Download Working with Scouts who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Working with Scouts
who are
Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Irene Zachry
ASM Troop 477
S4-83-14-1 Participant
S4-83-16-1 Staff
What is a hearing loss?
•
Reduction in the ability to understand the
spoken word.
•
•
•
•
Three Basic Types of Hearing Loss
Mild
Moderate
Severe
What is it like to have a hearing loss.
Add Background Noise
Step 1. Learn how the person prefers to
communicate
• Oral/ Aural
• Sign Language
• Lip Reading
• Written
Step 1. Be Patient
• Be Patient, for both of you
• Don’t fixate on only one
way to get your message
across
• Don’t get frustrated
Step 3. Always be inclusive
• Never speak to the group while
your back is turned.
• Always check for eye contact
before speaking
• Use visuals in attention getting
Step 4. Never Dismiss the Message
• Don’t give up and say, “Never
Mind” or “It’s not important”.
• Encourage others to speak
directly to the scout, not through
you or another adult.
• Don’t over emphasis your words
Step 5. Lip Reading is NOT Easy!
Think it’s easy to read lips?
Well only about 30% of the population can
actually read lips 100% accurately.
Take this online test and let’s see how well
you do.
http://blog.hearingdogs.org.uk/2014/07/celebrities-lipreading-quiz/
http://www.hearinglink.org/lipreading-quiz
Step 6. Speak one person at a time.
• Take turns, especially in large
groups.
• Give the person adequate time
to change their focus from one
speaker to the next
Step 7. Use visuals
• Write announcements down
• Use email, text messages and
other visuals to provide details
Hearing Assistive Devices
• Be comfortable with them
• Understand basics of how they
work
Hearing Aid Options
 Behind The Ear (BTE)
 In The Ear (ITE)
 In the canal (ITC)
 Completely in the
Canal (CIC)
 Cochlear Implant (CI)
Hearing Aid Options