The content in this section of the Sunshine Cottage website comes
directly from the Oberkotter Foundation's website
www.oraldeafed.org* and
is reprinted with permission of the Oberkotter Foundation.
ACOUSTICS: Having to do with sound, the sense of hearing, or
the science of sound. As used in this web site, the term refers
to the qualities of an auditorium, classroom, or other space that
determine how well sounds can be heard.
ACOUSTIC ROOM TREATMENT: The use of sound-absorbing materials
(such as carpets and acoustical tile) to reduce room noise and improve
the usefulness of hearing aids and other listening devices.
ADVENTITIOUS DEAFNESS: A hearing loss that occurs any time after
birth due to injury or disease.
ACQUIRED HEARING LOSS: Hearing loss which is not present at birth.
Sometimes referred to as adventitious loss.
ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act. A federal legislation which
impacts accessibility for disabled persons in education, the workplace,
and public places.
AIR CONDUCTION: An evaluative measure performed during diagnostic
audiologic testing whereby sound is delivered via earphones through
the ear canal, the ear drum, and middle ear to the inner ear to
assess hearing sensitivity. (Contrasts with Bone Conduction, see
below.)
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL): A visual/gestural language used
by many deaf people in the United States and Canada. Its grammar
and syntax are not the same as English. See Signed English System,
below.
AMPLIFICATION: The use of hearing aids and other electronic devices
to increase the loudness of sound so that it may be more easily
received and understood.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES: A group of systems including personal
hearing aids, FM systems and infared systems that through special
input enhance listening situations and auditory awareness for use
of the telephone, television, amplified alarms and signals. For
more detailed information, see the sections on Support Aids and
Auditory Devices.
ATRESIA (medical term): Closure of the ear canal and/or absence
of an ear opening.
AUDIO LOOPS / INDUCTION LOOPS: Assistive listening device which
enhances the use of hearing aids in schools, theaters, religious
places, and public buildings and auditoriums. The ADA requires the
inclusion of these systems in a host of public settings.
AUDIOGRAM: A graph on which a person's ability to hear different
pitches (frequencies) at different volumes (intensities) of sound
is recorded.
AUDIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT: A series of tests performed to identify
pure-tone thresholds, impedance, speech recognition, and speech
discrimination, which show the type and degree of hearing loss and
status of outer, middle and inner ear function.
AUDIOLOGIC EVALUATION: Tests conducted by an audiologist to determine
whether a hearing loss is present, what tones (pitches) are affected,
how severe the hearing loss is, and the type of hearing loss. The
evaluation also includes recommendations as to the hearing loss
management, including selection of an appropriate amplification.
AUDIOLOGIST: A licenced professional with a degree in the science
of hearing (Audiology) who conducts hearing tests, evaluates hearing
loss, and fits amplification devices. The audiologist is an important
source for information on hearing aids, cochlear implants and other
interventions. Certification of qualifying audiologists is given
by ASHA.
AUDITORY/ORAL EDUCATION: An approach based on the principle that
most deaf and hard-of-hearing children can be taught to listen and
speak with early intervention and consistent training to develop
their hearing potential. The focus of this educational approach
is to use the auditory channel (or hearing) to acquire speech and
oral language. The goal is for these children to grow up to become
independent, participating citizens in mainstream society. Also
known as Oral Deaf Education.
AUDITORY TRAINER: An assistive auditory device or FM system similar
to a radio transmitter with a wireless microphone. The teacher or
parent wears the microphone transmitter while the child wears the
receiver which is set to amplify sound. The benefit is that the
background room noise is not amplified, and the teacher/parent's
voice has direct access to the child from any location, even another
room.
AUDITORY TRAINING: The process of training a person's residual
hearing in the recognition, identification, and interpretation of
sound.
AUDITORY/VERBAL THERAPISTS: The development of speech and verbal
language through the maximized use of auditory potential by trained
and licenced auditory/verbal therapists.
AURAL HABILITATION: Training designed to help a person with hearing
loss to make productive use of their residual hearing and listening
abilities. It sometimes includes training in speechreading.
BACKGROUND / AMBIENT NOISE: Environmental noise that competes
with the main speech signal.
BILATERAL HEARING LOSS: A mild to profound loss of hearing in
both ears.
BINAURAL HEARING AIDS: Hearing aids worn in both ears. For more
detailed information, see Hearing Aids in the section on Auditory
Devices.
BONE CONDUCTION: An evaluative measure performed during diagnostic
audiologic testing where sound is delivered via a bone ossilater.
This technique helps determine whether the hearing loss is conductive
or sensorineural. (This contrasts with Air Conduction, see above).
COCHLEAR IMPLANT: An electronic device surgically implanted to
stimulate nerve endings in the inner ear (cochlea) in order to receive
and process sound and speech. For more detailed information, see
Cochlear Implants in the section on Auditory Devices.
CONDITIONED ORIENTATION REFLEX (COR): The audiologist teaches
the young child to look toward a toy that lights up or moves when
the child looks toward it in response to a sound.
CONDUCTlVE HEARING LOSS: Impairment of hearing due to the failure
of sound waves to reach the inner ear through the normal air conduction
channels of the outer and middle ear. In children, conductive loss
is often medically correctable.
CONGENITAL HEARING LOSS: Hearing loss present at birth or associated
with the birth process, or which develops in the first few days
of life.
CUED SPEECH: A visual representation of the phonemes of spoken
language, which uses eight hand shapes in four different locations
in combination with the natural mouth movements of speech, to distinquish
all the sounds of spoken language . It is offered by trained cued
speech therapists.
DEAF: Hearing loss, which is severe enough to make it hard for
a person to understand speech through listening with or without
hearing aids or cochlear implants.
DEAF-BLIND: Educationally significant loss of vision and hearing.
DECIBEL (dB): The unit of measurement for the loudness or volume
(intensity) of sound. The higher the dB, the louder the sound.
EAR: The ear has three main parts:
Outer ear: The auricle or pinna (the part of the ear on the outside
of the head) and the ear canal.
Middle ear: Located between the outer ear and the inner ear, separated
from the ear canal by the eardrum. The middle ear contains three
tiny bones (the ossicles). The ossicles sound vibrations from the
eardrum to the fluid of the inner ear.
Inner ear: The innermost part of the ear. It is composed of the
hearing organ (the cochlea), the balance mechanism (the semicircular
canal), and the auditory nerve. Vibration transmitted into the inner
ear by the ossicles in the middle ear causes waves in the inner
ear fluid, which stimulates the hair cells and the hearing nerve,
causing electric signals to be transmitted to the brain, and interpreted
as sound.
Other parts of the ear:
Auditory (or acoustic) nerve: Located in the inner ear, leading
to the brain.
Cochlea: The snail-like organ of hearing located in the inner ear.
Eardrum: The tympanic membrane which separates the outer from the
middle ear.
EAR MOLD: A custom-made plastic or vinyl piece which fits into the
outer ear to interface with a hearing aid. For more detailed information,
see Hearing Aids in the section on Auditory Devices.
EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETER: A person who is able to perform conventional
interpreting, together with special skills for working in the educational
setting. (Source: National Task Force on Educational Interpreting,
1989). For more detailed information, see Oral Transliterator in
the section on Support Aids.
EVOKED RESPONSE AUDIOMETRY (ERA): A hearing test which uses an
EEG (electroencephalograph) and a computer analysis to directly
record the brain's response to sound. Useful in helping to determine
a child's hearing level when the child is too young to cooperate
with the audiologist.
EXTEND EAR: An FM auditory trainer without a body unit or cords.
It can also function as a personal hearing aid. For more detailed
information, see FM Systems in the section on Auditory Devices.
FINGERSPELLING: Representation of the alphabet by finger positions
in order to spell out words or longer strings of language.
FM SYSTEM: A wireless assistive listening device that transmits
the speaker's voice to an electronic receiver in which the sound
is amplified and transmitted to the deaf or hard-of-hearing person's
ears via small earphones on his or her personal hearing aids or
connected to his or her cochlear implant. The device reduces the
problem of background noise interference and the problem of distance
from the speaker. For more detailed information, see FM Systems
in the section on Auditory Devices.
FREQUENCY: The number of vibrations per second of a sound. Frequency,
expressed in Hertz (Hz), determines the pitch of sound.
HARD OF HEARING: Hearing loss severe enough to interfere with
school or work. Hard-of-hearing people can typically process speech
and language quite well with the help of an auditory device, such
as a hearing aid.
HEARING AID: An electronic device that conducts and amplifies
sound to the ear. For more detailed information, see Hearing Aids
in the section on Auditory Devices.
HEARING IMPAIRED: Refers to persons with any degree of hearing
loss, from mild to profound, including deaf and hard-of-hearing
persons. This term is losing acceptance by deaf persons because
of the term "impaired" which connotes negative meaning. The preferred
term is "deaf and/or hard of hearing".
HEARING LOSS: Hearing loss was originally defined in medical
terms before the development of modern audiology. Today, professionals
tend to use the consistent, research-based terminology of audiology.
The following numerical values are based on the average of the hearing
loss at three frequencies: 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz, in the
better ear without amplification. The numerical values for the seven
categories vary among professionals.
Normal Hearing (-10 dB to 15 dB)
Slight loss (16 dB to 25 dB)
Mild loss (26 dB to 30 dB)
Moderate (31 dB to 50 dB)
Moderate/Severe (51 dB to 70 dB)
Severe loss (71 dB to 90 dB)
Profound loss (91 dB or more)
HEARING SCREENING: Simple testing of the ability to hear selected
frequencies at intensities within normal hearing limits. Screenings
are used to identify individuals with significant hearing loss and
to refer them for further testing.
HERTZ (Hz): This is the generally used term for measuring pitch,
expressing the vibrations or cycles per second. Most speech sounds
fall within the so-called "speech range" of about 300 to 3000 Hz.
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act - PL94-142,
Revised. See the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act under
the section on The Law for additional information.
IMPEDANCE AUDIOMETRY: Testing to measure the ability of the middle
ear to conduct sound to the inner ear. This information can be useful
to the otologist in determining whether a middle ear problem exists
which requires medical treatment.
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP): A team-developed, written
document. The IEP outlines the goals for education and therapy for
a student with disability, and provides a guideline for achieving
them. An IEP for a deaf child should take into consideration such
factors as:
Communication needs and the child's and family's preferred mode
of communication. Linguistic needs, severity of hearing loss and potential for maximizing auditory ability. Academic level, social and emotional needs, including opportunities for peer interactions
and communication.
INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY SERVICE PLAN (IFSP): A team-developed, written
plan for infants and toddlers (aged 0 to 3 years) which addresses:
Assessment of the child's strengths and needs, and identification
of services to meet such needs.
Assessment of family resources and priorities, and the identification
of supports and services necessary to enhance the capacity of the
family to meet the developmental needs of the infant or toddler
with a disability.
A written individualized family service plan developed by three
members of a multidisciplinary team including the parent or guardian.
(Source: IDEA).
INFLECTION: A change in the pitch of the speaking voice to add meaning
or emphasis to a word or phrase.
INFORMAL TESTING: The audiologist presents a variety of sounds
ranging from low pitch to high pitch, and from soft to loud, out
of the child's sight. The child's response to each sound is noted.
INFRARED SYSTEMS: See under Audio loops/Induction Loops.
INTENSITY: The loudness of a sound, measured in decibels (dB).
INTERPRETER OR TRANSLITERATOR FOR THE DEAF: A person who facilitates
communication between hearing and deaf or hard-of-hearing persons
through interpretation or transliteration. Interpretation translates
language from one modality to another, such as between Spoken English
and American Sign Language. Transliteration (usually by a cued Speech
or Oral Transliterator) conveys spoken information into more clear
and readily speechreadable form or voices over difficult to understand
speech into more clear speech.. The EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETER specializes
in classroom interpreting.
INTONATION: The aspect of speech made up of changes in pitch
and stress in the voice. The voice may go higher or lower during
speech to emphasize certain words or parts of words more than others.
LIPREADING: See Speechreading.
MAINSTREAMING: The concept that students with disabilities should
be integrated with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent
possible, when appropriate to the needs of the student with a disability.
MIXED HEARING LOSS: A hearing loss with combined sensorineural
and conductive elements.
MONAURAL AMPLIFICATION: The use of one hearing aid instead of
two.
MORPHEME: A linguistic unit of relatively stable meaning that
cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts. (Source: American
Heritage Dictionary)
MYRINGOTOMY (medical term): Surgery which opens the eardrum to
allow drainage of fluid from the middle ear.
NATURAL LANGUAGE: Language acquired primarily through the accessible
sensory channel(s).
NOTETAKER: One who writes notes for the deaf or hard-of-hearing
persons in various settings such as the classroom or in the office.
For more detailed information, see Notetaker in the section on Support
Aids.
OPHTHALMOLOGIST: A physician specializing in the treatment of
diseases of the eye.
ORAL DEAF EDUCATION: An approach based on the principal that
most deaf and hard-of-hearing children can be taught to listen and
speak with early intervention and consistent training to develop
their hearing potential. The goal is for these children to grow
up to become independent, participating citizens in mainstream society.
Also known as Auditory-Oral Education.
ORAL INTERPRETER: Same as for Oral Transliterator>
ORAL TRANSLITERATOR: Communicates the words of a speaker or group
of speakers to an individual who is deaf by inaudibly mouthing what
is said so that it can be read on the lips. For more detailed information,
see Oral Transliterating in the section on Support Aids.
OSSICLES: Three tiny bones (the Incus, Malleus and Stapes) in
the middle ear.
OTITIS MEDIA (medical term): Infection of the middle ear that
usually results in a conductive hearing loss until the middle ear
becomes well ventilated. Children with recurrent attacks may have
fluctuating hearing loss and be somewhat at risk for acquiring permanent
hearing loss.
OTOLARYNGOLOGIST: A medical doctor specializing in problems of
the ear, nose, and throat. Sometimes referred to as an ENT doctor.
Another name for the same specialist is OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGIST.
OTOLOGIST: A physician who specializes in medical problems of
the ear.
PARENT-INFANT PROGRAM: A program of parent education and infant/toddler
intervention which stresses early exposure to language and attention
to developmental processes that enhance the learning of language.
Some programs include early exposure to amplification and the use
of hearing aids to stimulate the auditory channel.
PLAY AUDIOMETRY: A hearing test in which the audiologist teaches
the child to respond with some action - a game response - whenever
he hears a sound. He may learn, for instance, to put a peg in a
hole, a ring on a peg, or a piece in a puzzle every time he hears
a sound. The audiologist uses the audiometer, a piece of equipment
that presents different tones (from low to high pitch, usually within
the speech range) at varying levels of loudness to assess a child's
hearing sensitivity.
PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT: A collection of a student's work which
demonstrates achievement, efforts, and progress over a period of
time.
POSTLINGUAL DEAFNESS: Hearing loss acquired after first learning
a language.
PRAGMATICS: The appropriateness of language use to the situation,
the speaker, and the audience in regard to logic and validity.
PRELINGUAL DEAFNESS: Refers to hearing loss which occurs before
the child develops language.
REAL-TIME CAPTIONING: On-line captioning for television screens
and monitors giving the printed speech of live speakers. For more
detailed information, see Real-Time Captioning in the section on
Support Aids.
RESIDUAL HEARING: The amount of usable hearing which a deaf or
hard-of-hearing person has.
REVERBERATION: Prolongation of a sound after the sound source
has ceased or an echo within a room, due to sound absorption of
walls, floor and celing.
SECTION 504: In the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1977, it
provides for the accessibility needs of disabled persons.
SEMANTICS: The use in language of meaningful referents, in both
word and sentence structures.
SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS: A permanent hearing loss caused by
failure or damage of auditory fibers in the inner ear (cochlea)
and/or damage to the neural system.
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO: The difference in the intensities of the
speech signal (such as a teacher's voice) and the ambient (background)
noise.
SIGNED ENGLlSH SYSTEMS: Sign systems developed for educational
purposes, which use manual signs in English word order; sometimes
with added affixes which are not present in American Sign Language.
Signing Exact English and Seeing Essential English are two examples.
SPEECHREADING. The interpretation of lip and mouth movements,
facial expressions, gestures, elements of sound, structural characteristics
of language, and topical and contextual clues. Sometimes referred
to as as lipreading.
SPEECH PERCEPTION. The ability to recognize speech stimuli presented
at suprathreshold levels (levels loud enough to be heard).
SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY: The ability to be understood when using
speech.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT: One or more of the following
communication impairments which adversely affects educational performance:
An inability to articulate words correctly, including omissions,
substitutions, or distortions of sound, beyond the age when they
might normally be expected;Voice impairment, including abnormal rate of speaking, speech interruptions,
and repetition of sounds, words, phrases, or sentences, which interferes
with effective communication;
One or more other language impairments, as determined both by informal
use of language and by at least two standardized tests or subtests
which indicate inappropriate language functioning for the child's
age.
SYNTAX: Defines the word classes of language (nouns, verbs, etc.)
and the rules for their combination (which words can be combined,
and in what order to convey meaning).
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST: A professional who works with
individuals who have specific needs in the area of speech and language.
TEACHER: Term used broadly to include teachers trained to work
with deaf and hard-of-hearing children, teachers in ordinary (mainstreamed)
classrooms, or a resource teacher who may work with children who
have special needs.
UNILATERAL HEARING LOSS: A mild to profound loss of hearing in
only one ear. Unilateral loss is now believed to adversely affect
the educational process in a significant percentage of students
who have it.
*The Oberkotter Foundation is not responsible for the information
or materials contained on any web site that links to the ODE web
site. Links to the ODE web site are not intended as an endorsement
by the Oberkotter Foundation or any of the organizations identified
on the ODE web site of the individual or organization operating
the web site containing the link. The Oberkotter Foundation and
the organizations identified on the ODE web site make no warranties
regarding the information or materials contained on any web site
that links to the ODE web site.
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