American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Issue: March 2009

Physical Education and Sport Adaptations for Students Who Are Hard of Hearing
Lori M. Reich & Barry Lavay

Abstract: Hearing loss is the number one disability in the United States. It cannot be assumed, however, that all people with hearing loss have similar needs. Most individuals with hearing loss do not use sign language, and people who are hard of hearing (HOH) are often grouped together with people who are Deaf and referred to as "deaf" or "hearing impaired." This can be confusing for physical educators because communicating with students who are HOH can be vastly different from communicating with individuals who are Deaf. The purpose of this article is to help physical educators to recognize and address the needs of individuals who are specifically HOH. The incident rates of hearing loss, terminology used to refer to individuals with hearing loss, and indicators that a hearing loss may exist are discussed. Most importantly, this article provides useful instructional strategies to address the needs of a student who is HOH in a physical education class, including suggestions that can be implemented before the school year starts; a plan for the first day of class; proactive ideas to help the student to feel comfortable socially; and practical instructional tactics that can be used throughout the school year while teaching or coaching.

Article category: Inclusion