Are you a teacher whose classroom includes individuals who are hearing impaired? Do you know someone who is Deaf or hard of hearing and want to communicate with him or her more effectively? If so, this post will supply you with helpful tips that will increase communication between yourself and someone who is hearing impaired, encouraging learning and understanding.
Do you feel confident communicating with individuals who are hearing impaired?
If not, it’s likely that you need to brush up on your communication skills. It’s important to remember that people communicate differently based on their needs and upbringing. It can be exciting to learn new methods of communication and tweak old ones. It is also very rewarding to feel assured that you are getting your message across to someone, and vice versa.
Here are a few tips for communicating effectively with an individual who has a hearing impairment.
Quick Tips for Communicating with Someone Who is Hearing Impaired
– Do not speak too fast; take a more moderate pace.
– Keep your hands from your face while speaking. In other words, do not allow anything to obstruct your face and mouth.
– Try your best to ensure minimal or no noise in the background while you are speaking.
In the Classroom
– Repeat questions that other students ask to ensure the hearing impaired student has full understanding of the classroom discussion.
– See that a student with a hearing impairment sits in the seat that best suits him or her.
– Are you using class discussion questions during your lecture? If so, make sure they on written either on a board or “an overhead projector.”
– “Use visual aids with few words and large images and fonts.”
– Pass out written or typed classroom materials, such as instructions and lecture notes, before class begins.
To see more tips and information about accommodating students with a hearing impairment, visit http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strategies/Disability/Hearing/ and scroll down to the very bottom of the page.
How do you communicate most effectively with individuals who are hearing impaired?
We know that Canada’s disability community is probably loaded with knowledge of communication as it relates to hearing difficulties. What are your tips for communicating with someone with a hearing impairment? Please share your wisdom by leaving a comment.
Sources:
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strategies/Disability/Hearing/
Image made available by alkruse24 on Flickr through Creative Commons License.
*Please note: All research for this article is compiled from direct and third party sources. Mention of programs, organizations and companies does not imply support of The National Benefit Authority. Pictures are for creative purposes only; they are not intended to sell or promote products for the NBA and belong to the accredited individual, organization or company.
Let’s Talk About It
Are you hearing impaired? If so, please share your pet peeves of communication and what others should do to best communicate with you.
What are your tips for teaching students who are hearing impaired?
I am slowly becoming a hearing impaired person with other disabilities as well. For many years one ear plugs up with wax but only the left ear. I was told by a specialist that there was nothing wrong with that ear and he had cleaned it out I think. Using all his tools to test my hearing he said my other ear was getting bad and I would be deaf in it very soon. They use a fairly high powered syringe type of tool too clear the wax out. It usually does a great job. It didn’t work that time but a few months later I went to my family doctor and he used the syringe tool and all of a sudden my ear started working and I said wow I can hear again after a couple years being deaf in my left ear.
It is incredible when you can’t hear even in one ear and then you can. Right now it is ringing and static abounds so I will try to get an appointment to see my physician Dr. Bonington and see if he can make it better. It is irritating not being able to hear much and another sensory organ I am more and more lacking is my sense of smell.
I was incarcerated in a federal prison in BC. I was diagnosed with ear infections in both ears and prescribed antibiotics. The doctor gave me my medications with instructions to start taking it right away.The next day I was transferred to a different institution,my medication was taken away upon arrival to the new facility and I was told I would need to see the doctor first before I could receive my antibiotics. It took over 3 weeks for a doctor to see me.When I finely saw one he sent me to a specialist in the community who told me I was now hearing impaired from the untreated infections and would need hearing aids for the rest of my life.I received hearing aids from the institution and months later after my release I am now receiving a disability income from the government. I think the institution and Its medical neglect are responsible for my disability, How about you??? What do you think??
i would love to volunteer with you.i have knowledge in sign language.
My experience with being hearing impaired (totaly deaf in my left ear and 60% eaf in my right ear), since the hearing imperment in my left ear is due to nerve damage there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. Fortunately, with my right ear I am able to use a hearing aid. As most hard of hearing persons know, hearing aids are both a blessing and at the same time are capable of causing alot of problems. ‘Hearing’ people assume because you have a hearing aid you are able to hear as they do! Here are some guidlines for communicating with the hearing impaired…
- when talking to the hearing impaired Please face them as you talk and at the same time do your best not to exagerate your words i.e. talking loudly and Very slowly as if the person cannot understand your words because you may think they are ‘slow’. If you face the person and speak in a slightly lowder voice than usual the hearing impaired will be able to understand what you are saying.
- always remember that there is background noise. To the hearing impaired this is a Huge disadvantage. Something as quiet as a tap running, music or television in the background or children playing quietly are all sounds that drown out the capacity to hear what is being said to hearing impaired persons. Alot of the time I decifer what has been said incorrectly and can be quite different than what was actually said.
- please do not compair a hearing imperment with blindness. Hearing persons often say “I would rather be deaf than blind”.
Because it is easier to compare blindness (cover your eyes and walk around your house for 20 min. experiencing what it would be like to be blind) have you ever stuffed your ears with cotton batton or another material so you cannot hear what is being said in a social situation? Try this for 20min. at a dinner party. If you are lucky you may be able to pick up on about 20% of conversation. As the packground noise interferes with your ability to hear correctley and the added frustration of people facing away from you as the speak.
In short I would like to quote Hellen Keller “Blindness separates you from things” – “Deafness separates you from people”.