Challenges of Distance Learning with Hearing Loss
With the onset of COVID since 2019, everything from school to office has shifted to a digital platform. Online classes are becoming the new big thing. The entire concept of distance learning has brought about a drastic change in the way kids were taught earlier. A lot of school going kids are finding it very challenging to adjust to the virtual classes. However, it has become all the more difficult for children with hearing impairments.
Kids with a hearing loss issue already had to navigate a lot of difficulties while they were physically attending school. Distance learning seems to have added to their woes! These kids must have taken quite a bit of time in adjusting to the physical classes with their hearing impairment. Now, they are again having to adapt in the virtual environment with their impairment. Adapting to yet another way of learning and communicating has become all the more challenging for them.
However, many tools and technologies are available to help such children with this transition. The below mentioned tips can help children with hearing loss to make the most out of distance learning and come out successful:
Minimizing the Background Noise
The background noise in physical classes is unavoidable up to quite an extent. Distance learning has an upper edge in this regard. Online classes allow students with hearing loss to better isolate the sound of their teacher’s voice. As a parent, you must make sure that the background noise in your home is kept as low as possible. This will provide your child with a better learning environment.
Keep doors and windows closed. Keep any noisy appliances like the TV, washing machine or dishwasher away from your child’s study room. People’s conversation must also be kept to a minimum during the child’s learning hours.
Ask Your Child’s Teacher to Help
This is another remedy you can do apart from minimizing the background noise and making sure your child’s hearing aid works properly. You can ask their teacher to make sure that only one person speaks at a time.
Technology like Google Meet can serve this purpose. It offers real-time captioning and sending written follow ups. These will outline what is discussed in the class and what is expected from the student’s end. This will make learning easy for children suffering from hearing loss.
Provide the Most Assistive Technology
If your child’s hearing aid is equipped with Bluetooth technology, make the most of it. This can help you stream your child’s live class directly to their device. Doing this can help them listen and understand concepts more clearly.
If your child is suffering from hearing loss, they might tend to get emotionally affected. They might also feel a sense of isolation amongst other fellow students. However, these challenges can be overcome by providing them a distance learning friendly environment which takes their impairment into consideration.
At Quality Hearing Care, we provide your child with the best quality hearing aid which will enhance their distance learning experience. Visit our website to know more about us and allow us to serve you better.
