to classroom teachers...kind of like a "recipe for success".

Logistical Issues in Developing Inclusive Classrooms

James McLeskey and Nancy L. Waldron

The story of the "excluded" students in an inclusion classroom rang too true for me. I have had the misfortune of being in many classrooms where the facade of including everyone is preached, however, the inclusion of the students is purely physical because there is little to no engagement and interaction with the teacher or their fellow students.The authors clearly articulate the meaning of "normal" in this article and that our "normal" needs to be that we are all different leaving the old definition that is so constraining, exclusive and conformity driven behind. Fostering natural, independent, minimally intrusive supports is so critical for our students not only for their academic success but equally important for their social success. By having support workers accompany students with disabilities into classrooms rather than promoting the independence of these students, barriers are automatically put up and the true essence of inclusion is lost. Gersten and colleagues have suggested, among other things, that for classroom supports to be sustained over time, they must:

• Fit the details of day-to-day classroom instruction.
• Be perceived by teachers as being effective for typical students as well as for students with disabilities.
• Enhance the teacher's current repertoire of instructional methods.

The rhythm of the day for many students with disabilities is not conducive to their becoming part of the close knit classroom communities that are established throughout the school, and although this intricate support planning of  teachers are all very well-intentioned, it it is not true inclusion. McLeskey and Waldron feverishly emphasize the importance of ALL classroom planning revolving around diversity so that ALL students are offered a variety of ways to access and share knowledge and learning but simultaneously admit that the logistics can be tricky. i liked the article for its honesty of what is currently happening in many of our so-called inclusive classrooms because I feel its solution-based approach is realistic and provides encouragement and pointers to teachers on how to truly include ALL students! 

Improved Lesson Planning With Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Susan Joan Courey, Phyllis Tappe, Jody Siker and Pam LePage

This article begins as an advocate for teachers. It clearly articulates the growing diversity and needs of our students and makes a request that the Professional development, in particular that of the implementation of UDL, reflect the increasing need to support a wide range of learning styles and skill sets.

On site capacity building in the area of UDL is suggested in this article as a way to ensure that teachers are supported as they work to make their classrooms and curriculum  more accessible. Data was gathered in a "Before - After" sequence as as teacehrs were asked to design lessons at these stages of their PD which focused on the UDL framework.Here's how the lessons were evaluated:

Researchers concluded that a 3 hour session on UDL was indeed found to be effective and go into some detail as to the specific modifications that were made by participating teachers after receiving the professional development. The importance of considering the students strengths and challenges at the commencement of the planning process instead of as an afterthought is evident in the research presented in this article.Again, I found this article useful as it provided hands on resources to support teachers as we work to be universal in our classroom and lesson design and the case study  and sample section made the practicality of the implementation of the UDL Framework both doable and rewarding.

iPads as instructional tools to enhance learning opportunities for students with developmental disabilities: An action research project

Therese M Cumming

The authors of this article begin with an overview of the research that supports the use of technology and multimedia as effective instructional tools in the classroom and discuss their relevance to the theory of UDL and their impact on learning in particular for students with Learning and physical Disabilities. The focus of their research centered around the benefits of the iPad as an effective, adaptable and cost effective option for our classrooms.Their task was to determine firstly the professional development and training that teachers felt they needed in order to make the iPad an integral part of their students learning and the impacts that the iPad has for students when employed as an instructional tool. Along with the teachers involved in the study, the researchers focused on four high school students with a diversity of developmental disabilities.The action steps were organized throughout four terms from initial training to increasing independence of use by students and data was collected via teacher blogs, student video interviews, teacher video interviews and focus group meetings. "The 'Learning' theme consisted of several categories ('access to curriculum,' 'real-world learning,' 'outcomes,' 'engagement,' and 'independence'). All teachers described how the iPad has made it easier to differentiate instruction for each student. They also discussed how the iPad affords students more capability to access the general education curriculum. Most of the teachers also noticed improvement in student work. MD summed it up: I am able to see improvement in the levels, as they are achieving more goals and
meeting many outcomes from their life skills syllabus and individualized education plans" (p. 165). Teachers also noted the relevance and engagement students experience through use of the iPad and, in addition, their independent learning abilities increased. Students clearly articulated the support the iPads offered them, making more tasks easier to accomplish. The authors also outlined some challenges and frustrations experienced by the teachers, however, their overall perception of the ease of use was a positive and increased their ability to reach and engage a wide range of learners in many engaging and inclusive ways!

To See A Great UDL Resource , CLICK HERE

And here...Free Resources from the Net for EVERY Learner Supporting Universal Access and Universal Design for Learning

mathrocks4life - Rocking Math Understanding