Deaf+and+Hard+of+Hearing

=**Deaf and Hard of Hearing Assistive Technology In the Classroom**=

**by Michele Weiss-Glaza**
= =

Overview
Someone that is deaf or hard of hearing has a sensory impairment that occurs when the capacity to hear, with amplification, is limited, impaired, or absent and results in one or more of the following: reduced performance in hearing acuity tasks; difficulty with oral communication; and/or difficulty in understanding auditorally-presented information in the education environment.

Hearing assistive technology makes sound accessible to people with a hearing loss. This may be accomplished through amplification of sound or accessing other senses to convey meaning (such as lights and vibrations). Where there is a challenge to listening, such as in large groups, hearing assistive technology sends amplified sound directly to the listener’s ear. Alert sounds, such as doorbells, telephone rings, smoke detectors, and pagers are made accessible through flashing lights and vibrators worn on or near the body. Computers offer the promise of automatically translating the spoken word into readable text (currently in the development phase). Through technology, people with hearing loss are gaining improved access to the information hearing people have always taken for granted.

There are many students that are deaf or have a significant hearing loss in the public school system and this can lead to a lack of communication and a sense of isolation or frustration which can directly affect their learning. There are many assistive technology devices that can be used to help improve this situation and provide a better educational environment for both students and teachers. There are also some devices that I have researched that can be used at home for parents that may be deaf or hard of hearing to better communicate with thier child's teachers.

[|Learning Difficulties for the Hearing Impaired]

//**Editor’s note:** This article is provided for information only and is not intended as an endorsement for any of these products.//

=**Examples of Assistive Technology that can be used in the Classroom for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:**=
 * Hearing aids: [|Audiology and Hearing Aids] [|Hearing aids in the Classroom,]
 * Wearable video communication system: [|Audisee] [|Other Devices for Deaf and Hard of Hearing]
 * Visual enhancement: [|Interactive Whiteboards Enhance Learning Article], [|SMART Board use for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing]
 * Communication and translation computers: [|Interpretype ITY technology]
 * Assistive listening devices: [|Raising Deaf Kids ALDs], [|Phonic Ear]
 * Headphones [|Ableplanet Linx Audio]
 * Amplification systems: [|For more about FM systems click here.]
 * Real-time captioning: [|CART for Deaf and Hard of Hearing]
 * Telecaption decoders: [|Caption Display by Able Data], [|Decoder by HiTec,]

=What are Assistive Listening Devices?= An assistive listening device (ALD) is any type of device that can help you function better in your day-to-day communication situations. An ALD can be used with or without hearing aids to overcome the negative effects of distance, background noise, or poor room acoustics. So even though you have a hearing aid, ALDs can offer greater ease of hearing (and therefore reduced stress and fatigue) in many day-to-day communication situations. //**Hearing aids + ALDs = Better listening and better communication!**//

Who is qualified to determine if my child needs an ALD?
The ability to select, evaluate, fit and dispense FM systems falls uniquely within the realm of the **certified audiologist**. Many school districts employ certified audiologists who specialize in educational setting issues. Their expertise includes the evaluation for and the selection, procurement, and monitoring of ALDs used in school by the child. Furthermore, audiologists guide and instruct teachers and students in making the best use of ALDs.

Is there legislation that supports the provision of ALDs to children?
Increased availability and usage of FM systems are due in large measure to legislation that mandates access to technology for persons with hearing and other communication disabilities: (1) the **Americans with Disabilities Act**, (2) the **Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)**, and (3) **Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act**. Under IDEA, consideration of assistive technology for any child with a disability must take place as part of the development of the Indvidualized Educational Program. Each in some way deals with the issue of "access" to instruction. Of course, for the child with hearing loss, "access" means being able to hear instruction! Links to Assistive Technology for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

=What are examples of ALDs that can be used in the classroom?=

**Personal frequency modulation (FM) systems**
FM systems are like miniature radio stations operating on special frequencies assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. The personal FM system consists of a transmitter microphone used by the speaker and a receiver used by you, the listener. The receiver transmits the sound to your hearing aid either through direct audio input or through a looped cord worn around your neck. This short video shows you more about FM systems. Professor Megan Conway demonstrates how she uses an FM Assistive Listening Device to help her hearing.

media type="youtube" key="M4lBkdRereE" height="175" width="277" align="left" Personal FM systems are useful in a variety of situations such as listening to a travel guide or book review, in a classroom lecture, in a restaurant, in a sales meeting, or in a nursing homes or senior center. FM systems are also used in theaters, places of worship, museums, public meeting places, corporate conference rooms, convention centers, and other large areas for gathering. In this situation, the microphone/transmitter is built into the overall sound system. You are provided with an FM receiver that can connect to your hearing aid (or to a headset if you don't wear a hearing aid).media type="youtube" key="jWPB7ZPHGg4" height="184" width="254" align="right"

There have been many advancements in the FM systems technology and now there is someting called the Dynamic Speech Extractor which amplifies the teachers voice when necessary by an aoutmatic digital fee. Studies show that this allows for a 50% increase in voice recognition when the classroom noise level goes up. The video to the left explains how this technology work. [|For more about FM systems click here.]

An audiovisual FM system
Audisee is a combination of both audio and visual assistive technology. It is an assistive device to facilitate speechreading and hearing, primarily in educational settings ranging from elementary to graduate school. It is manufactured by Audiosoft of Canada, by a couple who have a deaf son.

The Audisee is composed of a dual transmitter worn on a speaker/presenter with a microphone for the FM component and a camera for the visual component. The voice and live images are transmitted wirelessly to the student with a receiver/monitor on their desk. For more information about this technology [|Audisee]

Sound Field Systems
Sound field systems are often used in the classroom as well. Much like the FM systems, sound is transmitted to receivers in the classroom to clarify and evenly distribute the teacher's voice. The difference is that with this system all the students benefit instead of just one.

This video is an overview of classroom listening devices. Aucustics, location and distance from the teacher all contribute to the loss of being able to hear the teacher and therefore a loss of focus and not understanding what is being said. This is a type of infrared classroom sound amplification system which increases the speech to noise ratio.

For more information about classroom amplification systems: [|Lightspeed Technologies] [|Front Row Classroom Amplification Technology] [|Audio Enhancement]

**Induction Loop Systems**
The inductive loop systems are most common in large group areas. They can also be purchased for individual use. This type of assistive technology is beneficial because unlike the classroom amplification systems, students that are deaf or hard of hearing need directt input into thier hearing aids, not just amplified sound. This is a short news video about the hearing loop system used in connection with hearing aids. media type="youtube" key="DQwVEeqBOHk" height="180" width="326" align="left"An induction loop wire is permanently installed (perhaps under a carpet) and connects to a microphone used by a speaker. (In the case of individual systems, a wire loop is laid on the floor around you and the speaker.) The person talking into the microphone creates a current in the wire which makes an electromagnetic field in the room. When you switch your hearing aid to the "T" (telecoil/telephone) setting, your hearing aid telecoil picks up the electromagnetic signal, and you can adjust its volume through your hearing aid.

For more information about induction loops: [|Audio Frequency Induction Loops] [|Center for Hearing Loss Help] [|Ampetronic Audio Induction Loop]

CART
For students with severe hearing loss, the CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) system can be of great benefit. Originally used for court transcription, CART has found new applications in the classroom. A specially trained CART operator uses a transcription machine to record all spoken text. The text is displayed either on a computer monitor or projected on a screen. One benefit of this system is that all speech is recorded, not just that of the teacher. This allows the hearing impaired student to keep up with comments from other students, and participate more fully in the classroom. Another benefit is that there is a written record of everything said in the classroom. The teacher can use these transcripts to review his classroom material and student remarks. If the teacher decides to make the transcripts available to students, they can use them as a study aid. The CART system is usually only seen in university or college level institutions. The cost is greater than other systems because of the need to pay an operator. Students who have had access to CART, however, often prefer it over other Assistive Learning Devices. They can understand better what is going on in the classroom and play a more active role. In California a court recently determined that a CART system was necessary for a deaf high school student who was a cochlear implant user in order to receive FAPE. http://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/oah/seho_decisions/2006110090.pdf

Interpretype: A New Communication Solution?
Using the tag line, “The Conversation Piece”, Interpretype is described as, “//an interactive communication device that provides a means of communicating without using speech.//” The compact device includes two laptop–type keyboard units that communicate with each other via cable. The screen is small to permit visual communication between both users. The manufacturers suggest the use of Interpretype in any setting where there is need to communicate between deaf and hearing people. The manufacturers recommend the device as an auxillary aid in meeting ADA requirements. All the ads and materials focus on being ‘Deaf–friendly.’ In fact, Interpretype comes with a handbook entitled, “Creating a Deaf–friendly Workplace.”

Will Interpretype be the wave of the future, used in restaurants, banks, and offices? Visit the Interpretype web site and see what you think?

Other Visual Systems and Alerting Devices
Classroom use with these devices is very limited and often not necessary, however, I have included some information and resources to get more information about this area of assistive technology.

There are visual systems that can be used alone or in combination with listening devices and hearing aids. Persons who are hard of hearing or deaf, or even persons who have no hearing loss, can benefit. There are also alerting devices that signal you when a sound occurs. For example, there are doorbell, knock-at-the-door, or phone alerting devices; fire alarm/smoke alarm devices; baby-crying devices or room-to-room sound alerting systems; vibrating clock alarms; vibrating paging systems; and vibrating watch alarms. Many use strobe light or conventional light to alert you; others use vibrating systems to alert you. this was taken from the site
 * Examples of visual systems include the following:**
 * 1) //**Text telephones**, which allow phone conversations to be typed and read rather than spoken and heard//
 * 2) //**Computerized speech recognition** which allows a computer to change a spoken message into a word processed document//
 * 3) //**Closed-captioning TV**, which allows text display of spoken dialogue (All TVs with screens of at least 13 inches diagonal measurement must have built-in captioning.)//
 * 4) //**Note taking**, which allows a hard of hearing person to concentrate on listening and watching a speaker while a trained person takes notes (This has been used in schools not only for students who are deaf or hard of hearing but also for students who are unable to write.)//

=For more information and product availability on visual and alerting devices:=

[|Assistech Products and Information]

[|Hearing Loss Association of America]

[|Listen-Up Web]

[|Assistive Technology for the Classroom]

[|Deaf and Hard of Hearing Technology]

[|Technology for Hearing Impaired]

[|E-Michigan Deaf and Hard of Hearing People]