Coping Strategies

For Teens with Hearing Loss

Components

• Effective Communication• Technology• Your Rights• Self Advocacy

Effective Communication

Effective Communication

• Communicating effectively means that the speaker AND the listener must be 100% responsible for getting the message

• Be an Active Listener: truly listen. Don’t think ahead to what you’re going to say. Be focused on the speaker, in the moment, listening with an open mind.

Components of Active Listening

• Totally focused on the other person

• Listening with an open mind• NOT thinking “what am I going

to say next?”• Are not formulating a defense

or an opinion while other person is speaking

• Are not doing anything else

• Copyright2006 Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Communication Strategies: Active Listening Techniques• Encourage: Don’t agree or

disagree– Use non-committal words

with positive tone.– I see…Uh-huh…That’s

interesting• Restate: restate the other’s

basic ideas, emphasizing the facts– If I understand, your idea

was– It sounds like you believe…..

Communication Strategies: Active Listening Techniques, cont.

• Reflect: Restate the other’s basic feelings– You feel that….– You were pretty disturbed

by….• Summarize: Restate, reflect

and summarize major ideas– These seem to be your key

ideas….– If I understand correctly, you

feel….– Copyright2006 Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of

Hearing

Friends with Hearing Loss

• LEAP (Leadership Enrichment Adventure Program) by AG Bell

• LOFT (Leadership Opportunities for Teens)

• Visit the AG Bell Website to find out more about these activities www.agbell.org

Bullies and Prevention• Bullying includes hurtful acts, words, or

other behavior. It is an oppressive or negative act carried out against you (or another) with intent to hurt or harm.

• Prevention– Learn self-advocacy skills.– Learn independent problem-solving methods.– Understand the disability in order to

communicate this understanding to others. If the disability is not a “secret” it will be less powerful to bullies.

– Maintain peer relationships. Once social skills are developed, the opportunity for isolation and vulnerability is reduced.

– Find out if your school has an anti-bullying policy.

Conflict Resolution

W What happened? State the situation clearly and concisely, and indicate which portion was unacceptable.

I Insist on a resolution of the situation. Remain calm, cool and collected, but intent on resolution.

N Never give up! Know what your next steps are. Know your legislation. Know your rights!

Copyright2006 Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Technology 101 Staying Connected

TECH 101! Keep Up with the Times!• CAPTEL Technology-

www.captionedtelephone.com– Designed for people who can talk but do not

hear well enough to use the phone without assistance.

– Available with extra large keys and a 5 or 6 line LED screen. The user can simply pick up the hand set and dial the number of the person he or she wishes to reach. The phone automatically connects to the relay provider and then dials the destination number. The relay assistant is a “silent partner,” and the caller and called party engage in direct communication. The relay assistant re-voices the other party’s speech into a voice-recognition system which then converts the sounds into text for the CapTel screen.

– Copyright2006 AG Bell Association

Tech 101

• Signalers and Receivers– Can notify you when there

are sounds throughout your house

• Doorbell• Telephone• Alarm Clock• Fire Alarm• Baby Monitor

Can purchase through your audiologist or online Hearing Assistive Technology Website

Staying in TouchTips for communicating on the phone

• If you have trouble answering your phone…use a voicemail that will ask the caller to contact you by email

• Use the caller ID to see who called and return calls through relay service

• Use the relay service to check your voicemail

• Ask friends, family, and coworkers to use text based communication as main means of contact

Driver’s Education

• Communication Tips– Tell the instructor that you have a

hearing loss and how you communicate

– Use a personal FM system for drivers ed class and driver’s training

– Sit in a seat that allows lipreading when in class

– Ask the instructor for an outline of the topics

– When driving, use a personal FM, turn off the radio, and close the windows.

Safety on the Road

• Safe Driving: If stopped by a police officer, don’t’ move in a way that suggests you are looking for something. Notify the officer immediately that you are deaf or heard of hearing

• Be Aware: When driving, constantly be aware of your surroundings. Check mirrors often for emergency vehicles

Your Rights!!

Know Your Rights!

It's important to understand the civil

rights that can protect you from discrimination,

whether for school or your professional

life.

IDEA and Your Rights• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

guarantees the right to free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities. The IEP is the document that makes the school district accountable.

• The group that makes decisions (the IEP Team) may include: teachers, administrators, therapists, your parents, family members…AND YOU! – if appropriate

•The IEP may include: Interpreting/captioning, Assistive technology, Classroom accommodations and related services, Special instruction and classroom support

• School districts are required to provide whatever services are necessary to ensure an appropriate education, however, the services that the school district agrees to provide MUST be outlined in writing on the IEP.

IEP and Your RightsYour school district must provide an appropriate

educational program and related services, without regard to the cost of those

services: even if it means looking outside of the district--or sending the

student to another program—in which case the district must provide transportation

as a related service.

If you don’t agree with the IEP, or the school isn’t providing the services they’ve promised:

1. Parents don’t have to sign the IEP2. Meet with the IEP team again 3. Go through mediation or present evidence before an impartial third party4. File a complaint with the State Education Agency (SEA)

College Office of Accessibility• All colleges or universities (and even

some high schools!) have an Office of Accessibility. These offices serve one purpose: to make sure young adults have the resources they need to be successful students.

• Individual accommodations can be made in all classroom settings, and your college, university, or high school is required by law to make these accommodations. Each Office of Accessibility strives to create a community that is completely accessible to all individuals through technical assistance, information, and disability awareness training.

Jobs and ADA

• Title I: Employment—Title I of the ADA prohibits discrimination in the workplace. It covers hiring, firing, advancement, compensation and benefits, including health insurance benefits. Employers may not discriminate on the basis of disability. If the applicant can do the job with reasonable accommodation, the employer is required to provide those supporting services or technological aids. Reasonable accommodation means that providing these services or aids does not expose the employer to undue financial hardship.

Your Rights in Court/Police• Suspect or Under Arrest? You have a

right to be assisted by a qualified interpreter

• Victim or Witness? You may choose the form of communication that you prefer, including a qualified interpreter

• Other Police contacts: in most situations you are free to choose any form of communication that allows you to interact effectively with the police including notes, gestures, etc.

• Assistive Listening Devices: There are now TTY devices installed at all principal police facilities

Public Places and Your Rights

Movie Theaters: The ADA does not require movies to be open captioned. However, ALL movie theaters must provide assistive listening devices!

Hotels: required to provide guests with hearing loss with the aids they need to ensure equal access on the property - visual smoke alarms, vibrating alarm clocks, visual door-knockers, and TTYs. Hotels are required to have assistive devices for 4% of their total rooms. So, for a hotel of 100 rooms, 4% is 4 rooms.

Advocate for Yourself

• Speak to your school’s faculty, your class, school, team, etc. about hearing loss

• Mentor a younger student with hearing loss

• Participate in the development of your IEP

• File a complaint with the Department of Justice (ADA only)

• Work on a campaign. Support candidates who advocate for people with disabilities

Empower yourself to Cope with Hearing Loss

“Blindness separates us from things but deafness separates us from people.”

Helen Keller