Disability Fact Sheet #3 (FS3) - PDF document

Disability Fact Sheet #3 (FS3) Caroline was immediatelyfitted with hearing aids. Shesystem. Now in the first grade,therapy and other services, andher speech has improveddramatically. So has her vocabu- Caroline’s StoryCaroline’s StoryCaroline’s StoryCaroline’s StoryCaroline’s Story Caroline is six years old,with bright brown eyes and, atlike so many other first graders.She also wears a hearing aid insince she was three, when shewas diagnosed with a moderatehearing loss.For Caroline’s parents, there NICHCY: http://nichcy.orgnerves that supply it. Theseaffect the person’s ability tothan others. Thus, even withsound level, a person with asensorineural hearing loss mayperceive distorted sounds,sible. mixed hearing loss refers toa combination of conductivemeans that a problem occurs inboth the outer or middle andthe inner ear. central hearing loss ment to the nerves or nuclei ofthe central nervous system,either in the pathways to the A diagram of the ear. How Common isHow Common isHow Common isHow Common isHow Common isHearing Loss?Hearing Loss?Hearing Loss?Hearing Loss?Hearing Loss? Each year in the UnitedStates, more than 12,000 babiesoften, the cause is unknown.11 per 10,000 children; in atleast 50% of these cases, theThrough the Universalprogram, many states nowmandate that all newborns behours of birth. Signs of a Hearing LossSigns of a Hearing LossSigns of a Hearing LossSigns of a Hearing LossSigns of a Hearing Lossor Deafnessor Deafnessor Deafnessor Deafnessor Deafness Just as with Caroline, ourfirst grader, there will be signsthat a child may not be hearingnormally. Parents may notice EardrumAuditorySemicircular Outer ear Middle earInner ear Before we describe the typesof hearing loss a person mayhave, it’s useful to know thatsound is measured by:its loudness or intensity its erate, severe, or profound,depending upon how well aassociated with speech. Impair-either or both areas, and mayexist in only one ear or in bothears. Generally, only childrenthan 90 decibels (dB) arehearing loss, as follows. Conductive hearinglosses are caused by(the pathways for soundConductive hearing lossescies of hearing evenlysevere losses. A personwith a conductive hearinga hearing aid well or cansurgically. Sensorineural hearing result from damage More on IDEAMore on IDEAMore on IDEAMore on IDEAMore on IDEA It’s helpful to know that,wide range of hearing losses,including deafness, IDEAactually defines the two termsseparately, as follows:defined by IDEA as “anfluctuating, thatadversely affects achild’s educationalperformance.”“a hearing impairmentthat is so severe that theThus, deafness is viewed as acondition that prevents anin all or most of its forms. Inchildren received audiologyservices in early interventionprograms in the fall of 2004,while 139,643 children receivedservices.that, during the 2003 schoolyear, 79,522 students aged 3 to21 received special educationidiomatic expressions, andother aspects of verbal commu-nication. For children who aredeaf or have severe hearinglosses, early, consistent, andlanguage, fingerspelling, andhelp reduce this language delay.By age four or five, most chil-in school on a full-day basisand do special work on com-development.and audiologists to work to-the maximum extent possible,even if the preferred means ofchildren (over 90%) are born tohearing parents, programsshould provide instruction fordeafness within the family.People with hearing loss useoral or manual means of com-the two. Oral communicationvolves signs and fingerspelling.Total Communication, as a How-ever, the number of childrenis undoubtedly higher, sincemany of these students haveother disabilities and may beserved under other categories. Educational ImplicationsEducational ImplicationsEducational ImplicationsEducational ImplicationsEducational Implications does not affect a person’slearn. However, children whoare hard of hearing or deaforder to receive an adequateeducation. Such services mayregular speech, language,amplification systems;services of an interpreter forfavorable seating in the classcaptioned films/videos;assistance of a notetaker,student with a hearing loss,attend to instruction;instruction for the teacherand peers in alternatecommunication methods,counseling.difficult than children who havenormal hearing to learn vocabu-lary, grammar, word order, NICHCY: http://nichcy.org