Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Services

When students have trouble learning at school, one of the first things to check is their hearing.

Factors that indicate a child may have a hearing problem include:

• a family history of hearing loss;
• frequent colds or ear infections;
• past bouts with the measles or mumps;
• frequent inattentiveness and lack of concentration; and
• difficulty interacting when there is background noise.

If detected early, many hearing losses can be addressed before there is long-term impact on the child's learning skills.

Referrals for hearing testing

Hearing problems fall into two general categories - those related to how the ear works and those related to how the brain processes signals received by the ear.

If parents have concerns about a child's hearing, they should consult a doctor or Hearing Services at 667-5913, and also discuss them with the child's teacher.

The school may - in consultation with the parents -- refer the child to the hearing consultant at the Department of Education.

The consultant will get information from the teacher or parents and may screen the child's hearing at school. Sometimes this happens in consultation with the audiologist at Hearing Services.

Meeting the Student's Needs

The hearing consultant also meets with the School Based Team to develop ways to meet the student's needs in the classroom.

The team includes the student's teachers, a school administrator, a learning assistance teacher and a school counsellor. It can also include the parents, the student (where appropriate), other consultants from the Department of Education and representatives from community services.

The hearing consultant also:

• monitors the effectiveness of student hearing aids;
• provides listening devices such as personal and classroom FM systems;
• makes recommendations to improve classroom acoustics;
• instructs students in sign language and provides other resources;
• consults with Hearing Services staff and visiting ear specialists; and
• provides professional development for teachers to raise awareness of hearing difficulties.

For more information:

Special Programs Division
Department of Education
Phone: (867) 667-8000
Toll Free: 1-800-661-0408
shirley.loo@gov.yk.ca

Special Programs
Department of Education
Government of Yukon
Box 2703
Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada Y1A 2C6

Phone: (867) 667-8000
Toll free (In Yukon):
1-800-661-0408, local 8000
Fax: (867) 393-6423

shirley.loo@gov.yk.ca