Hearing assistive technology helps students communicate effectively in the classroom. Assistive listening devices (ALDs) can catch the sounds of a teacher's voice and amplify it. They also diminish background noise and poor room acoustics. Specific examples of ALDs include FM systems and soundfield amplification systems. With a FM system, the teacher wears a microphone and the student either wears headphones or has a connection set up to their hearing aids. When the teacher speaks, his/her voice is broadcasted to the FM receiver worn by the student and amplified through the headphones or hearing aid. The soundfield amplification system broadcasts the teacher's voice through loud speakers in the classroom. These loud speakers can be mounted on the wall or ceiling of the classroom.
Resource: Dell, A., Newton, D., Petroff. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Having such powerful technology really makes their world so much more accessible for students who are hard of hearing. Thank you for sharing some of the available devices.
ReplyDeleteLauren, This post with it's diagram is very helpful for the teacher who has never had a hearing impaired student in her room.
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