Appendix B- Auditory Barriers to Learning

Introduction

 Aural disability is an umbrella concept signifying more or less amount of hearing loss
stretching from a range, minor to a serious hearing loss.

1.1.Degrees of Hearing Loss

 There are three categories of aural disability.
a) Partially hearing means, a hearing loss of less than 35 decibels (dbs.).
b) Hard-of hearing loss of 35 and 65 decibels.
c) Deaf generally shows a hearing loss in additional of 65 dbs.

2. Causes of Aural Disability

 There are two kinds of hearing loss generally classified, that is
a) A conductive hearing loss
b) A sensorineural hearing loss

2.1.Causes of Conductive Hearing Loss

 Conductive hearing loss takes place when the conductive passages for instance, the auditory
channel, middle ear and the openings that divide the middle from the interior ear are
affected.
 The disorders harm the middle ear or auditory channel in way that inhibits sound waves
from being transferred through the conductive canals and therefore be unsuccessful to get
connected with the middle ear, although the auditory nerves and their linking with the brain
are entirely ordinary.
 A hearing may be created by some of the following factors:
a) A jam of the surplus discharge of wax and toughening of the wax.
b) An obstruction of auditory channel by something.
c) Exterior otitis.
d) Swelling of the middle ear.
 People with hearing loss can hear chat if it is sufficiently noisy.
 The hearing loss is over all frequencies and can be assisted by any form of sound
amplification (increase).
2.2.Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss
 Sensorineural deafness is created by decline of auditory cells of the organ of Corti, or the
auditory nerve itself.
 Sound waves reach the interior ear but due to some blockade, they do not access the brain.
 A feature of sensorineural deafness is that the loss of hearing is generally not similar on all
frequencies.
 Specified frequencies can be heard clearly, others poorly and on the other hand, others not
at all.
 In most cases the hearing is inadequate for high frequencies.
 A sensorineural loss may be caused by some of the following factors:
a) Deafness can be genetic and happens in some families.
b) Deafness can be created by prenatal injury to the auditory cells or nerve which is
consequently a specific incubated ailment such as rubella (German measles) by the
mother during the first month of pregnancy which create an excessive damage to the
embryo.

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 c) Ailments such as encephalitis, measles, mumps and meningitis go together with high
fever can also harm auditory cells. A mother who has a medical condition from
congenital syphilis can also transfer the dangerous effects of the illness to a child.
d) Injuries during or just after birth can also cause harm in the auditory cells.
e) In some persons, deafness can be created by the utilization of drugs.
 Sensorineural deafness is terminal and there are no ways and means of recuperating the
hearing.
 Through auditory teaching, however, learners can be taught to make better use of remaining
hearing.

3. Manifestation of an Aural Disability

3.1.Conductive Hearing Loss
 A person suffering from conductive hearing loss hears badly through air conduction and
more or less well through bone transmission.
 Persons who suffer from conductive hearing loss have no struggle following the speech
provided if it is loud sufficient.
 Sufferers from conductive hearing loss regularly complain of constant buzzing sounds in the
head and ears.
 They naturally hear just as better than ordinary persons.

3.2.Sensorineural Hearing Loss

 When sensorineural deafness sets in, not all cells and nerves are disturbed concurrently.
 The decline usually commences in those parts that perceive the highest frequencies and
progressively expands to the parts that perceive the lowest.
 In some cases, the Corti is disturbed only in specific parts.
 Persons suffering from sensorineural deafness can effortlessly hear speech, for they hear the
low frequencies.
 They experience a challenge in comprehending the speech, a lot of words will sound the
same to them.
 They will be completely incapable to hear in loud environments, for minor difference on
which they rest on, will be further covered by noise.
 An additional strange feature of sensorineural deafness is very slight a difference between
sounds, cannot be heard at all and one that is repulsively loud.
 Tinnitus (head noise) may also go with sensorineural deafness and trigger greatly
uneasiness.

4. Identification of and Assistance to a Learner with an Aural Disability

Hints to the Teacher: Signs of Possible Auditory Problems are as follows:

The learner:

 Frequently misunderstands instructions

 Bends his head to listen
 Keeps an eye on the teacher’s lips
 Cannot comprehend if the teacher’s head is turned away
 Finds it challenging to trace the foundation of sound
 Speaks too softly or too loudly
 Speaks uninterestingly

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  Speaks too fast or too slowly
 Feels strange emotional difficulties
 Is frequently absentminded
 Glares outside the window if the teacher stands at the back of the class giving directives.
 May struggle to hear the bell ring
 May experience a problem to socialize with friends
 Cannot follow instructions given in an open space like a school hall such as assembly
 Finds it challenging to tell a story
 Depends greatly on the use body language
 Dodges verbal tasks
 Requests a repetition of instructions from a teacher of a peer
 Increases volume when listening to audio-visual assistances such as TV, radios and CD
players.

 If a teacher speculates that a learner may be experiencing a hearing loss, it is wise to talk
over it with a principal so that the parents can be informed and the essential preparations
can be rendered for in-depth audiometric check-up.

5. Assisting Learners with Hearing Loss

 It is important for the teacher to differentiate between a hard-of-hearing learner and a child
who is deaf.
 Deaf are those who were natural deaf or who turn out to be deaf at an early age in such a
way that they were not able attain speech and language in a normal manner.
 The hard-of-hearing are those learners whose hearing loss is such that they are incapable to
attain speech and language by more or less usual ways.
 These learners have adequate hearing left to allow them to obtain speech and language
although their achievement in both these instructions may be weak in many features.
 The normal surroundings of the hard of hearing learners is that of the hearing public, and
ordinary institutions.
 Hard-of-hearing learners must put on a hearing aid and sit in front of the class so that they
observe teacher’s face always.
 The teachers should all the time remember to speak looking at them.
 They must not band his head to the chalkboard whereas still imparting directions.
 The teacher should be capacitated with information and comprehension about the special
education of a deaf learner.
 The parents of a deaf learner should be enthusiastically participating in the learner’s
education by giving essential resources and providing help in the afternoons.
 The teacher can also record classes in the tape recorder so that the parents could go listen
to the tapes after school and modify the notes written at school.
 Deaf learners need extra therapy such as speech therapy and physiotherapy which parents
go to in the afternoons.
 A teacher could also laisse with the deaf school nearby if available to obtain for advice.
 He may also contact DEAFSA (Deaf Federation of South Africa).
 Salend (1990: 27) suggested the following to help learners in a class experiencing hearing
loss.
1. Utilize overhead projector to display material.
2. Assign a friend to write notes using a carbon paper for hearing impaired learner and
choose presenters throughout group discussions.

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 3. Communicate clearly in an ordinary tone of voice and at fair speed.
4. Utilize visual signal to acquire learner’s concentration.
5. Questions should be asked to check comprehension of verbally imparted instructions
and matter.
6. Rearticulate the matter or questions to make it more understandable to hearing
impaired learners.
7. Enhance knowledge described verbally with visual supports.
8. Impart test instructions, assignments and dictionary words before introducing new
material.
9. Introduce all spelling and dictionary words in the form of sentences.
10. Create a visual sign to warn learners of hazardous conditions.
5.1.Speech Reading (Up Reading)
 Speech reading includes the classification prejudice and short period storage of fast moving
order of visual images that must be interpreted for understanding over auditory models.
 Following recommendation may prove useful to teachers:
1. Mouth and face should be sufficiently lighted, presume a location where a teacher is facing
light.
2. Lighting must be sufficient.
3. Face must be as close as possible to the level of the learner’s eyes.
4. A teacher must always speak in whole sentences.
5. A demonstrating face is at ease to read.
6. A teacher should hold his head as quiet as possible.

5.2.Finger Spelling
 Finger spelling includes utilising hands and fingers to point to the letters of alphabet by
particular location.
 Finger spelling may be done with an assistance of a one-handed alphabet in which the
fingers of one hand are utilised.
 Finger spelling needs level of maturity and language knowledge similar to reading or writing.
5.3.Signing
 The deaf have utilised signs to talk with one another and with other people from the before
time.
 Signing signifies a visual-manual communication system which utilises physical signs known
as signs to do the work customarily prepared by the words of spoken language to express
sense.
 Signs are term locations and /or actions of hands, mostly the right hand, by ways of which
particular thoughts are communicated.
 A sign might utter the word, phrase or even a whole sentence.

5.4.Sign Language
 Numerous sign language is utilised by deaf people of various countries.
 Sign language has a distinct language rules that is not founded on any spoken or written
language such as English, Afrikaans or Tswana.
 Sign language is a language on its own used by deaf people.
 Normal signs may be helping in communication with deaf learners such as levitation hands,
palm up and make a gesture with fingers to show that the learner must come.

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5.5.Hearing Aids
 Teachers should encourage learners who experience hard-of-hearing to wear hearing aids.

Activity

1. Describe the manifestation of auditory barriers to learning in the classroom.

2. What are the causes of barriers to learning related to the learner’s education (external
barriers or exterior barriers to learning)?