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Hearing impairment

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Under IDEA, hearing impairment is a permanent or fluctuating hearing loss, not severe enough to be deafness, that adversely affects educational performance.

Topic: Disability categories and conditions

In plain terms

IDEA treats deafness, a loss so severe the student cannot process language through hearing even with amplification, as its own category. Hearing impairment covers the wider range of mild to severe loss, including fluctuating loss. Many people prefer the term hard of hearing. Members of the Deaf community, written with a capital D, see themselves as a linguistic and cultural group rather than as impaired.

How it shows up in an IEP

The team must consider the student's communication needs and opportunities for direct communication with peers and staff. Goals may address listening, language, self-advocacy and use of hearing technology, often with a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing.

Example

A fifth grader with a moderate loss uses hearing aids and a remote microphone. A goal targets independently reporting when the microphone is off or not working.

The rule

Federal reference: 34 CFR §300.8(c)(5), 34 CFR §300.8(c)(3).

Related terms

  • Hearing aidA hearing aid is a small, worn device that makes sounds louder and clearer for a person with hearing loss.
  • Remote microphone system (FM or DM)A remote microphone system sends a teacher's voice wirelessly to a student's hearing devices or a speaker, making speech clearer over distance and noise.
  • Teacher of the deaf and hard of hearingA teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing is a certified specialist who teaches and supports students with hearing loss.
  • American Sign Language (ASL)American Sign Language is a complete visual language, with its own grammar and vocabulary, used by many Deaf people in the US and Canada.
  • Special factorsSpecial factors are five issues the IEP team must consider for every student: behavior, English learning, braille, communication and assistive technology.

On IEP Atlas

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