Around 2 to 3 of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with hearing loss in one or both ears. Whilst many of those children excel in school, they often require extra help to be able to perform to their full potential.
How Does Hearing Loss Affect Children’s Educational Experience?
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), children with hearing loss have trouble in school, struggling mostly with reading and math. According to the association, children suffering from mild to moderate hearing loss may fall one to four grade levels behind other pupils unless they receive help. Issues that children with hearing impairment may encounter in school include:
Difficulty understanding speech. Even if a child on the deafness spectrum is able to lip read, only 30-40% of the English language is distinguishable using this method. This is why many students with hearing loss find it extremely challenging to understand speech in class.
Acoustic challenges. Background noise can severely affect the hearing abilities of children on the deafness spectrum. Sounds in the classroom can interfere with hearing aids and cochlear implants, preventing pupils from hearing clearly.
Language and literacy issues. These can involve hardship related to phonological awareness, expressive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and others.
Not enough resources. Many schools tend to operate on a very tight budget. This is why they may not always be able to provide accommodations required by students with hearing loss, such as assistive devices or one-to-one tutoring.
Irritability and low energy levels due to the extra concentration needed in school.
Social isolation and bullying. Not only do children with hearing difficulties find it hard to communicate with other pupils and create friendships, but unfortunately, they are also often the victims of bullying.
Helping Children With Hearing Loss in School
In order to do well in school, children on the deafness spectrum need to receive adequate support as early as possible during their education. There are different strategies that can help with that, including:
Positioning. Pupils suffering from hearing loss should sit at the front of the class. It can be helpful if they sit with a friend who can provide support in case it is needed. Sitting in a way that allows them to see other pupils’ faces when they speak can help with lip reading.
Minimizing background noise. Hearing aids and cochlear implants amplify background noise just as much as speech. This makes listening in noise much harder for children with hearing loss. To tackle this, they should be allowed to sit as far away from sources of noise as possible. Teachers insisting on quiet when addressing the class is also important when it comes to minimizing noise.
Providing support during class discussions. Hard of hearing pupils tend to have difficulties hearing other children’s comments and answers during class discussions. This is why it is a good idea for the teacher to develop a strategy of paraphrasing/summarizing their contributions from the front of the class.
Using imagery, graphics, and text labels. Many students experiencing hearing troubles are visual learners and find it harder to retain information if it is only presented verbally.
Consistent Use of Hearing Aids
Using hearing aids consistently helps children experiencing hearing loss develop speech and language similar to their hearing peers. Since speech development is dependent on hearing both your own speech and that of other people, it is of great importance that the pupil wears appropriate hearing aids for as much time as possible during their waking hours.
Supplying the child with hearing aids at an earlier stage is also important as when hearing pathways aren’t stimulated by sound, they don’t develop as well as they can. This makes regular auditory stimulation essential.
Benefits of Hearing Assistive Devices
Hearing assistive technology can significantly benefit hard of hearing pupils by minimizing background noise and helping with communication. Nowadays, various technologically advanced devices are available that, when used correctly, can absolutely transform the educational experience of children on the deafness spectrum. Have a look at some of our favorites below:
Phonak Roger NeckLoop Receiver (Type 02)
Specifically designed to function with educational products, including children’s hearing aid devices, this new-and-improved version of the previous Phonak Roger MyLink is the ideal classroom hearing accessory. It not only transmits audio from Phonak Roger microphones, but it can also stream from various other audio sources such as laptops and PCs. Additionally, it can transmit and record transcripts from lessons into chosen software!
Starkey Livio 2.4Ghz Table Microphone
This handy gadget was specifically created to improve speech understanding in noisy environments and is perfect for bettering students on the deafness spectrum’s hearing in class. It not only allows the user to manually choose the direction of sound they wish to hear, but it also has the ability to predict the direction on its own thanks to its built-in AI! Not only that, but it also doubles as a body-worn remote microphone for one-to-one conversations in environments with lots of background noise.
Phonak Roger On™ – Microphone Transmitter
Phonak’s newest state-of-the-art addition to their Roger™ portfolio combines all the best features of the Roger™ range into a single device. The Phonak Roger On™ pen utilizes 2.4Ghz Multibeam Technology and is brilliant at supporting streaming in difficult listening environments. Furthermore, it features a generous operational range of up to 50 meters, making it even more perfect for classroom settings.
Are you in need of an efficient solution to improve your hard of hearing child’s school experience? Why not have a look at our shop? We offer a wide range of hearing assistive devices that can completely transform the way in which they learn and interact with the world. Click here to have a look!
