Running head: INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENTS 1

Inclusive Education for Hearing Impaired Students

Kyle Webb

Education Core Studies 100

University of Regina
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Inclusive Education for Hearing Impaired Students

The concept of inclusive education really interests me personally. My younger brother,

Kent, was born profoundly deaf and will graduate from high school this upcoming June.

However, because of his disability, his education has been very different than the education I

received. Rose states that hearing impaired students typically graduate from school

undereducated and at a disadvantage when trying to compete in real world (2002).

Unfortunately, I do not think that Kent will be graduating with an education that will allow him

to be competitor in today’s society. Although his school will say they practice inclusive

education effectively, I strongly feel that they currently are not. Inclusive education is more than

the physical presence of a student in a normal classroom; it requires engaging students both

socially and educationally (Thomson, 2009). For some of Kent’s classes he is in a normal

classroom, but for many he is sent to work in another room with a teacher’s aide. I think that

Kent’s school is fully aware of the difficulties of integrating a hearing impaired student,

however, I do not think that know about the possible benefits of inclusive education, for both

hearing impaired students, like Kent, and non-impaired students. In this reflective paper, I will

discuss some of the difficulties of inclusive education pertaining to hearing impaired students

and illustrate some of the benefits of introducing an inclusive classroom setting for all students.

There are a few difficulties that make inclusion of hearing impaired students more

challenging. Perhaps the most obvious difficulty is the communication barrier between hearing

impaired students and their non-impaired peers and teachers. I know from personal experience

how difficult communication can be with someone with a hearing impairment, especially with

emotional and complicated topics. Although I’ve lived and communicated with Kent my entire

life, it is not always easy to teach him something new or to disagree because of the unavoidable

communication barriers. I have found that when people begin to raise their voices, get too
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excited, or speak to quickly that Kent often has difficulties keeping up with the conversation. As

a result, he will get frustrated making hard to understand him. I’m sure teachers also struggle and

sometimes get frustrate trying to communicate with students who have limited communication

abilities.

One of the best ways to establish an effective inclusive classroom for hearing impaired

students is to install an FM system. FM systems allow the educator to wear a microphone that

will amplify their voice through speakers placed in the classroom. Ward Milligan, the principal

of King George School, informed me that an FM system costs roughly $1500 per unit (personal

communication, November 27, 2009). Ward felt that the systems are highly overpriced and I

believe that this is a limitation many schools encounter when trying to incorporate the systems. I

find it very frustrating and unfair that financial limitations can prevent students and teachers

from having FM systems that will promote strong inclusive classrooms. Although money may be

a setback for many schools, I believe that educational budgets need to include fund to purchase

FM systems for classrooms.

The benefits of inclusive education for hearing impaired students are very noticeable.

Hearing impaired students who have been included in regular classrooms have shown stronger

academic results when compared to those who have been educated in separate classrooms

(McCain & Antia, 2005). With Kent, it is quite evident that he performs better and enjoys his

regular classes more than his special education classes that he is forced to take. This increased

performance could be attributed to interaction with higher achieving students, the desire to meet

higher classroom expectations, or simply the enjoyment of working with peers and being

included in a normal setting (Tapasak & Walther-Thomas, 1999). I think that if students no

longer feel excluded, and are seen as equals to their peers, there will be fewer barriers to their

education and they will be more free to expand their knowledge. Also, if students have
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experienced the confinements of exclusive classroom, like Kent has, they will likely appreciate

the general classroom much more. Tapasak and Walther-Thomas found that hearing impaired

students’ self esteem and confidence increase tremendously in an inclusive classroom as opposed

to an exclusive setting (1999). This is a result of hearing impaired students being treated the

same way as their non-impaired peers.

Although less obvious, there are also tremendous benefits for non-impaired students

when hearing impaired students are integrated into the regular classroom. When inclusion

begins, in most cases, there appear to be social cliques separated by hearing status (McCain &

Antia, 2005). However, these cliques soon had no relation to hearing status and friendships were

established, despite any hearing or communication differences (McCain & Antia, 2005). In

observing Kent, I have found that he is often teased and bullied because he is deaf. As much as

this disappoints me, I find it encouraging how quickly this teasing and bullying disappears once

people get to know him and realize that he is just like everyone else. Students will develop a

respect and tolerance for individual differences when they work with others in an inclusive

classroom setting (Tapasak & Walther-Thomas, 1999). It appears that students simply need to

experience working with disabled students to begin understanding that they are very similar.

When a hearing impaired student is integrated into a regular classroom, all teachers and

students should receive instruction in sign language and hearing related issues (Rose, 2002).

Also, if needed, teaching strategies and curriculum should be modified to include all students

(Rose, 2002). Learning how to use sign language effectively would be an asset for all students

that they can use for their entire lives. I wish I would have had the opportunity to learn sign

language in my education because there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to

communicate with someone. Also, exposing students to hearing loss related issues allows them
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to be knowledgeable of the challenges hearing impaired students face and could inspire them to

lead a healthier lifestyle with regards to their own hearing.

Additionally, there are many benefits common to both hearing impaired and non-

impaired students. Students with disabilities and their peers typically feel good about their

performance in inclusive classrooms (Tapasak & Walther-Thomas, 1999). This could be

attributed to the development of valuable communication skills, problem solving skills, and both

individual and group work skills (Tapasak & Walther-Thomas, 1999). I do not think that

exclusive classrooms allow these skills to be developed to their fullest for all students. Whereas

in an inclusive classroom, students need to be more open to challenges and understand how to

overcome them while allowing everyone to participate. In order to be successful in an inclusive

classroom, all students need to learn how to communicate and work with their peers, regardless

of any barriers that may be present. This ability to effectively communicate with all students is a

skill and asset that will help students communicate successfully with all people they encounter

throughout their lives.

Unfortunately, there are some very challenging difficulties to overcome before inclusive

education can be effectively established for hearing impaired students. Despite these challenges,

I strongly feel that every measure possible must be taken to build a strong inclusive setting for

hearing impaired students. Although observing Kent’s education has been frustrating, I have no

doubt in my mind that the small amount of inclusion Kent has experienced has had a huge

impact on his learning and self confidence. I hope that in the future, hearing impaired students

can receive a more inclusive education than Kent did. I believe that all students deserve to

receive an inclusive education, regardless of any disability.

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References

McCain, K., & Antia, S. (2005). Academic and Social Status of Hearing, Deaf, and Hard of
Hearing Students Participating in a Co-enrolled Classroom. Communication Disorders
Quarterly, 27 (1), 20-32.

Rose, S. (2002). Inclusion of students with hearing loss in general education: fact or fiction? The
Teacher Educator , 37 (3), 216-230.

Tapasak, R., & Walther-Thomas, C. (1999). Evaluation of a first-year inclusion program:

Student perceptions and classroom performance. Remedial and Special Education , 20 (4),
216-226.

Thomson, S. (2009). Inclusive Education - A Mythical Land or A Land of Myths? [PowerPoint

slides]. Retreived November 27, 2009 in email from Scott Thomson.