160 likes | 280 Views
Hearing Disabilities. Learners Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Overview- Isolation can accompany a hearing loss Controversy concerning whether children should be educated to communicate orally or through manual sign language
E N D
Learners Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing • Overview- Isolation can accompany a hearing loss • Controversy concerning whether children should be educated to communicate orally or through manual sign language • Some do become fluent enough in spoken English to function in mainstream society • Many members of the Deaf community consider themselves part of a cultural minority rather than disabled
Definition and Classification • Decibels- units of relative loudness of sounds • Congenitally deaf- deafness that is present at birth; can be caused by genetic factors • Adventitiously deaf- deafness that occurs through illness or accident in an individual who was born with normal hearing • Prelingual deafness- deafness that occurs before the development of spoken language • Postlingual deafness- deafness occurring after the development of speech and language
Degrees of Hearing loss • Mild- 26-54 db. • Moderate- 55-69 db. • Severe- 70-89 db • Profound- 90 and above
Prevalence • Differences in definition, populations studied, and accuracy of testing contribute to varying figures • U.S. Dept. of Education estimate that about .14 percent of the population from 6-17 years of age is identified as deaf or hard of hearing
Anatomy and Physiology of the Ear • The Outer Ear • Tympanic membrane (eardrum)- Anatomical boundary between the outer and middle ears; the sound gathered in the outer ear vibrates here • Auricle- The visible part of the ear; cartilage; collects sounds
The Middle Ear • Ossicles- three tiny bones (malleus, incus, and stapes) that make a transfer of sound waves from the eardrum to the oval window • Mallues- hammer-shaped bone • Incus- anvil-shaped bone • Stapes- stirrup • Oval Window- The link between the middle and inner ears
The Inner Ear • Vestibular mechanism- located in the upper portion of the inner ears; responsible for sense of balance • Cochlea- snail-shaped organ that lies below the vestibular mechanism, converts the sounds into electric signals that are transmitted to the brain
Measurement of Hearing Ability • Screening Tests • Otoacoustic emissions- low-intensity sounds produced by the cochlea in response to auditory stimulation; used to screen hearing problems in infants and very young kids • Pure-Tone Audiometry- a test where tones of various intensities and frequencies are presented to determine a person’s hearing loss • Speech Audiometry- technique that tests a person’s detection and understanding of speech
Tests for Young and Hard to Test Children • Speech reception threshold (SRT)- the decibel level at which a person can understand speech • Play audiometry- use of a game-like format to test hearing of young and hard to test children. • Tympanometry- a method of measuring the middle ear’s response to pressure and sounds
Causes • Conductive- transfer of sound in outer or middle ear • Sensorineural- inner ear • Mixed Hearing Loss- combination of both • Hearing Loss and the Outer Ear • External otitis-swimmer’s ear (infection) • Hearing Loss and the Middle Ear • Otitis media • Hearing Loss and the Inner Ear • Congenital cytomegalovirus
Psychological and Behavioral Characteristics • English Language and Speech Development- English vs, ASL • Intellectual Ability-difficulty in testing • Academic Achievement-deficits • Social Adjustment- based on communication
Educational Considerations • Oral Approach: Auditory-Verbal Approach and Speechreading • Total Communication • http://www.masterstech-home.com/ASLDict.html • The Bicultural-Bilingual Approach • Service Delivery Models • Technological Advances
Early Intervention • Critical-language development-oral vs. manual • Children with deaf parents develop language (ASL) faster
Transition to Adulthood • Postsecondary Education • Gallaudet University • Traditional univrsities • Family Issues • 95% choose deaf spouses • 90% of their offspring can hear