ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Echague, Isabela
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
(The 13 Disability Categories under IDEA)
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
In Partial Fulfillment in the Requirements in the Subject
Prof. PEd 224: Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
Submitted by:
Lamzon, Joshua Q.
Baniwas, Lorna
Cudal, Kristina
Ramos, Jeygar A.
BPEd 2 Student
Submitted to:
Mrs. Lovelinda Natividad
Instructor
Second Semester
S.Y. 2019-2020
Categories of Special Education ( The 13 Disability Categories under IDEA)
Hearing Impairment
Hearing impairment as a disability category is similar to the category of deafness, but it is not the
same. The official definition of a hearing impairment by the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) is “an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a
child’s educational performance but is not included under the definition of ‘deafness.'” Thus, knowing the
definition of deafness is necessary to understand what sort of disabilities are considered hearing
impairments. A hearing loss above 90 decibels is generally considered deafness, which means that a
hearing loss below 90 decibels is classified as a hearing impairment.
Common Traits
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) explains that
hearing loss falls into four subcategories: conductive, sensorineural, mixed and central. These identify
the location in the body in which the hearing impairment occurs. Hearing aids and other sound amplifying
assistive technologies (AT) often work for students with conductive hearing loss, as their impairments
stem from the outer or middle ear. Such does not hold true with sensorineural, mixed and central hearing
losses, as these impairments stem from the inner ear, the central nervous system or a combination of the
two. Typically, hearing loss is categorized as slight, mild, moderate, severe or profound, depending on
how well an individual can hear the frequencies that are commonly associated with speech.
Educational Challenge
Educational obstacles related to hearing impairments stem around communication. A student with a
hearing impairment may experience difficulty in:
the subjects of grammar, spelling and vocabulary
taking notes while listening to lectures
participating in classroom discussions
watching educational videos
presenting oral reports
Underscoring the difficulty that students with hearing impairments may have in presenting oral
reports are the potential language development problems linked to hearing impairments. Arizona’s
Department of Education’s Parent Information Network notes that, “Since children with hearing
impairments are unable to receive some sounds accurately, they often cannot articulate words clearly.”
Tips for Teacher and Parents
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) strongly endorses
early intervention. This can limit communication hurdles. Typically, both oral (speech, lip reading and
use of residual hearing) and manual (sign language) communication are used with and taught to children
with hearing impairments. Voice and articulation training is often recommended to help students learn to
form the sounds which they cannot hear.
Designating a note taker can allow a student with a hearing impairment to concentrate fully on listening to
a lecture. A combination of traditional communication, lip reading, sign language and assistive
technology can compensate for issues which make listening to lectures and participating in class
discussions challenging. Children who read lips often need to sit close to the teacher, while those who use
sign language may use an interpreter. Turning on captions during a video can reiterate what a student may
pick up from his or her amplifying device.
Finally, it’s important that parents and teachers don’t underestimate a child’s intelligence based on a
hearing impairment. Arizona’s Department of Education’s Parent Information Network warns, “For most
children with hearing impairments, language acquisition and language development are significantly
delayed. As a result, some may incorrectly estimate the child’s intelligence as low.” Avoid this mistake!
Reference
https://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-profiles/hearing-impairments/
