Understanding How The Student With A Hearing Loss Can Succeed In Your Music Class, Maureen Butler

Maureen Butler Lake Drive School mbutler@mtlakes.org

Things have changed considerably in the twenty-one years that I’ve been teaching music to students with a hearing loss. Advances in technology and the growth of the auditory/verbal approach, accompanied by the increasing desire of families to have children educated in their home district, are among the factors that have strongly impacted the world of deaf education.

Twenty years ago, most of my students wore analog hearing aids and used sign language, and only a handful were fitted with a cochlear implant. Today, we see children with digital hearing aids, some with bilateral cochlear implants (one on each ear), and some with one implant and one hearing aid (bimodal stimulation). Additionally, the students may or may not use sign language to communicate.

Music teachers have been feeling the impact of these trends, and are seeing a growing number of students with the latest hearing technology in their classes. For example, you may have been asked to wear FM transmitters that send your spoken voice directly to students’ assistive devices, and you may have noticed different external devices being worn by some of your students.

But you may have questions about how everything works and how we can ensure that our music classes are as accessible as possible to our students.

In general, people who have a mild or moderate hearing loss are typically labeled hard of hearing. They most likely will have hearing aids that, together with their own residual hearing, give them access to most of the sounds heard throughout the day.

Children who have severe to profound hearing loss have historically been classified as deaf. Most babies born with this degree of hearing loss are now being surgically fitted with cochlear implants.

What’s the difference between deaf and hearing-impaired? You might have used both these terms, and depending on with whom you are speaking, you could be right or wrong.

For example, the term hearing-impaired, when first used, seemed to be a sensitive and “politically correct” term when it came into use. However, because it focuses on impairment, on something that is “not right,” it is not the preferred terminology.

Members of the Deaf community (note the capital D) have a strong sense of Deaf culture. United by a language (sign language), social beliefs, traditions, history, arts, and shared experiences, people who are Deaf do not see their inability to hear as a disability, but rather as an identity in which to take pride.

Conversely, many parents want their babies to get cochlear implants and become part of the hearing world, so they may not want to label them as deaf. Then again, other families (interestingly, most deaf children are born to hearing parents) combine the best of both worlds and give their children the benefits of Deaf culture and the latest cochlear implant technology.

As you can see, the terms used reflect the perspective of who is using them. When you interact with your students and their families, follow their lead when deciding what terminology to use.

The newest digital hearing aids represent a significant improvement over the older analog hearing aids, since they can filter out certain frequencies and amplify others. Additionally, they can be programmed for various listening environments and to focus on sounds from a particular direction. Through the years, I’ve noticed a big change in the abilities of my students who wear hearing aids as they develop musical listening skills.

Cochlear implant (CI) devices consist of both internal and external components. You’ve probably seen the speech processor

that is worn behind the ear; it receives and digitizes sound into coded signals. The parts you cannot see are those that have been implanted surgically. The implant, embedded under the skin behind the ear, receives FM radio signals transmitted from the speech processor. It in turn delivers those signals to the electrode array that has been inserted in the cochlea. The auditory nerve fibers are then stimulated and send the aural information to the brain.

FM transmitters help students get greater access to your voice. The student wears an FM “boot” attached to their hearing aid or cochlear implant. The transmitter itself can be clipped to your belt or waistband, or hung around your neck, and is connected by a wire to a small lapel microphone. In this way your voice is amplified above the other sounds in the classroom that might make it difficult for your students to hear you. The transmitter may be synchronized with a “pass-around” micro-

phone as well, so that other children in the class can use it when speaking/singing. In my classrooms, I also have it synchronized to a tower speaker, so that everyone hears my voice more clearly.

It’s important to remember that hearing aids and cochlear implants do not correct hearing in the same way that eyeglasses correct vision. As a matter of fact, learning to hear with cochlear implants is a long process. The newly implanted child’s brain is learning a new skill – processing sound - and as years go by, that ability continues to develop. Note that this technology is specifically designed to process speech. Thus, many of the frequencies that we typically utilize in music are not transmitted. Consequently, students will perceive rhythm far easier than pitch and timbre, for example. Unaccompanied singing will be easier to perceive than accompanied melodies, and single instruments generally are easier to process, and thus more pleasant to listen to than an ensemble. Some instruments will be difficult to listen to, as a 3rd grade recorder student of mine kept reminding his classmates and myself! Despite these limitations, many (but not all) CI users enjoy listening to music and participating in musical activities, including learning to play an instrument successfully. Since technology is always advancing, perhaps future cochlear implant technology will provide better access to music.

Remember that students with a hearing loss may be trying to get more information by lip-reading, so remember to face them when speaking to the class, and avoid covering your mouth. If lights are turned off, they may miss some important information, so be certain they know what you’ve said. When showing videos, make sure that subtitles are turned on. Seat the students in the front of the room, close to the sound source, and away from distracting noises such as a loud ventilation unit, or an open door to the noisy hallway. It should go without saying that if a sign language interpreter is required in all classes, there should be one in music class as well.

Students with a hearing loss may have significant vocabulary and language delays, since they don’t share the same access to language that hearing children have had since birth. Their reading abilities may be as much as two years behind grade level, and they may need assistance in following the lyrics of a song and understanding written directions.

Scanning songs and projecting them onto a Smartboard or whiteboard will help; you can point to words as the class sings, so the student can follow along. I’ve found that this helps all children find and keep their place, as well, and benefits those who struggle with learning disabilities or attention disorders.

In addition to visual aids, use creative movement and dance to help students understand and experience the various styles and moods of music, and to provide a kinesthetic way of learning about tempo and dynamics.

When selecting classroom instruments, choose those that give greater tactile feedback, and be sensitive to the kinds of sounds that may irritate students with hearing aids or cochlear implants – they will be more than willing to let you know!

Try to incorporate some songs with sign language into your lesson plans. If you have a sign language interpreter on staff to consult, she can be a great resource. Also, there are many Internet sites that you can access to learn how to sign songs.

Having a classmate with a hearing aid or cochlear implant can be a valuable learning experience for children in the regular education setting. I’ve found that children are fascinated with the technology they see, and want to know how everything works. Help your hearing students understand that the child with a hearing loss may not understand what they’re saying if they’re looking away, talking too quickly, or if there are other, competing noises. Remind them to face the child when speaking and give him time to respond. They will be learning from us, as we model behaviors that will teach all of our students understanding and patience. Although much has changed in the past two decades, one thing that has stayed the same is the belief we share that all children have the ability to be creative and to express themselves in an aesthetic manner. Music teachers consistently strive to provide quality music education to all students, and as we grow in our understanding of students with a hearing loss, they will learn and flourish in our classes.