Republic of the Philippines

COLEGIO SAN JOSE DE ALAMINOS , INC.

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Alaminos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
A.Y. 2021-2022

NAME: Jessie Peralta Jr. YEAR&COURSE: BSED III

Subject: Prof Ed 4: Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education

Instructor: SIR. ELMER BASUEL

Reaction Paper in Report of Ms. Ascunsion

“INDIVIDUAL WITH HEARING IMPAIRNMENT”

Human beings are blessed with five senses such as touch, vision, hearing, taste and smell. These
senses are very essential for living a normal life. Ability to hear is one of these important senses,
through which we can communicate with others and enjoy our favorite movies and music.
Unfortunately, some people lose their hearing ability because of certain reasons. There may be
total or partial loss of hearing ability of one or both ears. The level of hearing impairment can be
mild, moderate or severe. It not only affects your health, but also your lifestyle.

According to the report of Ms. Ascunsion, Hearing impairment as a disability category is similar
to the category of deafness, but it is not the same. The official definition of a hearing impairment
by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is “an impairment in hearing, whether
permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but is not
included under the definition of ‘deafness.'” Thus, knowing the definition of deafness is
necessary to understand what sort of disabilities are considered hearing impairments. A hearing
loss above 90 decibels is generally considered deafness, which means that a hearing loss below
90 decibels is classified as a hearing impairment.

There are Causes of Hearing Impairment:

 The possible causes of Hearing Impairment is can be hereditary. Children of one or both
deaf parents are at higher risk of developing this disorder. Some genetic conditions are
osteogenesis imperfecta, Cockayne syndrome, Hurler syndrome, Hunter syndrome,
hereditary nephritis, etc.

 Hearing impairment is also due to some congenital factors such as premature birth, fetal
iodine deficiency effects, use of ototoxic drugs, rubella, syphilis, jaundice and the
conditions during the birth in which a baby lacks enough oxygen to breathe.
 Ear infection is one of the most common causes of hearing impairment. Middle ear
infection (otitis media) causes swelling of inner lining of middle ear and accumulation of
fluid. Another common ear infection leading to hearing loss is infection of ear canal
(otitis externa or swimmer’s ear). Some infectious diseases such as measles, meningitis
and mumps can also lead to hearing impairment.

 Aging is the most significant cause of this ear condition. It is also known as age-related
hearing loss or presbycusis. Most people start to lose a small amount of hearing ability in
their middle age and they experience a remarkable hearing impairment in their old age.
Age-related hearing loss is because of damage to hair cells within the cochlea, due to
which electrical signals are not transmitted efficiently.

 Another common cause of hearing impairment is damage to ear from loud noises. Due to
continuous exposure to extremely loud noises, a delicate structure of the inner ear is
injured, leading to hearing loss. People working in a loud environment (such as nightclub
or discotheque staff) are at a greater risk of developing this problem.

 Use of ototoxic drugs such as some antibiotics and anti-malarial drugs can damage the
cochlea. It causes hearing loss at any age.

 Traumatic injury such as skull fracture (temporal bone), traumatic perforation of

eardrum, barotraumas (differences in pressure) and acoustic trauma such as fireworks,
rock concerts, gunfire, explosions and earphones can lead to hearing impairment.

 Some common causes for temporary hearing loss are accumulation of wax in the ear
canal, blocked Eustachian tubes, allergy, foreign body lodged in the ear canal, head
injury and scarred or perforated eardrum.

The major areas of development affected by hearing impairments are the:

Speech and language. Speech and language development are the areas of development most
severely affected for those with a hearing impairment, particularly for children who are born
deaf. Their speech is often deviating so far from normal that it interferes with
communication, or causes the speaker or listener’s distress. For individuals with mild or
moderate hearing loss, the effect may be minimal, especially with early diagnosis and
treatment. Children with more profound hearing impairments and deafness are unable to
access auditory feedback, impairing the normal development of speech and language.

Social development. Social-emotional development in children with hearing impairments

follows the same developmental pattern as those without a hearing loss. However, since
social-emotional development relies so heavily on communication, the student with a hearing
impairment may not participate in cooperative play or learning activities. Without a common
communication system, the ability to develop friendships is negatively impacted.
Intelligence. Research has determined that individuals with hearing impairments have
normal cognitive ability, in the absence of any coexisting disability. Any difficulties in
performance appear to be closely associated with speaking, reading, and writing the English
language, not the level of intelligence.

Educational achievement. The educational achievement of students with hearing

impairments may be significantly delayed in comparison to that of their hearing peers.
Students with a hearing impairment have considerable difficulty succeeding in an educational
system that depends primarily on the spoken word and written language to transmit
knowledge.

In Conclusion, we all learn throughout our lives. Children suffering from hearing impairment
have the ability to live full and productive lives in the same way as other children. But they
need additional support when learning.
Because of the hearing loss, hearing-impaired children need to have things carefully
explained on a one-to-one basis. That includes practical and small things such as what you
are going to do, what you are going to buy or where you are going. It can take time, but it is
necessary. Hearing impairment in children means that they need extra help when learning
new words and concepts. Physical objects normally do not pose problems, but abstract
concepts such as time, feelings and thoughts are harder to explain for hearing-impaired
children.