Classroom support aids enhance the listening and learning environment
for your child. Aids can refer to pieces of equipment or strategies
for learning. Not all of the support aids listed below are necessary
for every child, and some are needed only as your child reaches
middle school age. You can work with the classroom teacher to
set up a supportive classroom environment for your child. Whatever
you and the IEP team decide is important to meet your child's
needs, document in writing.
| Preferential,
or favorable, Seating |
Sitting close to the teacher or other speakers, in order
to optimize listening and visual clues. |
| Sound Field
System |
An assistive device that improves listening in noisy or
reverberant environments (like classrooms). Like a mini loud-speaker
system, a sound field system amplifies the decibel level
of a teacher's voice. Small speakers in the classroom bring
the enhanced loudness to all students. Teachers enjoy using
the sound field system because it saves wear and tear on
their voice. |
| FM System |
An assistive device that improves listening in noisy environments
(like classrooms). The teachers voice is transmitted by a
microphone worn on his/her lapel via radio waves to the student,
who receives the sound through a receiver that connects to
the child's hearing aids or cochlear implant. For most children
in the mainstream, an FM system is an important supplement
to hearing aids and cochlear implants. Can be provided by
the school for classroom use. |
| Notetaker |
A person with normal hearing takes classroom notes for
the student; often the notetaker is another classmate with
good note-taking skills. Note-taking becomes increasingly
important at the middle school level. |
| Captioned Videos |
A caption line, similar to printed English subtitles. Captioned
videos can be played on any T.V. manufactured after 1993,
or with older sets using a separate device called a closed
caption decoder. Teachers need to check that videos are captioned;
unfortunately, most videos are not and it is very difficult
for anyone with a significant hearing loss to follow an uncaptioned
video. For help in finding these captioned videos, see the
reference section. |
| Oral Interpreter |
A qualified professional who serves as a link between the
speaker and the student. The oral interpreter silently mouths
the words of the speaker, augmented with natural gestures.
Supports understanding with the use of these strong visual
cues. OI is usually introduced at the middle school level.
The student has the right to the provision of an oral interpreter;
however the lack of trained OIs limits availability. The
school may need to train someone to provide this service. |
| C-Print Captioning |
C-Print is a speech-to-print system in which a hearing
captionist (transcriber) types the words of the teacher and
other students as they are being spoken into a lap-top computer.
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing can read these real-time
exchanges on a second lap-top computer or TV monitor. Additionally,
the text file is stored and can be edited, printed and distributed
to students after class. C-Print is designed to replace both
interpreters and notetakers in the classroom. Contact AG
Bell to learn more about C-Print. |
| Cued Speech
Interpreter |
A qualified professional who serves as a link between
the speaker and the student. The cued speech interpreter
silently mouths the words of the speaker and simultaneously
uses handshapes to cue the child as to what sounds are being
spoken. Students have the right to a cued speech interpreter;
however the lack of trained CSIs limits availability. The
school may need to train someone to provide this service. |
| Acoustical
Improvements |
This refers to minor changes/additions to classrooms designed
to reduce ambient noise; acoustical improvements include:
carpeting, acoustic ceiling tiles, double-paned windows,
installation of a lower, sound-absorbing, suspended ceiling
in older, higher-ceilinged classrooms, use of thick draperies
at windows, elimination of background music, rubber tips
on chair, table and desk legs, repair of heating/cooling/ventilation-associated
noise, and avoidance of open-plan classrooms. |
| Real-time captioning |
"Real-time" (instant) transcription of speech
by a real-time captioner (someone using courtroom stenographer
equipment). The real-time captioner enters the lecture or
classroom dialogue into a computer which shows up on a video
screen or laptop computer which the student then reads. Currently
the cost of classroom transcription is high and some schools
oppose its use for this reason. However, a number of parents
have been successful in obtaining its use in the classroom. |
