Hearing Impairments

Hearing Impairments

• IDEA distinguishes between "hearing impairment" and "deafness."
• Must adversely affect a child's education to qualify.
• Can be permanent or fluctuating.
• Must adversely affect a child's education to qualify.

Prevalence

• Hearing impairments is a low incidence disability, affecting 0.2% of students ages 3-21.
• 1.2% of special education students.

Potential Causes

• Can be acquired or congenital.
• Infections, diseases, trauma, antibiotics, low birth weight, anoxia, hereditary

Characteristics

• Academic: below grade level, reading and writing issues
• Communication: poor speech, limited vocabulary, challenges with language
• Social/emotional: less socially mature, can be withdrawn, overly dependent

Teaching Strategies

• Reduce noise
• Be articulate
• Face the student when speaking
• Thoughtful grouping
• Use individualized technology
• Utilize constructivist approaches

Visual Impairments

Visual Impairments

• IDEA definition includes blindness and partial sight.
• Considered a disability only if loss is not correctable.
• Must negatively impact student's education to qualify

Prevalence

• Visual impairments are considered a low incidence disability affecting .1% of students ages 3-21.
• 0.04% of students serviced under IDEA.

Possible Causes

• Hereditary, prematurity, dysfunction (near and farsightedness)
• glaucoma, cataracts,

Characteristics

• Academic: specific areas affected depend greatly on severity of vision loss
• Mobility: disadvantages in using spatial information
• Social/emotional: can be withdrawn, overly dependent, unable to use nonverbal/social cues

Teaching Strategies

• Early intervention
• Large print text and paper
• Multisensory lessons
• Utilize manipulatives
• Limit copying from the board

Educational Environments

• General education classroom with consultation is most common LRE
• Resource room
• Special programs and schools
• Keep an eye out for children who SHOULD have glasses or corrective lenses but don't wear them!

Body Parts Reflection

• What does it: look, sound, feel, smell, and taste like?