Addressing Auditory Access Needs of School Age Children With Hearing Loss

It was rewarding to meet, network and learn from the Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss Conference in Orlando February 16- 18, 2017. The conference attendees came from different locations and backgrounds but all were challenged to become Zebra Experts! This included arriving at the conference wearing zebra shoes, sweaters, scarves, and more which was a great icebreaker and conversation starter.


In the keynote session, Karen L. Anderson, Ph.D., Director of Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss told us that, “When you hear hoof beats, they are usually horses and not zebras.” She explained that, 
• Hearing loss is not a disorder, like LD or language disorders 
• Hearing loss is not an attention disorder, like ADHD or ASD 
• Hearing loss is not a cognitive disorder, but academic delays and some functional classroom issues are common 
• Hearing loss can LOOK like every one of these issues.
Hearing Loss is not the same as other Special Education populations. Hearing loss is an ACCESS Issue creating barriers to learning in the typical classroom environment and impacting social interactions. One result is the cumulative learning gaps due to incidental learning/overhearing deficits. This invisible barrier is why it is necessary to consider functional performance in the classroom across situations. 

 Karen shared the areas of learning most likely to be impacted by hearing loss: 
• Language processing issues due to fragmented hearing, vocabulary gaps, syntax, listening rate, etc. 
• Social language use (socially awkward due to delays in pragmatic language development) 
• Periodic inattention due to listening fatigue and gaps in understanding 

• Passive or immature skills in responding when they do not understand 
what was said (need for self-advocacy) 
• Understanding group discussions or participating in small group work due to distance/noise 

Karen reviewed many assessments, checklists, and tools available on her website. She reminded us to gather data and then to:
1. Talk about access – it is at the heart of developing zebra ‘issues’ 
2. Be prepared to list specific learning challenges typically caused by hearing loss
3. Be sensitive to effective practices and potential challenges with HL 
4. Be prepared to describe the unique skills you bring to the team
5. Be ready to address the potential result in outcomes if another professional without DHH training is providing needed services 
6. Advocate for the intensity of services needed for the child to close gaps and to prevent further gaps from developing or compounding
Are you a Zebra Expert? Please share your experiences on how you address ACCESS needs of children with HL in and/out of the school realm.

First Day of School with "Harmony Hears A Hoot"

"Harmony Hears A Hoot" is a new book I received thanks to Island Wide Speech's founder and author Fara Augustover, M.A. CCC-SLP. I am excited to share this with my Little Listeners at the beginning of this school year. The story is about Harmony’s 1st day of school and is great for learning self-advocacy skills. The book highlights lessons such as: dealing with questions about devices from peers, FM systems, auditory, speech and language therapy, background noise, batteries, advocating, asking for repetitions, etc.!
"Harmony Hears A Hoot" follows a young owl who has a hearing loss. She already has a diagnosis, listening devices (e.g. hearing aids, cochlear implants, BaHa's, etc.), and now it's time to venture off to school. Children with hearing loss can learn with Harmony as she experiences meeting new people and the questions/situations that arise. This book offers a whimsical account that a children can relate to, and enjoy as they listen to the story and looks at the colorful illustrations, all while personally associating themselves with the main character, Harmony."
You can order a hardcover or ebook at www.harmonyhearsahoot.com or Amazon!
There is also a "Harmony Hears a Hoot" Activity Pack, Book Report Template and even an adorable handmade crocheted Harmony Doll.

I hope your Little Listener enjoys hearing about and learning with Harmony!

Teaching Mainstreamed Students with Hearing Loss Video for Parents, Teachers and Students, Zina Jawadi

                           Essential tips and techniques for teaching mainstreamed students with hearing loss (hard of hearing and deaf) in regular schools.
Researched, scripted, organized, and led by Zina Jawadi