Teaching hearing-impared children in a first triad and in the fourth and fifth grade of primary school

Among many others, the group of children with special needs consists of deaf and the hearing-impaired; in my thesis, I focused solely on the hearing-impaired. I have brought into focus several problems, all of which deal with teaching hearing-impaired children who are part of an adapted program with additional professional help. Hearing-impaired pupils are generally treated as though they can hear, because they hear certain sounds, but they do have certain peculiarities in development which we need to watch out for. Hearing-impaired children have trouble with faraway sounds. Children with no impediment rely automatically on their vocabulary when they begin speaking, and using that foundation they communicate with their surroundings, an option which the hearing-impaired lack. What they do have is a wish and need for communicating. They lack vocabulary, and that which they have is very limited and not easily understood. Often they are unsuccessful in communicating, which leads to denying communication altogether. Children who hear normally learn to combine speech with sense, while the hearing-impaired must learn to combine speech, body language and facial expressions. This is often the reason why they do not understand the point of what is spoken (Omerza, 1964). The hearing-impaired cannot join in some games because of their impediment. In games they could participate in, however, they do not understand the point. This is why it is natural for these children to pull out of the game and remain as spectators. Because of their special needs the hearing-impaired pupils need certain adjustments in the schooling process in general, as well as with separate subjects. These adjustments are doable and are not important only for the hearing-impaired, but for all the pupils and I believe that this is also one of the main problems of my thesis. There are many types of adjustments we must take into account: adjusting the space, organisation, communication and with separate subjects. With the help of a questionnaire and a half-structured interview I was given access to the most used methods and adjustments that teachers use while working with the hearing-impaired who are part of an adapted program with additional professional help. I learned where teachers stood regarding teaching the hearing-impaired. Teachers generally support including hearing-impaired children in regular grammar schools, but they also feel they are not adequately trained to give these children quality lessons. I also found answers to questions dealing with experience and handlings of grammar school teachers with regards to teaching hearing-impaired children. Interviewees think that they do not have enough support from outside institutions. According to them, this problem deserves more time and attention. I have concluded that the interviewees know the basic peculiarities/trademarks of the hearing-impaired and some basic adjustments to the teaching process for them. They are also familiar with ways of communicating with these students. Results have shown that more than half of the interviewees agree they get along well with a pupil who is hearing-impaired. Most of them also believe they cannot give such a pupil quality lessons; the reason for such a general opinion may be found in the belief that there are not enough didactical and technical accessories on hand which would enable untroubled teaching of the hearing-impaired. An important part in teaching these children are the hearing and technical accessories which are at hand. Most hearing-impaired use hearing aid, a solution supported by questionnaire results. »Hearing aid is an electro-acoustic appliance which helps overcome hearing impediments. Besides amplifying, a hearing aid also filters sound and offers its users different frequencies depending on the fields where the hearing fails.« (Hernja and others 2010, p. 36) In rooms where the rebound of sound is bigger and where there is an abundance of noise, which also includes classrooms, it is imperative to create conditions for better listening. There are many ways which can be employed to create them. The acoustic system where the teacher speaks into a microphone and the students listen to the sound over speakers situated around the classroom is known to the interviewees, but mostly unused. In most cases they use the frequency modulation radio systems (FM systems). They can be individual or for a group. »A group system works best in classrooms or halls where more receivers can be hooked to one transmitter. An individual system is made up of a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter usually comes with a microphone, handled by the teacher. The receiver is carried by the student and can be connected to the hearing aid or the snail implant.« (Hernja and others 2010, p. 43) There are two other ways to create better listening conditions, the infrared system (IR system) and the induction loop. With the help of questionnaires I was also able to get some suggestions to improve the current situation. I have found that more focus should be given to teaching hearing-impaired pupils in grammar schools than there is now, and especially train and motivate both students and teachers in grammar schools who come face to face with such pupils. I propose that when planning study activities for the hearing-impaired pupil as many professionals as possible (a special rehabilitation educator, social educator ...) are there to help the teacher, and that teachers who already have experience with this kind of situation exchange examples of good practice and help each other. Teachers would benefit from previously-prepared didactic accessories for the hearing-impaired and better-equipped classrooms with modern technological gadgets. Considering the fact that there is an emphasis on including children with special needs in regular schools, it is important that in-depth education and motivation of personnel, who will someday teach children with special needs already begins at the faculties of education