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CHAPTER ANNOTATION

9. EQUIPMENT NEEDS and HEARING AIDS

A number of technical aids are available to assist the student in accessing the curriculum. Consult your teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing or the audiologist in your region to ask what specialised equipment would best meet the needs of your student. For example, overhead projectors and closed caption decoders are items which may be helpful. Adaptations to audiovisual equipment, which allow for direct input into the student's FM system, are also available.

As language and listening are key elements in the daily routine of the classroom, hearing aids in good working condition are a critical factor in the student's success. Some basic information on what the hearing aid can, and cannot do will increase your comfort level.

Hearing aids simply amplify all sounds. As a result, not only speech but all background noise is also amplified. The increase in sound does not mean that you can assume the student now has normal hearing. Sound may be distorted. Also, as the distance from the sound source increases, particularly in a noisy environment, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between speech and background sounds. The degree of benefit is also dependent upon the degree of hearing loss. No amount of amplification will help if the loss is so profound that little residual hearing remains in certain frequencies. The information you receive from the audiogram will help you to determine what information your student can gain given optimum listening conditions and appropriately functioning hearing aids.

Hearing aids:

will not restore normal hearing
will amplify all sound
must be in excellent working condition
must be worn consistently

Your student with a hearing loss should come to your class with personal hearing aids and he/she may also be provided with an FM system. An FM system, usually referred to as Auditory Training Equipment (ATE) consists of a microphone for your use, and a receiver to be worn by the student. Properly functioning ATE puts your voice directly at the student's ears. Students fitted with FM systems should come to you with a support system in place. That is, an audiologist, a teacher of the deaf or an audiological technician will ensure that you have all of the information you require to use, and troubleshoot the equipment. Ask that they provide you with an in-depth checklist of "what to do if... " for the specific equipment assigned to your student.