6.

1 That’s Exceptional Signature Assignment

Abigail Roe

Fresno Pacific University

ECD 440: Students with Exceptionalities in School and Community

Professor Patricia McDowell

August 20, 2022

 Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Levels of hearing loss can vary from person to person. Depending on the severity of the

hearing loss and the personal preference of the person, there are key differences between people

who are Deaf versus people who are Hard of Hearing. For instance, people who are deaf have

little to no hearing function. It is common for people who are Deaf to have little to no speech.

However, it is possible for people who are Deaf to be able to have clear speech without ever

hearing their own voice. They may choose to wear a hearing aid to have assistance with hearing

thumps and bumps, but it is common to not want to wear one at all. The preferred method of

communication for people who are Deaf is using American Sign Language or Signing Exact

English. Sign Language paired with lip reading is the most common form of communication.

People who are Hard of Hearing usually have milder hearing loss than people who are Deaf and

may be able to hear certain sounds in a certain range of volume. Like people who are Deaf,

people who are Hard of Hearing may rely on lip reading and sign language, however, they

typically will benefit from hearing aids allowing them to hear more sounds. It’s common for a

person who is Hard of Hearing to have a speech impediment due to not being able to properly

hear their own voice (Do It, 2022).

Being Deaf or Hard of Hearing can have an impact on family life. When someone in the

family is Deaf, it can lead to frustration due to the Deaf family member not being able to

communicate in the same way as the rest of the family. It is important to practice communication

within the family to ensure the family has healthy communication habits. It is common for

families of Deaf people to never learn sign language which can lead to resentment or frustration

on both sides. Frustration can also ensue when the family members are lazy with communication

and accidentally speak with their backs facing the Deaf family member. If the Deaf family
member relies on lip reading to communicate, this can be difficult for them to know what is

being communicated to them. Ultimately, they may feel disrespected or disregarded in the family

because of this. While the family may not mean to do this, it can still have a negative impact. A

good rule of thumb for people struggling with a Deaf family member is to ensure what you are

saying is being heard or ensure that the speaker understands that they are being heard.

Ultimately, the most important thing to remember when navigating family relationships such as

this is to simply be nice to each other. To avoid feelings of separation or being ignored, it is

helpful to communicate regularly and be forgiving (Jones, 2021).

In the community, different problems may arise due to strangers being in the mix. People

who are Deaf will encounter worlds of differences that Hearing people will never experience in

their lives. Being Deaf in a Hearing world can prove to be quite difficult when accommodations

are not set in place. Communication can be lost when the person cannot hear a public

announcement, slow talkers hindering lip reading, not being able to hear a movie at the theater

and missing the storyline, or missing important things when people are not able to get their

attention. Studies have shown that people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing are twice as likely to

experience depression and anxiety. This is a feeling that comes from feeling isolated from the

world due to experiencing the world much differently than Hearing people. Additionally, finding

help from a therapist is quite difficult due to most therapists not having the means to

accommodate the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Disability Experts of Florida, 2018).

Fortunately, Deaf people are able to find solace in their own company – through the Deaf

Community. In many towns, it is common for Deaf people to socialize together and keep up with

each others’ lives. These people consider themselves to be a part of their own culture with their

own values and traditions. After all, Deaf people have their own language that the majority of the
world does not understand. Deaf people value close relationships within their community and

maintain this closeness. It is common for the Deaf community to hold events, start clubs, and

participate in social activities. Identity is a huge part of Deaf culture, and because of this, some

Deaf people choose not to identify with the Deaf culture at all. According to the National Deaf

Center, Deaf people may find terms such as hearing impaired, deaf-mute, deaf and dumb and

hearing deficient to be offensive. Typically, the least insulting and most accepted term in the

community is Deaf and Hard of Hearing (National Deaf Center, 2019).

In an educational setting, many challenges can arise. Author Marilyn L. Weber described

being a Deaf child in a classroom as “trying to learn a lesson in a classroom trapped inside of a

clear sound-proof box. The only way you can gather information is visually and you will be

tested on what you’ve learned – or were supposed to have learned – at the end of the day. Seems

a bit unfair, doesn’t it?” (Weber, 2016). Because students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

need complete visual access to the teacher and their peers, it is very helpful to set the classroom

up in a U-shape to guarantee that the Deaf student(s) are able to see the faces of everyone in the

classroom. An issue that most people do not know about is the sound that fluorescent lights give

off that interferes with hearing aids and cochlear implants. When placing a Deaf student’s desk

in the classroom, ensure that windows are not behind the teacher or interpreter due to the glare

making it nearly impossible to read lips or sign language (Weber, 2016).

For most Deaf children, English is their second language. Lessons must be interpreted in

a language they understand completely, which in most cases, is sign language. Because of this

language barrier, Deaf students may struggle with things like understanding numbers, problem-

solving skills, and social cues. Deaf students need extra time to be able to absorb information due

to not being able to hear sounds and words that help them learn. Teachers should constantly be
checking in with their Deaf students to ensure they are not falling behind due to their disability.

To avoid leaving Deaf students out, teachers should be conscious of when they are speaking. In

order to read lips, teachers should not speak when their face is away from the student and allow

time for pauses to allow the Deaf student to think and process the information. It takes Deaf

people extra long to register information because not only are they processing information the

same way as us, but they have the extra step of reading lips (Weber, 2016).

Overall, there are steps that a teacher can take to ensure that Deaf and Hard of Hearing

students are receiving a supportive, quality education. These students do not have to fall behind

in a regular education classroom due to their disabilities. To maintain equity in the classroom,

lessons should include visual representations such as PowerPoint or actively writing and drawing

out the lesson on a whiteboard or chalkboard. Deaf and Hard of Hearing students are not able to

listen to a lesson and process visual cues at the same time. If an interpreter is being used in the

classroom, allow the interpreter to finish signing the lesson to the student before asking for

feedback. If lessons seem to be taught too quickly, it can be very helpful to pre-teach vocabulary

before the lesson begins. If the student does not understand the word that is being signed to them,

a third level of processing is added which could result in a further delay of learning (TTAC,

2019). All teachers should consider their students’ unique learning styles and cater to their needs

to ensure that all children are receiving an equal education.

 References

Deaf or hard of hearing. (n.d.). Washington.edu. https://www.washington.edu/doit/deaf-

or-hard-hearing

Flexer, S. (2018, September 14). Difficulties the Hearing Impaired Face Every Day.

Disability Experts of Florida. https://www.disabilityexpertsfl.com/blog/difficulties-the-

deaf-face-every-day

Jones, S. (2021, December 28). The Impact of Hearing Loss on Family Members. Healthy

Hearing. https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52650-Hearing-loss-affects-the-entire-

family

The Deaf Community: An Introduction. (2019). National Deaf Center. chrome-

extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/

sites/default/files/The%20Deaf%20Community-%20An%20Introduction.pdf

Instructional Strategies for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. (2019,

September). TTAC Online. https://ttaconline.org/instructional-strategies-students-deaf-

hard-of-hearing

Weber, M. L. (2016, August 21). 10 Challenges Deaf Students Face in the Classroom.

Getting Smart. https://www.gettingsmart.com/2016/08/21/10-challenges-deaf-students-

face-in-the-classroom/