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Kyle Webb
University of Regina
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENTS 2
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
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
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENTS 3
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
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
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENTS 4
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
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
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENTS 5
to be knowledgeable of the challenges hearing impaired students face and could inspire them to
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
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
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
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
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.