The success of providing effective communications to a
person with hearing loss in the classroom and the vehicle is determined by
focusing on three main areas: the environment, the student and the parents. The
following is a guide to assist you in teaching the deaf in the classroom and
vehicle.
The
Environment: The deaf student in
the classroom will be relying on their residual hearing, speech reading (lip
reading), your lesson preparations, and your visual and writing cues to
understand the lesson that day.
Residual
Hearing: The student that
relies on residual hearing will find it very difficult if the room has a lot of
surface areas that reflect sound.
Reduce the sound by putting fabric on the walls and carpet on the
floor. The use of an auxiliary audio
enhancement device can also be used.
Speech Reading: In order for
a deaf student to effectively follow the lesson you must be aware of the
student’s position in the classroom.
Seat the deaf student in a location where they can clearly see you. There are several adjustments you must make
to ensure effective communication: stay away from windows, never speak while
turned away from the students, such as while writing on the board, and keep
your hands away from your face. These
adjustments may seem minor but are important to the student with hearing loss.
Following these simple instructions will increase your communication.
Lesson
Preparations: It is also
important to provide the deaf student an outline prior to each class. An
outline will make it easer for the student to follow the lesson and the student
will become familiar with any new terms that may be taught prior to class. Write a brief outline containing the major
concepts on the board at the beginning of class for the deaf student to follow
as you move from one topic to the other. These visual cues will assist the deaf
student and will aid in lesson comprehension.
If possible avoid discussion groups, as it is difficult for most deaf
students to follow and participate, and therefore should be avoided if
possible.
The
Student: To provide effective communication to a deaf student in the classroom,
it will be important to have a pre-enrollment interview with the parents to
find out in details the abilities and limitation of the students enrolling in
the program. The instructor must also
assess and understand the student’s abilities.
This can be done with the aid of the parents during the pre-enrollment
interview and having the instructor test and observe the deaf student in the
classroom.
The
Assessment: The assessment of
the deaf student should be done before they enter the classroom. Some of the questions that should be asked
during the assessment are: does the student speech read? Sign? Have they been
mainstreamed? Are they profoundly deaf or do they have some residual
hearing? If they do have some residual
hearing, ask if they have any devices they can use to assist them in hearing
during the lessons.
Classroom
Involvement: A deaf student will
experience “classroom fatigue” faster than the hearing student since the deaf
student has to work to follow the lesson. To reduce classroom fatigue it is
important to use workbooks and take breaks. It’s also important to remember
that a deaf student may be self-conscious; therefore, it is important not to
draw attention to their disability, such as making the deaf student read out
loud or using the deaf student’s hearing impairment as a way to keep the class
quiet. Be aware that a deaf student may have mastered the art of looking like
they understand what you’re telling them but in reality they are confused, lost
and need further instruction. It is
important to provide worksheets and a test at the end of each lesson to make
sure you have been effective in your communication.
The
Parents: Because driving lessons require skill, it is imperative
that the parents are involved. Use the parents as a resource for accessing what
the deaf student will need prior to class.
Regular contact should be made throughout the drivers training course to
gain feedback as to how the student is progressing and if the deaf student is
comfortable in the classroom. Provide the parents with resources such as
articles, handouts, and videos for their review with the student to provide any
necessary clarification of the lesson.
The uniqueness of the vehicle environment presents a few
added issues that need to address to ensure effective communication is being
provided to the student. It is essential to prepare prior to going on the road.
Instruction in the vehicle will incorporate all the concepts previously
discussed, plus the use of a note pad and the set of hand control signals
included with this handout.
The
Environment: Like the classroom,
the vehicle should be free from noise. This will be important if the deaf
student is relying on residual hearing to follow your directions. Rolling up
the windows and turning off the radio are a few simple things you can do to cut
down on unnecessary noise.
Lesson
Preparation: A note pad, pen, and
a predetermined route should be organized prior to each lesson in the
vehicle. Before the start of each road
lesson, the instructor should show the student the hand signals the instructor
will be using throughout the lesson indicating increase or decrease speed,
right turn or left turn, or the sign that the student is doing a good job. In addition to the hand signs, the deaf
student should understand that they should proceed straight at intersections
and cross streets unless instructed differently. Establishing the communication tools from the
beginning of the lesson will lead to effective communication.
The
Student: Again, to provide
effective communication to a deaf student in the vehicle, the instructor must assess
and understand the student’s abilities.
This can be done with the aid of the parents, testing and observing the
deaf student in the vehicle.
The
Assessment: In addition to the
questions the instructor asked to determine the needs of the student in the
classroom, it will be important to find out in detail if the student has any
limitations that would affect their ability to drive a vehicle.
Because driving lessons require skill, it
is imperative that you develop an easy program the parents can follow at home
with their own vehicle. Regular contact should be made throughout the drivers
training course to gain feedback as to how the student is progressing with
their driving skills and if there is a need for additional help. Provide the
parents with tips as to where and when they should practice in the vehicle.
Driver education offers us a unique environment to teach
skills that will be utilize by the student for the rest of their lives. Using these tips will not only help foster effective
communication in the classroom and on-the-road, but will be a blue print for
the parent and the student to safely continue their driving skill development.