Sensory Impairments

David Berglund and Devon Mechler

• Sensory Impairments:
– Include a spectrum of visual and auditory
impairments
– Considered to be low-incidence exceptionalities
– It is usually not important for school personnel to
know the causes of sensory impairments, because it
does not affect instructional strategies
– Causes of hearing impairments include: genetics,
developmental abnormalities, drug use (including
prescription drugs), infections, premature birth, Rh
incompatibility, physical trauma, allergies, loud noise
– Causes of visual impairments include: genetics,
physical trauma, infections, premature birth, oxygen
deprivation (anoxia), retinal degeneration.
• Hearing Impairments
– Hidden
– Hard of Hearing: people who are hard of hearing find
it challenging to understand speech with or without a
hearing aid
– Deafness: people who are deaf cannot understand
speech even with a hearing aid

• Visual Impairments
– Low vision: enough vision to gain information through
reading, with or without aids
– Blindness:
• Legal Blindness: visual acuity less than 20/200, or field of
vision less than 20 degrees
• Educational definition: must use Braille or aural methods to
learn
 Characteristics
• Students with either Visual or Hearing Impairments:
– Range of intellectual ability similar to that of peers
– Generally behind peers academically
– Less socially mature
• Students with Auditory Impairments:
– Poor speech production
• Students with Visual Impairments:
– Unable to use non-verbal cues or visual imagery
– Difficulty in using spatial information
Strategies for Supporting Students with Hearing
Impairments
– Students with suspected hearing impairments should
be referred to an audiologist
– Students vary in their need for supports
– Students with profound hearing loss usually need an
interpreter
– Seat students where they can best use any hearing
they may have and/or where they can easily see the
interpreter
– Information should be presented visually as much as
possible
– Have bright lighting so the students can easily see
visual cues
– Have students work cooperatively with their peers
Figure 9.2 Types of Supports for Students with Hearing
Impairments in Inclusive Settings

(Smith, 2009, p. 237)

 Strategies for Supporting Students with Visual
Impairments
– For students with low vision, simple modifications
(e.g. making printed materials larger or using seating
arrangements to take advantage of any vision the
student has) may suffice
– Modifications must be more extensive for students
who are blind (e.g. Braille, Audio Books, etc.)
– Adapt materials to accommodate tactile strategies
– Include all students in the classroom activities
– Help increase students’ level of activity
Management Considerations for students who are
visually impaired
– Students with visual impairments should be allowed
to move around the class to find where they can see
best
– Students with visual impairments need to know where
things are in the classroom (‘clock orientation’ is a
good way to do this)
– It is important to use appropriate seating
arrangements
– Make sure the classroom is free of hazards
– Teachers should think ahead as to how they will adapt
lessons to meet the needs of these students
 Assistive Technology for Students with Hearing
Impairments
– Using movies that have closed captioning
– Hearing aids and other sound amplifying devices
– Cochlear implants
– Teachers should talk with hearing specialists (such as
audiologists, hearing consultants or teachers who
specialize in working with students who are deaf) to
understand these technologies and create the ideal
classroom environment
 Assistive Technology for Students with Visual
Impairments
– Low vision aids
• magnifiers
• closed-circuit televisions
• monoculars
– Braille printers and speech input/output devices
– Computer training and access (special software is
available)
 Socio-Emotional Considerations
– May feel socially isolated
– Students need to know that someone cares about
their social and emotional needs
– Teachers should help with the student’s social and
emotional development
– Teachers should be available to talk to the student
about the student’s concerns
– The student and teacher need to have a system that
allows the student to signal the teacher when they
need to talk
 References
Career and employment services: Helping people with vision loss define and
reach their goals. CNIB (Canadian National Institute of the Blind), 354-10th
Street, Brandon, MB.
Clear print: Accessibility guidelines. CNIB (Canadian National Institute of the
Blind), 354-10th Street, Brandon, MB.
Early intervention program: Helping children with vision loss reach their full
potential. CNIB (Canadian National Institute of the Blind), 354-10th Street,
Brandon, MB.
Save your sight. CNIB (Canadian National Institute of the Blind), 354-10th
Street, Brandon, MB.
Smith, T. (2009). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings
(third ed.). Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Inc.
Start American Sign Language. (2008-2011). http://www.start-american-sign-
language.com/
Step-by-step: A how-to manual for guiding someone with vision loss. CNIB
(Canadian National Institute of the Blind), 354-10th Street, Brandon, MB.
Take a look. CNIB (Canadian National Institute of the Blind), 354-10th Street,
Brandon, MB.