This document provides information about supports for students with hearing loss in Baltimore County Public Schools. It describes the roles of itinerant teachers, cluster teachers, audiologists, interpreters, and other support personnel. Accommodations are outlined, such as preferential seating, use of equipment like hearing aids and FM systems, and communication strategies for teachers. General classroom accommodations include providing notes, using closed captioning, pre-teaching vocabulary, allowing breaks from listening, and checking for understanding.

1. Hearing Loss and
Your Classroom
Baltimore County Public Schools
Learning Support for Students who
are Deaf/ Hard of Hearing
Developed by Shannan Eisenklam, Teacher of Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

2. BCPS Service Model
Inclusion
Sign Language
Interpreting
Services
Audiology
Cued Speech Services
Transliterating
Services
Speech and
Language
Speech to Print Therapy
Transcription
Services
Itinerant
Services
Technology
Total Oral
Communication Communication
Classes Classes

3. The Role of the Itinerant
 Certified Teacher of Students who are
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
 Resource for students, parents, school
personnel
 Travel to schools where students with
hearing loss are included in the general
education setting

4. The Role of the Itinerant
 Direct service with student to monitor
comprehension and skills related to hearing loss
and IEP goals
 Indirect service to support school personnel and
monitor service delivery
 Assist school-based case manager with IEP
development and compliance
 IEP team member

5. The Role of the Cluster Teacher
 Certified teacher of students who are
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
 Provide daily instruction for D/HH students
 Self-contained with opportunities for
inclusion
 Resource room

6. Other Support Personnel
 Audiologist
 Speech Language Pathologist
 Special Educator
 School Nurse
 OT/PT
 BCPS Social Worker

7. The Role of the Audiologist
 Identify and evaluate hearing loss
 Attend IEP/504 meetings
 Provide information to faculty/staff regarding
hearing loss and:
 FM equipment
 Hearing aids
 Classroom accommodations and modifications
 Training for daily HA and FM checks

8. The Role of the Interpreter
 Facilitates Communication between
signed languages and spoken languages
 Ensures communication is understood by
others
 Accurately conveys all information
communicated
 Relays the affect of the speaker

9. The Role of the Interpreter
 Interpreters do not:
 Maintain or moderate students’ behavior
 Evaluate teachers’ competency
 Provide answers
 Assume duties of personal assistants

10. Using interpreters, transliterators,
and transcriptionists
 Provide a seat for the communication
professional that works best for the student.
 When speaking to the student, maintain eye
contact with and talk directly to him/her.
 Speak naturally.
 Allow only one speaker at a time.
 Provide new vocabulary in advance, if possible.

11. Questions?
?

12. Hearing

13. The Ear

14. Hearing Loss

15. Hearing Loss
 Sensorineural hearing loss (or nerve-related deafness) involves
damage to the inner ear caused by aging, pre-natal and birth-related
problems, viral and bacterial infections, heredity, trauma, exposure
to loud noise, fluid backup, or a benign tumor in the inner ear.
 Conductive hearing loss involves the outer and middle ear that may
be caused by blockage of wax, punctured eardrum, birth defects,
ear infection, or heredity.
 Mixed hearing loss refers to a combination of conductive and
sensorineural loss and means that a problem occurs in both the
outer or middle and the inner ear.

16. Audiogram

17. Hearing Loss Simulations
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Hearing Loss Simula
Used with permission from Scott Bradley, Ph.D., CCC-A
Associate Professor and Audiologist, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

18. Unfair Hearing Test
From “SAY WHAT…? An Introduction to Hearing Loss
American Academy of Audiology

19. Test Words
1. Fill 6. Bath
2. Catch 7. Fish
3. Thumb 8. Shows
4. Knee 9. Bed
5. Wise 10.Juice

20. Questions?
?

21. Equipment

22. Hearing Aids

23. Hearing Aids
 CAN
 Amplifysounds
 Be programmed to the student’s hearing loss
to maximize speech sounds
 Improve hearing in quiet environments
 CAN’T:
 Restore hearing capabilities to normal
 Filter noise

24. Cochlear Implant

25. Cochlear Implants
 Surgically implanted for students with
profound hearing loss
 Function best in a quieter environment
 Do not “correct” hearing
 When off/not working, student hears
nothing

26. FM Systems
 FM Listening Systems let teachers talk
into a microphone, which transmits the
sound of the teacher's voice directly to a
deaf or hard of hearing child's hearing aid.
 Direct amplification of the teacher’s voice
reduces the distraction of environmental
noise.

27. FM Systems

28. Wearing the Microphone

29. Equipment Checks
 Informal: Turn on equipment, turn away
from student, and say his/her name.
 Formal: Use paper to block
speechreading and ask student to repeat
words or sounds (Ling sounds).

30. Troubleshooting Equipment
 Make sure transmitter and receiver are
“on” and charged.
 Check all connections.
 Check batteries.
 Call itinerant/audiologist.

31. Questions?
?

32. General
Accommodations

33. Seating Accommodations
The student should be seated:
 with a clear view of the teacher
 with a clear view of board/overhead/visual
 with his/her “best ear” toward the teacher
 away from background noise (fans, heating units)
 with the light source behind him/her (glare from
windows)
 near a buddy who can help redirect

34. Communication Tips
The teacher/speaker should:
 Face the student as much as possible.
 Use frequent eye contact.
 Speak clearly in a natural tone.
 Keep objects and hands away from his/her face.
 Utilize visual materials whenever possible.

35. Communication Tips, cont.
 Allow extra wait time for answering a question.
 Call classmates by name so the student with the hearing
loss can readily identify who is speaking.
 Rephrase other students’ answers to provide repetition
and clarification.
 Ask specific comprehension questions to monitor
understanding.
 Call particular attention to directions/transitions.
 Write, then talk.

36. Classroom Instruction
Each general educator will:
 Provide copies of overhead/notes with abundant writing.
 Show ONLY closed captioned movies.
 Provide instruction of new vocabulary in advance of new
teaching.
 Allow breaks from visually attending or listening.
 Check for understanding if the student is not meeting
expectations.
 Have the same behavioral expectations as of other
students.

37. Questions?
?

38. The End!
Thank you for your time and attention.
Please feel free to contact me at any time
with questions and concerns.