Supporting pupils with a hearing loss in your class

This information is from the Hearing Loss Team at Southend-on-Sea City Council.

Things to be aware of

the student may appear inattentive or may misunderstand
noisy conditions make it more difficult to hear
the student will find it harder to hear at a distance
the student will benefit from seeing the teacher's face so they can use lip-reading
locating sounds may be more difficult

face the pupil when speaking to them
speak clearly using your normal volume and pace
don't exaggerate lip patterns or cover your mouth when you are talking. Use natural facial expressions
get the pupil's attention before speaking to them
don't teach while moving around the classroom
seat the pupil at or near the front of the class where they can see the teacher's face
repeat and if necessary, rephrase comments from other pupils in discussions
organise desks so the deaf student can see their classmates
the pupil may need longer to respond to questions
use visual prompts whenever possible, e.g. illustrations, diagrams, keywords, vocabulary displays
don't stand in front of a window. Your face will be in shadow. This makes extra information gained from lip-reading harder to access
try not to write on the board and talk at the same time
there should be enough lighting in all classrooms and student areas
if the lights are turned down to watch a DVD or computer presentations, turn them up again when the teacher wants to talk to the class
minimise background noise - close windows and doors. Turn off noisy equipment when not in use
if the pupil has a radio aid, make sure it is being used appropriately

Useful resources for information on deaf awareness and supporting deaf pupils in mainstream schools.

Action on Hearing Loss (the new name for the RNID)