NYSTCE Deaf and Hard of Hearing 063 key terms

A graph plotting hearing threshold in decibels across frequencies, showing how loud a sound must be before a student detects it; used to describe the degree and configuration of hearing loss.

A category describing severity, typically mild (26-40 dB), moderate (41-55 dB), moderately severe (56-70 dB), severe (71-90 dB), and profound (91 dB or greater), based on threshold averages.

The average of hearing thresholds at selected frequencies, commonly 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz, used to summarize overall hearing sensitivity in one number for classification and planning.

Reduced hearing caused by interference in the outer or middle ear that blocks sound transmission; inner ear function is typically intact, so the loss is often medically or surgically treatable.

Hearing loss resulting from damage to the inner ear, particularly cochlear hair cells, or to the auditory nerve; it is usually permanent and often reduces clarity as well as loudness.

A combination of conductive and sensorineural components in the same ear, so the student has both a transmission problem and inner ear or neural damage affecting overall access to sound.

Sensory cells in the cochlea that convert sound vibrations into neural signals; when damaged or lost, they do not regenerate in humans, producing permanent sensorineural hearing loss.

The snail-shaped, fluid-filled structure of the inner ear where sound is transformed into electrical signals sent along the auditory nerve to the brain.

A condition in which the cochlea may detect sound but neural transmission along the auditory nerve is disordered, often producing poor speech perception that seems inconsistent with the audiogram.

The region of an audiogram showing where speech sounds fall in frequency and intensity; used to illustrate which phonemes a student can and cannot access.

Sound transmission through the skull bones directly to the inner ear, bypassing the outer and middle ear; testing it helps distinguish conductive from sensorineural components of hearing loss.

Faint sounds produced by healthy cochlear hair cells in response to stimulation; their absence suggests inner ear damage and makes this a quick screening tool, especially for infants.

Universal early testing of infants, usually with otoacoustic emissions or automated auditory brainstem response, so that hearing loss is identified and intervention begins within the first months of life.

An electrophysiologic test recording neural responses to sound from the auditory pathway; it estimates hearing thresholds and is useful for infants or students who cannot participate in behavioral testing.

A wearable device that amplifies and processes sound to match a student's hearing loss; appropriate fitting, verification, and consistent daily use are essential for access to instruction.

A wireless assistive listening device in which a teacher's microphone transmits speech directly to a receiver worn by the student, improving the speech-to-noise ratio in classrooms.

A small coil in hearing aids and cochlear implants that picks up magnetic signals from compatible telephones or loop systems, improving access to phone and public address audio.

A surgically implanted device with an electrode array that stimulates the auditory nerve directly, providing sound sensation to students with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss.

The difference in loudness between a speaker's voice and background noise; a favorable ratio is critical because students with hearing loss need speech to be louder than competing classroom sounds.

The sound conditions of a learning space, including reverberation, background noise, and distance from the speaker; poor acoustics degrade speech perception even for students with mild loss.

A natural, fully developed visual-gestural language with its own grammar and syntax, used by many Deaf people in the United States; it is distinct from English and from signed English systems.

Sign systems that represent English word order and grammar visually, such as Signed Exact English or Signing Exact English; they differ from American Sign Language in structure and purpose.

An instructional philosophy combining speech, sign, fingerspelling, gestures, and amplification as needed, chosen to fit the individual student rather than adhering to a single modality.

An educational model using American Sign Language as the primary language of instruction while teaching English as a second language, with Deaf culture and community valued in the curriculum.

An early intervention approach that emphasizes listening through amplified hearing technology and discourages visual cues, aiming for spoken language development in children with hearing loss.

The shared values, norms, history, art, and language of Deaf communities, which view deafness as a cultural identity rather than a deficit to be corrected.

A legally required written plan for a student eligible for special education, specifying present levels, measurable goals, services, accommodations, and placement decided by a team including parents.

The legal principle that students with disabilities are educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supplementary aids and services cannot support success.

Support services required for a student to benefit from special education, such as speech-language therapy, audiology, interpreting, counseling, and transportation, listed on the IEP.

A professional who conveys classroom instruction and interaction between spoken English and sign language; the student's needs, role boundaries, and interpreting skills must be addressed in planning.

A teacher of students who are deaf or hard of hearing who travels among schools to provide direct instruction, consultation, and support rather than being based in one classroom.

Knowledge acquired indirectly by overhearing conversation and environmental events; students with hearing loss often miss this information and need explicit instruction to fill the gaps.

Delayed or incomplete first-language acquisition resulting from limited accessible language input during early childhood, with lasting effects on literacy, cognition, and social development.

The social use of language, including turn taking, requesting clarification, and adjusting to listeners; these skills often require direct teaching for students with hearing loss.

A student's ability to understand their hearing needs and act on them, such as requesting repetition, seating changes, or repair of equipment; a frequent IEP and transition goal.

A change in how content is presented or assessed that removes barriers without altering learning expectations, such as captioning, preferential seating, or extended time.

A change to what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate, altering content, level, or performance standards rather than only the delivery or format of instruction.

Using visual information from a speaker's face, lips, and gestures, combined with context and residual hearing, to understand speech; many sounds look alike, so it is incomplete alone.

The hearing a student retains and can use with amplification; identifying and maximizing it guides device fitting and instructional planning.