Deafness

Imagine a world without sound. Never hearing your favorite musician, hearing the birds sing, or even hearing the panicked honk of a horn. For some this is an everyday occurrence. Deafness is an issue that some students face every day when they come to school. It is our job as educators to provide compensatory technologies that will help them in many class settings.

Deafness may be only a physical characteristic or it can signify both a physical condition with a social/cultural perspective. Hearing impairment can run the full gamut from mild loss to profound. The main characteristic that separates the hearing impaired person from the deaf person, is whether they relate primarily to the hearing world or to the deaf world. Hearing impaired persons at one time or another were able to hear and continue with traits of the hearing world. Deafness most likely means sharing very few traits of the hearing world (Ex. Speech).

  Hearing loss in children

In the USA, 12.5% of children aged 6–19 years have permanent hearing damage from excessive noise exposure. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children should have their hearing tested several times throughout their schooling:

• When they enter school
• At ages 6, 8, and 10,
• At least once during middle school
• At least once during high school

Besides screening children for hearing loss, schools can also educate them on the perils of hazardous noise exposure. Research has shown that people who are educated about noise-induced hearing loss and prevention are more likely to use hearing protectors at work or in their private lives.