Deaf/Hard of HearingAccording to IDEA, deafness is defined as “a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.” Hearing impairments are defined as “impairments in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance” (NICHCY, 2012).

BrittanyLee Mobert EEX 5017

Causes of Hearing Loss: Congenital Hearing Loss: Congenital

hearing loss is any loss of hearing that is present at the time of birth.

o Genetic: Occurs when a gene from one or both parents impacts the development of the intricate hearing process. This can affect the outer, middle, or inner ear and have varying degrees of hearing loss.

o Prenatal: Factors such as in utero infections, illness during pregnancy, toxins consumed by the mother, or cytomegalovirus may cause hearing loss in the infant. Emergency procedures used during delivery can also cause hearing loss.

Acquired Hearing Loss: Acquired hearing loss is any loss of hearing that develops after birth.

o Chronic ear infections (Also called otitis media): Ear infections can cause temporary hearing loss, however if left untreated can have more permanent effects.

o Ototoxic drugs: These are prescription drugs usually prescribed to treat serious illness such as meningitis. Side effects can cause hearing loss.

o Diseases: Diseases such as meningitis, mumps, Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, etc. can cause various levels of hearing loss.

o Head trauma: Injuries (such as those during sports) can have effects on hearing.

o Perforated ear drum: Can be caused by severe ear infection, head trauma, or insertion of a foreign object. Often times the eardrum will heal itself, leaving only temporary hearing loss.

Types of Hearing Loss

Conductive: Sound waves are not able to pass through the outer and/or middle ear to the inner ear for processing.

Sensorineural: Caused by damage to the tiny hairs within the cochlea in the inner ear; sound is unable to be converted into electrical signals for the auditory nerve.

Mixed: A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Neural: A result of damage to the auditory nerve that connects the cochlea to the brain.

Auditory Neuropathy: Sound enters the ear normally, but the transmission from the ear to the brain is impaired.

A look at the inside of the ear…

Hearing loss may occur if any part of the hearing process is not functioning

properly.

Characteristics of Individuals with Hearing

Loss Delayed Language Development: If

hearing loss goes undetected throughout the first months or years of life, the child’s language acquisition begins later in life. “When a child does not have normal hearing, they struggle to learn every sound, every concept, every word, and every grammatical structure of spoken language” (Hooper & Umansky, 2009, pp. 319).

Delayed grammar and syntax: Children who are deaf or hard of hearing often learn some form of sign language as their first language. American Sign Language has a sentence structure very different from English making it difficult for these children to learn how to read and write. Students also show difficulty with grammar and syntax in English.

Trouble balancing: Congenital hearing disorders related to the vestibular system can cause difficulty balancing. If hearing loss goes undetected, this can lead to delayed gross motor skills.

Social Isolation: Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are living in a hearing world. They often miss auditory cues and conversations casing difficulty when interacting with their hearing peers. This can lead to isolation (Cheour, 2012).

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A child with congenital hearing loss and an underdeveloped pinna.

Statistics on Hearing Loss 17% of Americans will

experience some form of hearing loss in their lifetime.

3 out of every 1,000 children born in the U.S. are born deaf or hard of hearing.

9 out of every 10 deaf children are born to hearing parents.

1 out of every 5 people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wear one.

Approximately 15% of American age 20-69 experience hearing loss due to loud sounds and noise from work environments.

There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss: 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing loss.

Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,

An infant wearing a hearing aid.

A child wearing a cochlear implant.

Interventions for Children with Mild,

Moderate, and Profound Hearing Loss

Hearing Aids: Although there are several different types of hearing aids, the behind-the-ear aids (shown to the right) are the most recommended for children. A custom ear mold is fitted with wires connected to the aids placed behind the ear. Children must frequently have their hearing aids monitored and have new molds made because their ears are growing quickly.

Cochlear Implant: A cochlear implant is a technological device designed to enhance the hearing of individuals who are deaf. A small chip is surgically placed behind the ear and the individual wears an outer piece around the ear. Research suggests that a cochlear implant can bring a greater awareness and a broader range of sounds for many deaf children in comparison to traditional hearing aids. Use of this device requires a rigorous pre-implantation process, a surgery to implant a portion of the device, an activation process to program the externally worn portion of the device called a speech processor, participation in an auditory habilitation program and involvement in an educational program that uses and values spoken language. Cochlear implants are not available for all types of hearing loss.

American Sign Language (ASL): ASL is a language using the hands and facial expressions to convey communication. ASL is not English, but its own language with a very unique language structure.

Signed Exact English (SEE): This

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Deaf students at the McLean School of Maryland using American Sign Language as their primary form of communication.

Still Curious?Listed below are some websites that are useful for parents of deaf children, educators working with a deaf child, or individuals wishing to learn more about being deaf and the deaf culture.

Clerc Center at Gallaudet University http://www.gallaudet.edu/Clerc_Center/Information_and_Resources.htmlThis website is managed by Gallaudet University (a University catering to deaf individuals) and provides extensive information about communication technology and resources for new parents.

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearinghttp://www.agbell.org/This website provides information for individuals wishing to learn more about hearing loss as well as resources for parents and professionals.

References BIBLIOGRAPHY Cheour, M. (2012, July 12).

Characteristics of Hearing Impaired Children. Retrieved from Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/212414-characteristics-of-hearing-impaired-children/

Hooper, S., & Umansky, W. (2009). Young Children with Special Needs. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.

Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. (2012, July 12). Clerc Center on Deafness. Retrieved from Gallaudet University: http://www.gallaudet.edu/Clerc_Center/Information_and_Resources/Info_to_Go.html

National Institute of Health. (2012, July 12). Quick Statistics. Retrieved from National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/Pages/quick.aspx

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