Allen Chapter 6

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Chapter 6
Sensory Impairments: Hearing and
Vision

Deafness and Hearing Loss
• Deafness refers to a hearing loss so
severe that the individual cannot process
spoken language even with amplification
devices.
• Hard of hearing refers to a lesser loss,
but one that nevertheless has a definite
effect on social, cognitive, and language
development.

Deafness and Hearing Loss (continued)
• Types of hearing loss
– Conductive hearing loss
• A loss in the outer or middle ear
– Sensorineural hearing loss
• A loss in the inner ear (cochlea)
– Central deafness
• A loss in the higher auditory cortex
– Combined loss
• A loss in two or more of the above

• Warning signs of hearing loss
– Lack of response to environmental stimuli
– Tugs on ears
– Used to talk and respond and now does not
– Drops initial consonants
– Seems inattentive
– Looks confused when given directions
– Turns head to one side to hear better

• The impact of hearing loss on
development
– Effect on language development
• A child who cannot hear sounds during the critical
period may never master those sounds.
• Language delays are probable.
• Parents and caregivers may stop speaking to the
child, because he or she cannot hear them.

– Effect on cognitive development
• Language and cognitive skills go hand in hand.
• If children are behind in language skills, they are
more than likely going to be delayed cognitively as
well.
• Children with little or no hearing tend to be years
behind their normally developing peers.

– Effect on social development
• Shy and withdrawn categorize this child.
• May be impulsive, aggressive or have low self-
esteem.
• Unintentionally, they are often left out, because
hearing is so much a part of our world.
• Difficulty establishing friendships or entering into
conversation.

– Effects on family life
• Frustration
• Lack of time to learn new methods
• Difficult to establish behavior limits
• Family therapy and counseling

– Methods of communication
• Speech reading
– Child learns to read your lips while you talk.
• Cued speech
– A system of hand shapes and mouth movements in
which the child learns the combinations to understand
the spoken word.
• American Sign Language
– A language that consists of hand movements with or
without speaking.
• Total communication
– Combines speech and sign.

– Which method?
• It is family preference.
• No one method has been proven to be the best.

– Early intervention
• As with all disabilities: The earlier intervention is
begun, the better.
• Language learning is highly important.
• Children need to learn to use what residual
hearing they have.

• Guidelines for teachers
– Get down on the child’s level.
– Sit close to the child when talking.
– Make eye contact.
– Use short, simple sentences.
– Use concrete examples.

• Assistive technology
– Amplification devices/hearing aids
• Molded to fit the child’s ear.
– Problems: bad fit, dead batteries, feedback, on and off
switch, sore ears.
– FM system
• Child wears a receiver and the teacher wears the
microphone.
– Alerting devices
• Through vibration or lights.

Blindness and Vision Impairments
• Blind
– Visual loss is severe enough that it is not
possible to read print.
• Low vision
– Residual vision is sufficient to allow a child to
read large print or possibly regular print under
special conditions and to use other visual
materials for educational purposes.

(continued)
• Total blindness
– Inability to distinguish between light and dark.
• Most children can see some light and
shadows.

(continued)
• Types of vision problems
– Physical abnormalities
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Retinopathy of prematurity
• Cortical blindness
• Visual acuity problems
– Refractive errors
– Astigmatism
– Myopia
– Hyperopia

(continued)
– Muscular abnormalities
• Strabismus
• Amblyopia
• Nystygmus

(continued)
• Identifying vision problems
– Lack of eye tracking as an infant.
– May go undetected until a child is in school.
– A few tests are available for the younger child
• Snellen Illiterate E
• Teller Acuity Cards
• Photo Screening
– Children often do not know they have a
problem, because they do not know what they
are looking at.

(continued)
– Warning signs
• Rubbing eyes
• Closes one eye
• Watery or itchy eyes, not allergy related
• Inability to see, squinting
• Blurred vision

(continued)
• The impact of vision problems on
development
– Effects on language development
• Child cannot see objects, so they have trouble
learning the meaning of the spoken word.
• Children must be given time to explore concrete
objects to learn meaning.

(continued)
– Effect on cognitive development
• Delays due to concept development.
• Usually catch up by age five or six.
– Effect on motor development
• Delayed walking.
• Delays in localizing sounds.
• Difficulties in understanding their body and objects
in space.

(continued)
– Effect on social development
• Tend to be quiet and passive.
• Unable to participate in interactions that build
social skills.
• Play skills develop slowly.

(continued)
– Effects on family life
• Many vision difficulties are due to prematurity.
• Care givers may have difficulty interacting with
infant because infant does not smile back or react
during interactions.

(continued)
• Early intervention programs
– Orientation and mobility training
• This is a must.
• It exposes the children to their environment.
• If things are not moved often, the children can
learn independence at play and cleanup.

(continued)
• Teaching children with vision loss
– Concrete concepts
– Descriptions of objects
– Rich vocabulary

(continued)
• Guidelines for teachers
– Use words for everything.
– Be specific.
– Let the children discover through touch.
– Put different textured fabric at each center,
identifying the boundaries.
– Make use of their residual vision:
• Write words extra large and in bold colors.

Allen Chapter 6

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