Essay On Hearing Impairment

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Hearing loss or hearing impairment are descriptive terms used for children and adults who have less than normal hearing. Hearing Impairment refers to “any dysfunction of the hearing organ, regardless of the etiology, degree of hearing loss, and service provision implications,” (Eleweke, 2011). An audiogram is a test that measures the softest sounds a person can here, (see graph below). This research paper will examine the history of hearing impairments, important federal and state regulations that relate to hearing impairments, the educational considerations teachers must be aware of in working with a hearing impaired student, and specific classroom strategies to support a child with hearing impairment. I will also include valuable resources and agencies for the families of children with hearing impairments, and the services the agencies provide. This paper will include identification of three primary researchers in the field of hearing loss and will describe their specific contributions. In summation, I will include my personal reflection after conducting research on the topic of hearing impairment. During the time of 355 BC the philosopher Aristotle was quoted to say, “those who are born deaf all become senseless and incapable of reason,” (EAD: Timeline, 2014). Aristotle’s quote provides us with insight as to how the most respected teachers in society viewed individuals with hearing impairments. “The history of hearing impairments can be traced back to centuries before Jesus Christ. For instance, around 1000 BC a Hebrew law provided those with deafness and hearing impairments limited rights to own property and marry,” (Eleweke, 2011). During this time period, it was not a good time to live as an individual with hearing loss beca...

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...he first battery used in the design of hearing aids. Volta’s invention enabled crude applications of electrical stimulation to the ear with alternating current, (Linstrom, 2014). Volta’s work provided the foundation for the development of smaller personal hearing aids and many years later the cochlear implant, (Linstrom, 2014).
Dr. William House is credited inventing the cochlear implant in 1972. By definition the cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides sound to an individual who is deaf or severely hearing impaired, (Linstrom, 2014). Dr. House worked with a very innovative engineer, Jack Urban, to invent the cochlear implant. These devices were advanced by the quickly developing technology boom. In 1980, the FDA, Food and Drug Administration ruled that cochlear implants could be provided to anyone two years of age or older.

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