in the classroom
Hear and know
The need to understand the challenges faced by students with hearing loss .
By David Brady
Isolation . It ’ s a word we ’ ve all become too familiar with since 2020 . For many of us , it was a feeling that we had never experienced before , but there is a vital part of our community that experiences it on a daily basis – Australians with hearing loss like me .
In particular , studies have found that children with hearing loss are four times more likely to develop mental health challenges , be exposed to bullying , and are likely to experience social exclusion from their peers during their formative years .
For a hearing person , it can be difficult to understand how isolating life with hearing loss can be , even hearing loss classified as mild . Day to day living in pandemic times has meant we have all experienced isolation on some level : many of us were separated from our loved ones and our workplaces , with our traditional means of communication dramatically altered .
While most Australians have welcomed the easing of restrictions and return to some semblance of normalcy , the transition has continued the challenges for kids with hearing loss .
The return to face-to-face schooling after almost two years has reduced the challenges created by masks and poor online sound quality , however the noise and confusion of school can create
fresh isolation , with exhaustion and disengagement as students of all ages struggle to keep up .
Children and teenagers with hearing loss need the support of those closest to them , including their teachers and friends at school . After nearly two years of home learning , these teachers and students may need help remembering that their friends with hearing loss need some extra support .
With students finally returning to school post-COVID restrictions , the time for understanding is needed more than ever .
The Shepherd Centre recently unveiled a first-of-its-kind virtual reality experience to allow others to experience life at school with hearing loss .
The purpose behind the experience was to demonstrate what it ’ s really like for children with hearing loss when they are at school . Developed as part of our teenager mentoring program , Hear For You , the experience focuses on the most common everyday life with hearing loss issues in a busy school , such as social challenges , feeling isolated and missing the key words .
The VR headset takes the person into the world of a deaf teenager interacting in a social situation at school . In firstperson and with the audio of a hearing aid , it mirrors the challenges and frustration experienced every day by teenagers with hearing loss .
High school is a tough time , a time when no one wants to be labelled as different . Imagine the impact of fellow students understanding the challenges faced by those with hearing loss , deciding to challenge the status quo , speaking up and starting a change .
When parliamentarians and hearing people first experienced the VR , it was natural to watch their instinct to turn the volume up , a simple solution for so many people . Each one of them quickly became frustrated as they could not follow the conversation and felt excluded from what the students were saying .
The short film is a simple conversation about what each student experienced over the holidays . The anticipation to share the fun times can be seen on the students ’ faces yet can ’ t be clearly heard .
Watching the experience doesn ’ t just stop with the students – we want this short video shown to as many Australians as possible .
Many of our Shepherd Centre families have shared stories of how a teacher , a support worker , or another parent has stopped and asked how a change to the day-to-day teaching can be made to help one of their students with hearing loss .
Once we have the full support system of peers and the school communities , our children with hearing loss will feel less isolated , we will see dramatic improvements in mental health outcomes , and give them a better chance of succeeding in the future .
We will continue to campaign to have this program in all schools across the country . These children are the voices of our future but if they can ’ t participate in the conversation , they will never be heard . ■
David Brady is director of community engagement at The Shepherd Centre .
18 | educationreview . com . au