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SARA BOLKEMA EXCEPTIONAL CHILD JANUARY 31, 2002 C CO OLLLLE EC CTTIIO ON NO OFF E EXXPPEERRIIEENNCCEESS –– H HEEAARRIINNG G IIM MPPA AIIR RM ME EN NTTS S What does it mean to be “hearing impaired”? According to Michigan law, as stated in PA 198/451, the team “hearing impaired” refers to both deaf persons and persons who are hard of hearing. A student who is hard of hearing has any type or degree of hearing loss that interferes with development or adversely impacts educational performance in a regular classroom setting. A deaf student possesses a hearing loss so severe that the auditory channel is not the primary means used in developing speech and language skills. In order to classify a student as either deaf or hard of hearing, a multidisciplinary evaluation team (MET) including an audiologist and an otolaryngologist or otologist must perform a comprehensive evaluation. This determination must not be made solely on the basis of behaviors relating to environmental, cultural, or economic differences. But…what does it really mean? In my high school orchestra, I had an acquaintance named Kim. Kim was a violinist. However, unlike the rest of the violinists, Kim was hearing impaired. Large hearing aids in both ears helped her auditory comprehension. In addition, Kim sometimes used an amplification device to help her hear the conductor’s comments during a rehearsal. The conductor would wear a microphone that then reproduced his or her voice in the headphones Kim wore. If it weren’t for these external devices, however, an outsider might not know Kim had any trouble hearing at all. Her speech and speech comprehension were very much like those of a non-hearing impaired person. Only occasionally did she have to ask someone to either repeat what he or she had said or to face her when they talked. Although Kim was not the top violinist in the school, she was by no means the worst. Her intonation was very good, especially considering the fact that merely hearing the difference between pitches was a challenge. In order to help her learn the difference between notes, she would sometimes lay on the floor while she practiced in order to feel the different vibrations of each pitch. Kim also played with finger tapes to serve as an extra reinforcement of the correct placement of each finger. Although I did not know Kim well, she was an inspiration to me. Despite the added challenges she faced, her love for the violin shone through. What if that were me? In the years we played together in orchestra, I often wondered what it might be like to be in Kim’s position. In my exceptional child class, I recently had an opportunity to get a slight taste of the life of a hearing-impaired person by taking the Unfair Spelling Test. In this spelling test, a list of words was read three times. The first reading was altered to sound as it would to a person with a severe high-frequency hearing loss. The second reading sounded as it would to a person with a milder hearing loss. The final reading was unaltered. When we prepared to take the test, my expectations were high. I placed great faith in the ear training I have been receiving in my music classes, trusting that that training would give me a slight advantage in taking the test. Needless to say, with the first reading of the list, I was proved completely wrong. I had no idea how ordinary speech might sound to a more severely hearing impaired person. Subconsciously, I believe I expected sounds to be primarily quieter, not necessarily blurred together. The first reading completely stumped me. It took the first few questions to begin to hear “number one”, “number two”, etc. before each word. However, the words themselves were incomprehensible to me. After each one, I resolved to concentrate harder for the next. Even so, I wrote down no words for the first hearing. I was unable to make any sense of any of them. The slight hunches I did have seemed so unjustified that I could not bring myself to even write them down. Not being able to understand the words made me feel helpless and stupid. It was also incredibly frustrating. Having completed the first test, the tape moved on to the second reading of the words. With a lesser hearing loss, I was able to make out a few words. In some cases, although I could not make out a word, I could identify a beginning sound. Even so, the experience continued to frustrate me. It was aggravating to feel so close to understanding and yet not be able to accurately and confidently identify every word spoken. Needless to say, I was relieved when the second test was over and the words were read without a simulated hearing loss. Perhaps not surprisingly, the third test revealed that I had in fact heard only one word correctly during the second reading. A number of Listening intently… other attempts from the second reading were close only in sound to the correct answers. It was aggravating to realize that even my best efforts were not good enough. I simply was not able to correctly hear the words with even a mild hearing loss. My attempts on the Unfair Spelling Test… Now what? From my brief experience with a hearing impairment, I can take valuable lessons for my future as a teacher. The most powerful emotion I experienced during the Unfair Spelling Test was that of frustration. When I am teaching, I will do my utmost to prevent students with a hearing impairment from becoming unduly frustrated at any point. To accomplish this goal, I will do everything in my power to allow for effective communication. I may use an amplification device similar to Kim’s, an interpreter, or any other measures necessary to assure good communication with all students. At no point do I want an HI student to experience frustration due to difficulty communicating. Likewise, I also want to prevent such students from experiencing the sense of stupidity that I felt at being unable to comprehend spoken language. I want to make students with a hearing impairment feel that they are on an equal plane with every other student. In other words, my ultimate aspiration is to create a classroom environment in which all students can succeed and feel welcomed, regardless of hearing ability. Although I certainly learned good lessons from the Unfair Spelling Test, it was knowing Kim that taught me the most about living with a hearing impairment. Watching her determination in orchestra showed me that a hearing impairment does not have to stand in the way of one’s dreams. Kim’s use of an amplification device as well as her innovative practice technique clearly illustrate that new ideas are necessary for the inclusion of hearing impaired students, particularly in a music classroom. Nevertheless, this also shows that such modifications can be made and can be highly successful. Certainly it would be nearly impossible for an entirely deaf person to learn to play a musical instrument. This does not mean, however, that such students cannot gain an appreciation for music. After my experience with Kim and with the Unfair Spelling Tests, I began to wonder exactly how best to teach music to the hearing impaired. Over the course of my college career, I hope to gain more insight into some possible methods of instruction. Ultimately, through the use of a variety of creative techniques, I hope to teach all students, hearing impaired or not, about the joy of music.