• Give no response when spoken to

• Often give irrelevant or incorrect responses to questions

• Seem unable to follow spoken directions to carry out an activity
• Express confusion or uncertainty when unable to understand
• Hold head in an abnormal position to listen "better"; seems unable to lo
cate the source of sound
• Watch a speaker's face intently
• Seem inattentive, but pays more attention to visual things
• Speak more loudly or softly than expected for a situation; have an
unusual vocal tone, resonance, or pattern of speaking
• Use gestures and objects to get attention more than would be expected
• Seem to have language problems (structure, syntax, and vocabulary)
• Seem to withdraw from interaction in groups
• A physical examination
The doctor will look into the patient's ear using an
otoscope (auriscope); an instrument with a light at
the end.
• A blockage caused by a foreign object.
• A collapsed ear drum.
• An accumulation of earwax.
• An infection in the ear canal
• A tuning fork test -
also known as the Rinne test. This test may have been done
by the doctor. A tuning fork is a metal instrument with two
prongs that produces a sound when it is struck. Simple tunin
g fork tests may help the doctor detect whether there is any
hearing loss, and where the problem is.
• Audiometer tests -
the patient wears earphones, sounds are directed into one
ear at a time. A range of sounds at various tones are present
ed to the patient who has to signal each time a sound is hea
rd. Each tone is presented at various volumes so that the au
diologist can determine at which point the sound at that ton
e is no longer detected. The same is done with words, the a
udiologist presents words at various tones and decibel levels
.
• Bone oscillator test - used to find out how well
vibrations are passed through the ossicles, the
three bones in the inner ear. A bone oscillator is
placed against the mastoid. The aim is to see how
well the auditory nerve is working..
Causes of conductive hearing loss include:
• Wax buildup
• Fluid in the middle ear due
to colds or allergies
• Fluid in the middle ear due
to poor eustachian tube
function (the eustachian
tube drains
• Fluid from the middle ear
and ventilates it to regulate
air pressure there.)
• Ear infection
• A foreign object lodged in
the ear
• A ruptured eardrum (also
called a perforated eardrum
or a tympanic membrane
perforation), which means
there is a tear in the
membrane that separates
the outer ear from the
middle ear
• Structural malformation of
parts of the ear
• Trauma to the ear
• In rare cases, tumors
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:
• Exposure to loud noise
• Aging
• Medicines that damage the ear (ototoxic)
• Illnesses, such as meningitis, measles and certain autoimmu
ne disorders, among others
• Genetics—that is, hearing loss runs in the family
• Trauma to the head
• Structural malformation of the inner ear
Inclusion Readiness Scale for Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Students
• Fostering a Positive Mainstream Experience
• Reinforce positive coping strategies
• Promote self-advocacy and activities that foster inclusion. A
mainstreamed pupil may need more formal instruction on how to
interact socially with his/her normally hearing peers.
• Support daily use of personal hearing aids, cochlear implants and
other assistive listening devices prescribed for the student.
• Help the pupil understand his/her own hearing loss and provide an
opportunity for the student to share information with the class about
hearing loss, and how his/her hearing aids, cochlear implant and/or
FM system works.
• Provide opportunities to meet other D/HH students on a regular basis
.
• Make sure to review safety and emergency procedures directly with
the D/HH student. In the event of a fire or emergency situation,
check all restrooms since many D/HH children may not be able to
hear the alarms.
• Preferential Seating
• Seat the student with his/her back towards the light source (typically a
window or open door) since it is difficult to speech read or see other visual
clues when looking into the light.
• If a child has a “better” ear seat him/her with his/her better ear towards the
teacher.
• During group activities, encourage the student to watch the faces of the
other children when they speak. Semi-circle seating is especially helpful to a
D/HH student.
• Try not to seat D/HH students near air conditioners, heaters, open doors or
windows, computers, overhead projectors, or near other high noise areas of
the room.
• Seat the student near the front of the classroom with good visual access to
the teacher. Sitting off to one side also allows greater access to the majority
of students in the room during class discussions.
• Seat the child near a peer “buddy” to assist in keeping the student on track.
By watching his/her buddy, the D/HH student will also gain clues to missed
information.