Download Collection- HI

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.