ABSTRACT
Hearing directly impacts the development of spoken language and is thus essential for communication, social relationships and education. An untreated hearing loss (HL) is often associated with academic underachievement, which can later lead to reduced employment opportunities, making the effects of hearing loss pervasive and far reaching.
It is widely believed that the natural hearing environment within a mainstream school provides a fertile ground for students who have hearing loss to acquire the necessary spoken language skills. This in turn assists in developing their oral capabilities for the acquisition of essential knowledge. However, there are a number of factors that determine to what extent an HL may impact the students’ abilities. Based on the International Classification of Function (ICF), these may include: the effect of the disability on the body structures and functions (type and degree of HL), personal factors (age of identification, linguistic skills, personality variables), environmental factors (education setting, optimal fitting of technology, parental or caregiver involvement), as well as participation and activity limitations. All these factors need to be considered as they are interrelated. This chapter aims to discuss the factors that impact a child with a hearing loss and provide strategies for educators to utilize in the inclusive classrooms.
