TLA Strategies for Additional Needs

Objectives

By the end of this session you will have/ will be able to:

• Identify what the term Sensory Impairment means
• Explore the potential impact of hearing loss on learners in the FE sector
• Review TLA strategies for supporting learners with hearing and visual impairments 

What is Meant by Sensory Impairment

In all likelihood you or someone you or a close family member has a sensory impairment. 

What is meant by this term is simply that one of your senses; sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell and spatial awareness, is no longer "normal".

You might, for example, need to wear glasses to read this text, which means you have a slight visual impairment.

If, on the other hand, you struggle to hear in a crowded room and find yourself missing out on snippets of the conversation, then you have a hearing impairment. 

A person does not have to have a full loss of sense to be sensory impaired.

In this session we are going to consider how more profound losses of hearing or vision could affect learners and the sort of strategies that can be put in place to support them when this has occurred.   

Watch the following video for more information about what is covered by the term Sensory Impairment:

Deafness

Hearing impairment, hearing loss, or deafness are terms used to describe the condition whereby someone has lost the ability to process sound to some degree. It is important to note at this point that the term hearing impairment is one which should be employed with caution, as the word impairment has negative connotations.

The degree of hearing loss can vary dramatically, In the case of severe or profound deafness, this means that the person has suffered sufficient hearing that they would be unaware of an alarm bell ringing or the noise created by loud machinery. It is on these two categories of hearing impairment that this session will focus.

It is believed that around one sixth of the British population (10 million people) has hearing loss. Of these, 900.000 have a profound or severe hearing impairment.

Further Education & Deafness

• For deaf young people FE remains the most popular post-school destination, with about 60% going on to college as compared to less than a third of all young people.
• Whilst the majority do complete their FE course, around a quarter do not. Indeed the dropout rate for deaf learners in FE is twice that of the general population.
• Around 33% of deaf students follow a course at Level 3 

An Alarming Achievement Gap

The 2011 report Deaf Young People in Further Education by Manchester University also highlighted the fact that the majority of those with a hearing impediment enter college with lower levels of academic achievement in comparison with the general population of 16 year olds.

Of greater concern is the fact that this qualifications gap does not appear to narrow.

It is therefore imperative that we as staff in FE fully understand the needs of deaf learners in order that they can achieve the best possible outcomes.

The Educational Impact of Deafness

A severe loss of hearing can have an impact on learners in a variety of ways. This is a complex issue, but there are a number of key points on which to focus:

• Listening skills: there is a danger that a deaf learner might miss crucial elements of the content you are delivering. It is therefore imperative that these are underlined in some manner. This will, of course, be of benefit to all of the members of the group.

• Attention and concentration: trying to concentrate for long periods when you are struggling to hear everything that is being said is extremely tiring, which might make it difficult for the deaf learner to sustain focus.

• Language development and literacy skills: for those born deaf, British Sign Language might well be their first language. Learning any language is a challenge, but imagine having to do so without being able to hear. This is the situation faced by the deaf when confronted with having to master English. As a result, we might encounter a deaf learner who has real difficulty in communicating orally. They are also much more likely to make errors with such elements of English grammar as verb tenses and sentence structure. In some cases their range of vocabulary will be more restricted than the bulk of the population. Problems may sometimes also be encountered when they are called upon to read formal documents containing complex sentences.

• Memory: hearing loss can also negatively affect the learner's ability to memorise and process information: more time might be needed to receive, understand and respond to information.

• Social: some deaf young people might experience difficulty in making friends because they lack the ability to converse easily with their peers, which may in some circumstances lead to a sense of isolation and feelings of low self-esteem.

Strategies for Supporting Learners with a Hearing Impairment

General Pointers

As a first step, speak to the learner themselves to review which strategies implemented by teachers in previous schools and colleges have proven to be the most effective. In addition, ensure that you make the most of the expertise that we have in Coventry College: as is the case with all of the Additional Needs considered in this module, it is always well worth approaching Learning Support for advice.

If you come into contact with a deaf person, here are some important things to remember:

• Speak clearly and naturally: as the person you are speaking with will be attempting to lip-read, you need to say the words as you normally would. Speaking slowly or shouting actually makes things more difficult for them.

• Watch your mouth: covering your mouth with your hands, chewing gum or smoking can also make lip-reading more difficult.

• Give visual clues where possible: point to things you are talking about and do not be shy about using gestures or mime to clarify things.

• Never give up: one of the worst things you can do to a deaf person is say, "I'll tell you later". Just because it may be quite time consuming and complex to try to explain something does not mean you should not do so. If one method does not work, try improvising: perhaps message on your phone, use a pen and paper, or even draw a picture! 

As well as these general points, it is well worth taking a look at the following tips produced by the ETF in their highly informative resource guide: Hearing Impairment: Supporting Learners with Hearing Impairments. 

Environment

• Lighting: as a deaf learner, you are going to be more reliant than your peers on your sense of sight to gain information about what is going on in the lesson. It is therefore very important to ensure that the room is bright enough and any speakers sufficiently well-lit to make lip reading easier.

• Background noise: our aim should be to minimise distractions, so as teachers we need to carefully consider the room we are going to teach in. Are there any fans or other noisy pieces of equipment that might make it difficult for the learner to sustain concentration, or cause them to miss some vital piece of information? If so, consider whether an alteration to your seating plan could alleviate this, or the device be switched off for the duration of the lesson. Noise from other classrooms or the corridor is also something that needs to be taken into account. It might be necessary to teach with the door closed, or even relocate to a quieter room somewhere else in the College.

• Think carefully about where the individual is seated:  this should be close to the speaker, perhaps at the front of the class, or in the middle of group discussions.

Group Discussions

• Plan for pre and post tutorials: before the session, brief the learner about the theme and probable content of any group discussions you are going to ask them to participate in. During this meeting it is also good practice to provide notes, and a glossary of any new terms likely to be encountered. Then, once the lesson is over check back in with them to make sure the learner has taken in the key elements of what was talked about.

• Check understanding regularly: this is clearly something we should be doing for all learners, but it is particularly important if you have a member of the group who has a hearing impairment.

• Raise hands before speaking: remind your learners that it is basic courtesy not to speak over others, and implement a protocol whereby participants in discussions raise their hand to indicate that they wish to make a contribution.

Lectures & Presentations

• Have pre-lecture and post-lecture tutorials: (similar comments apply to those made in the section above on discussions)

• Provide handouts or slides in advance: Moodle provides the obvious means whereby the learner can access these.

• Question, question, question: as always, use good questioning techniques during any lecture/ presentation to ensure that every member of the group is engaged and has grasped the key points

Video & PowerPoint

• Subtitles: ensure that any video you are planning to use is captioned with subtitles. It's also important not to talk over videos.

• Lighting: make sure the room is not too dark. Alternatively, provide a lamp for the learner with a hearing impairment if they find that this is helpful.

• Handouts: make sure any handouts to accompany the video or PowerPoint have gaps to allow learners to make notes.

Visual Impairment

In the UK there around two million people living with sight loss. Of these 360,000 are registered as blind or partially sighted.

It is therefore likely that in the course of your teaching career you will come into contact with a student that has a visual impairment. We have a duty to ensure that every learner who passes through our door is provided with the best opportunity to succeed. However, in the case of learners with additional needs, such as those addressed in this module, that obligation is enshrined in law. Colleges have to make "reasonable adjustments" so that any learner with a disability is not disadvantaged.

Causes & Types of Visual Impairment

Visual impairments could be the result of a variety of underlying causes, including genetic disorders, birth defects, and diseases of the eye. Other factors that can interfere with vision include old age and injuries.

Depending on the cause of the impairment, vision can be affected in different ways. Macular degeneration erodes central vision, whereas glaucoma affects peripheral vision first. Vision can also be affected in the form of sensitivity to light (photophobia), double vision (diplopia) , visual distortion, and difficulty with visual perception.

It is important to understand that blindness is not the same for everyone who has it. Some people have been blind their entire lives, while others have lost their vision later on. Sometimes it occurs very quickly, sometimes gradually. Some blind people are able to perceive light even when they are unable to see any detail, while others have no ability to perceive visual information.

General Tips for Sighted People Who Want to Help

If you come across a visually impaired person in the College and feel they might need some assistance, there are a few important things to remember:

• Although the situation of everyone is unique, the one thing every visually impaired person has in common is that they deserve to be accorded dignity and respect. Talk to them normally and do not make a big fuss about wanting to help them. Always greet them politely and introduce yourself, and - this is the really crucial thing - ask before providing any help. If they say no, trust them. If they accept, then that is great!

• Assisting with mobility: ask where they want you to stand, and match their speed. When approaching potential obstacles such as stairs, and changes to the slope of the ground, describe them.

• Be specific when describing objects or where things are. Let them know if you place things in front of them.
• If the person is accompanied by a guide dog, do not be tempted to pet it! The animal is working and if you make a fuss and stroke it, you risk distracting it.

TLA Strategies for Supporting Learners with a Visual Impairment

As we have already noted, every visually impaired person will be different, so it is important that you have a conversation with them before you begin teaching in order to discover what works best for them. 

There are, however, plenty of things you can do to provide support in class. Here are are a selection of tips provided by Learning Support:

• Use Zoom text: this computer software will enable the user to enlarge the font and will also read the text out to the learner.

• Fit an anti-glare screen: this overlay is attached to the computer screen, minimising glare and rendering texts easier to read.
  

• Desks: some learners with a visual impairment require a raised writing desk. 

• Magnifiers: the use of a magnifier can enlarge any text or handout the learner has been given.