What kinds of obstacles do students who are hard of hearing face in a typical classroom?

This is one of the focus questions from our course textbook, “Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities”. I hope to give you some insight on some of the obstacles students who are hard of hearing face in the classroom. The most common obstacles students who are hard of hearing face in a typical classroom are following the lectures, presentations, and lessons of the teacher. Although many students who are hard of hearing use hearing aids the acoustics of typical classrooms make the lectures difficult to follow. It is also difficult for students who are hard of hearing to follow a teacher who speaks quickly, quietly, or faces the board while speaking. This creates a learning barrier for students who are hard of hearing because they may be able to comprehend the material but they cannot hear the material clearly. Students who are hard of hearing may struggle with group discussions when multiple people are a part of the conversation. Video presentations may be difficult to follow if the dialogue is not clear and slow. These are some obstacles to consider when teaching students who are hard of hearing.  

Reference: Dell, A., & Newton, D. (2008). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.