Assistive tools for Hearing
Today, there are various forms of technology and tools which are available to help meet the needs of students who suffer from hearing loss. These tools may assist the student with the development of language, listening, and learning skills. The following is a brief description of a few amplification tools which may be used in the classroom.
It is important to remember that as technology changes, students may come to school with new equipment. Teachers should familiarize themselves with any new equipment.
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are small electronic devices worn in the ear to help amplify sounds. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sounds which are loudest or closest to the device will be amplified the most. Hearing aids do not restore the students hearing and they do not ignore specific sounds.
Students should wear the hearing aids on a full-time basis (unless otherwise advised by an audiologist or physician) while in school. It is important to check the devices daily and to ensure the school has arrangements made regarding battery replacement and routine device cleaning.
Because hearing aids amplify noises which are loudest or closest, sometimes it may be difficult for the individual wearing them to hear when there is background noise. In a typical classroom, there are a number of background noise sources which may prove to be troublesome for the student (noise from peers, heating or ventilation systems, hallway noise etc.). Please refer to the Classroom Accommodations tab to see what you can do to provide your hearing impaired student with the best possible learning environment.
Examples of various hearing aid styles:
It is important to remember that as technology changes, students may come to school with new equipment. Teachers should familiarize themselves with any new equipment.
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are small electronic devices worn in the ear to help amplify sounds. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sounds which are loudest or closest to the device will be amplified the most. Hearing aids do not restore the students hearing and they do not ignore specific sounds.
Students should wear the hearing aids on a full-time basis (unless otherwise advised by an audiologist or physician) while in school. It is important to check the devices daily and to ensure the school has arrangements made regarding battery replacement and routine device cleaning.
Because hearing aids amplify noises which are loudest or closest, sometimes it may be difficult for the individual wearing them to hear when there is background noise. In a typical classroom, there are a number of background noise sources which may prove to be troublesome for the student (noise from peers, heating or ventilation systems, hallway noise etc.). Please refer to the Classroom Accommodations tab to see what you can do to provide your hearing impaired student with the best possible learning environment.
Examples of various hearing aid styles:
Cochlear Implant
Cochlear implants are amplification devices which may help students with higher degrees of hearing loss. They do not completely restore hearing to normal levels. An implant comes in two parts; one part of is surgically placed inside the wearer’s cochlea and it bypasses damaged ear structures to send electrical signals to the auditory nerve; the second looks similar to a hearing aid and is worn externally, but it is actually a small, sound-processing computer.
Although a cochlear implant provides benefit in most listening environments, some implant users experience the same difficulties listening in the presence of background noise as students using hearing aids. More information regarding Classroom Accommodations can be found here.
Example of a cochlear implant:
Personal FM Systems
An FM system is an electronic device that transmits sound from the teacher or speaker to the student.
The student wears a special receiver which is connected by a cord to their hearing aids, and the teacher wears a microphone which sends his or her voice to the student’s receiver. The student hears sound as though the voice was close. This helps to prevent some of the issues regarding background noise that you may find with hearing aid use alone.
It is important to maintain and monitor FM technology on a daily basis to ensure proper functioning.
Illustration of how an FM System works:
Freefield Amplification Systems
Freefield Amplification systems are similar to FM systems. These devices send the teacher’s voice to speakers strategically placed speakers around the room. They are used in classrooms where the acoustics are poor and the background noise makes it difficult for all students to hear.
As previously mentioned, speakers are strategically placed around the room and the teacher wears a wireless microphone which transmits his or her voice. Students who suffer from slight or mild hearing loss benefit from these systems because the teacher’s voice is audible throughout the classroom. It is also possible to link a freefield system to a personal FM system.
A Closed Captioned Decoder
An electronic device that translates audible language into written language that can be read while listening to the speaker. Typically, the older electronic systems require an attachment between the decoder and the electronic system program being decoded, however, the program package would have to specify if the available content was captioned. Technology in televisions and videos of the twenty-first century are much more advanced and allow for options in captioning for those who are hard of hearing without external attachments. Advanced recorders are exceptional in their ability to translate spoken language that a student with a hearing disability can play back and be able to read and pick up on missed words or information from instruction. This is known as 'real-time' captioning.
Laptop Computer Note-Taking
This method allows students who are hard of hearing to focus on the spoken content. A note-taking peer records the lecture instruction on a laptop, while the hard of hearing student reads from the laptop screen. The notes are then printed and utilized as a learning/study resource for the student, student peer and teacher.
Telephone Aids
Telephones with built-in amplifiers help those with hearing loss to adjust sound to the appropriate volume control level. Another communication device known as a TTY/TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) is attached to the telephone, where the conversation takes place through a typing system that is then translated by the end user. In Alberta, The Message Relay Centre (MRC) is available as a service for those who do not have TTY/TDD availability.
An electronic device that translates audible language into written language that can be read while listening to the speaker. Typically, the older electronic systems require an attachment between the decoder and the electronic system program being decoded, however, the program package would have to specify if the available content was captioned. Technology in televisions and videos of the twenty-first century are much more advanced and allow for options in captioning for those who are hard of hearing without external attachments. Advanced recorders are exceptional in their ability to translate spoken language that a student with a hearing disability can play back and be able to read and pick up on missed words or information from instruction. This is known as 'real-time' captioning.
Laptop Computer Note-Taking
This method allows students who are hard of hearing to focus on the spoken content. A note-taking peer records the lecture instruction on a laptop, while the hard of hearing student reads from the laptop screen. The notes are then printed and utilized as a learning/study resource for the student, student peer and teacher.
Telephone Aids
Telephones with built-in amplifiers help those with hearing loss to adjust sound to the appropriate volume control level. Another communication device known as a TTY/TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) is attached to the telephone, where the conversation takes place through a typing system that is then translated by the end user. In Alberta, The Message Relay Centre (MRC) is available as a service for those who do not have TTY/TDD availability.