Deaf/Hard of Hearing

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• Have difficulty attending/easily distracted
• Say "huh" or "what" frequently
• Fail to respond to or respond inappropriately to questions or requests
• Be slow to respond or "catch on"
• Show evidence of strain while listening
• Focus on the face of the speaker (may be speechreading)
• Appear more fatigued than other children
• Have difficulty participating in class discussion
• Prefer written to verbal instructions and tasks
• Have difficulty locating the source of a sound
• Inconsistently respond to sounds
• Prefer not to take part in verbal discussions and group projects
• Be irritable, timid, introverted, or tense
• Have a greater amount of frustration and aggression
• Have earaches, pain, tenderness, itching, discharge from the ear, noises (ringing) in the head, balance problems, or chronic colds
• Watch others' actions and copy
• Have speech problems such as articulation difficulties, monotonous tone of voice, unusual voice quality, and inappropriate volume
• Have language problems such as limited vocabulary, difficulty with abstractions, and poor written language
• Confuse words that should alike, or make unusual mistakes in taking dictation or spelling tests
• Perform below expectations or grade level 

 

 Possible Chain of Effects of Hearing Loss