Hearing+Impairment,+Deaf

Hearing Impairment, Deaf **Description:** A hearing impairment is a hearing loss that prevents a person from totally receiving sounds through the ear. If the loss is mild, the person has difficulty hearing faint or distant speech. A person with this degree of hearing impairment may use a hearing aid to amplify sounds. If the hearing loss is severe, the person may not be able to distinguish any sounds. There are four types of hearing loss: The word "deaf" by federal definition means a hearing loss which adversely affects educational performance and that is so severe the child is impaired in processing linguistic (communication) information through hearing, with or without amplification (hearing aids). The term "hard of hearing" means a hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but that allows the child access to some degree of communication with or without amplification. From: @http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Deafness_Hard_of_Hearing&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&ContentID=5865
 * //**Conductive:**// caused by diseases or obstructions in the outer or middle ear that usually affect all frequencies of hearing. A hearing aid generally helps a person with a conductive hearing loss.
 * //**Sensorineural:**// results from damage to the inner ear. This loss can range from mild to profound and often affects certain frequencies more than others. Sounds are often distorted, even with a hearing aid.
 * //**Mixed:**// occurs in both the inner and outer or middle ear.
 * //**Mixed:**// occurs in both the inner and outer or middle ear.
 * //**Central:**// results from damage to the central nervous system. From: @http://ada.ky.gov/hearing_imp_def.htm

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is a national website designed to inform and educate everyone about people having disabilities. This link serves to provide information about assistive technology, teaching strategies, and diagnosis, so that everyone can become aware of hearing impairments. National Institute of Deafness is part of the National Institute of Health, where they are continually working on creating and mending technology to be more effective. The Institute of Deafness is dedicated to finding new biomedical and behavioral research to help create the most effective practices to promote healthy living. The National Institute of Deafness is dedicated to finding research to help create the best environment for people with hearing impairments.

Association for the Hearing Impaired is a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to the support and service to families. This site builds knowledge of the disability, as well as providing parents and fellow peers the availability to look at resources and articles. Hearing Loss Association of America provides resources and support for families, friends, and peers to learn more about hearing impairments. This site offers an online community for support and reference with other people associated with hearing disabilities. National Guideline Clearinghouse provides explicit detail on what the guidelines and procedures are regarding hearing loss.

Listen Up Web is a site dedicated to advocating for our children. This site provides a composition of related material that people want to find, but have a hard time finding. This site is dedicated to providing whatever is necessary to help advocate for the best well being of all people with hearing disabilities.
 * Watson, L., Gregory, S., & Powers, S. (1999). //Deaf and Hearing Impaired pupils in mainstream schools//. David Fulton Publish. || This reference can be used as a resource for teachers to find effective strategies to implement within the classroom for students with a hearing impairment. ||
 * Myers, D. G. (2000). //A quiet world, living with hearing loss//. Yale Univ. Pr. || This book can be used to help inform people about the everyday life of people with hearing impairments. ||
 * Groce, N. E. (1985). //Everyone here spoke sign language, hereditary deafness on Martha's vineyard//. Harvard Univ. Pr. || This is an account of how communities form within a hearing disability. Martha’s vineyard is the setting where many created their own society. This book identifies how people with disabilities cope within their community. ||
 * Davis, L. J. (2000). //My sense of silence, memoirs of a childhood with deafness//. Univ. of Illinois Pr. || This novel provides a first hand experience from a child’s perspective of living with deaf parents. ||
 * Oliva, G. A. (2004). //Alone in the mainstream, a deaf woman remembers public school//. Gallaudet Univ Pr. || This book shows how students dealt with being mainstreamed while having a hearing disability. ||
 * Kisor, H., & Percy, W. (2010). //What's that pig outdoors? a memoir of deafness//. Univ. of Illinois Pr. || This book shows the struggle of an individual growing up and how new technology and legislation have transformed over the last few decades. ||

Maryland School for the Deaf is a school located in Maryland dedicated to provide an appropriate education for students who are deaf. The schools incorporates parents to be partners in the education of their son/daughter. The Maryland School for the Deaf strives to bring forth the best out of every student so that they can become learners for life. Deaf Services Center is a center designed to allow people with hearing disabilities to claim their rights and privileges. The Deaf Service Center employs over 50% of deaf or hard of hearing people to be part of the board to help create the least amount of barriers possible. This board serves to help people with hearing disabilities, as well as those who are helping people with hearing disabilities.

Center for Hearing & Deaf Services, Inc. is a center located in Pennsylvania where they provide support services to those people with a hearing impairment. This center offers a variety of assistive technology to the families where they can test out each product to make sure the tech tool is suitable for their child. This center also offers classes to learn sign language to help friends and family better communicate with people with hearing impairments. Gallaudet University is a college dedicated to the higher education of all students with a hearing disability. Gallaudet University offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs for the students to learn and further their education. This education provides all components of other colleges such as campus life and athletics.

Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is a non-profit tuition free school, which provides education from birth to 12th grade. This school provides an inclusive setting where many different assistive technologies are provided to help each student succeed in American Sign Language (ASL) and written and spoken English. The school provides early intervention and a sense of partnership with parents to help provide the most appropriate education for their student.

SUPPORT FOR YOU Hearing Exchange is a website which provides the opportunity to find support groups around your area. This website also serves as a blog site where people blog about their experiences with hearing disabilities. Hearing Loss & Deafness Support Group is designed to allow people to come learn about hearing impairments or to help provide others with information regarding hearing impairments through posts and blogs. This site functions off blog posts and communication within one another. So, an online community is formed to provide information and support for those in need. VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children is an advocacy website that provides opportunities to join in advocacy events. The site also provides support programs for parents and for the children.

MDJunction is a online support group offered to provide necessary access to information, as well as the availability to join a support group if necessary. At this site you can explore many forums from members about their own personal experiences regarding hearing impairments.



Family Service Association is an association dedicated to strengthening families through community building events and support. This association is determined to strengthen parents advocacy through parent involvement in events around the community.

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Baltimore Adapted Recreation and Sports is a non-profit organization designed to provide people with physical and developmental disabilities the chance to participate in all sorts of recreation. This organization provides people with disabilities the opportunity to learn a new sport.

Allied Sports is a relatively new program based off the special olympics where inclusion is being promoted within interscholastic sports. This program allows students with disabilities the opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports along side students without disabilities. This program strives for teamwork and cooperation, but also allows for all students the chance to be competitive in a sporting event.



Chesapeake Sailing is a organization created to provide the intense thrill of sailing to people with a physical or developmental disability. The organization offers a free sail once a month for all those who want to experience such an even.t

Special Olympics provides year round sports training and competitions for people eight or older with a disability. The special olympics lets family, friends, and community come together to support and help one another achieve their goals.



Adaptive Snow Sports is a program designed to allow people with disabilities to enjoy the wondrous outdoors. Run by volunteers, these people advocate for people with disabilities while providing them the opportunity to be in an environment where they are completely free.

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