Characteristics of Deafness and Hard of Hearing

Characteristics of Deafness and Hard of Hearing Often, teachers seek extra support and help in recognizing  the characteristics of deafness in their students in order to better address the specific needs of the child. This usually happens due to certain cues that the teacher is able to pick up about the students language development in class or after a known hearing impaired child continues to struggle in their classroom. A student or child with deafness or hard-of-hearing disabilities has deficits in language and speech development due to a diminished or lack of auditory response to sound. Students will demonstrate varying degrees of hearing loss which often results in difficulty acquiring spoken language. When you have a child with hearing loss/deafness in your classroom, you need to be careful not to assume that this student has other developmental or intellectual, delays. Typically, many of these students have average or better than average intelligence. How to Recognize the Signs of Deafness Some of the common characteristics of deafness commonly found in classrooms include the following: Difficulty following verbal directionsDifficulty with oral expressionSome difficulties with social/emotional or interpersonal skillsWill often have a degree of language delayOften follows and rarely leadsWill usually exhibit some form of articulation difficultyCan become easily frustrated if their needs are not met -   which may lead to some behavioral difficultiesSometimes the use of hearing aids leads to embarrassment and fear of rejection from peers What Can You Do to Help Students With Hearing Loss? Language will be the priority area for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is the basic requirement for success in all subject areas and will influence the student’s comprehension in your classroom. Language development and its impact on the learning of students who are deaf or hard of hearing can be complex and difficult to attain. You may find that students will need interpreters, note-takers, or educational assistants to facilitate communication. This process will usually require external personnel involvement. However, some of the basic steps that you as a teacher can take to address the needs of a hearing impaired student include: Many students with hearing disabilities will have some form of specialized equipment recommended by an audiologist.  Help  the child to feel comfortable with their hearing device and promote understanding and acceptance with other children in the class.  Remember that devices do not return the childs hearing to normal.Noisy environments will cause grief to the child with a hearing device and noise around the child should be kept to a minimum.Check the device often to ensure it is working.When using videos,  make sure you use the closed captioning feature.Shut classroom doors/windows to help eliminate noise.Cushion chair bottoms.Use visual approaches whenever possible.Establish predictable routines for this child.Provide older students with visual outlines/graphic organizers and clarification.Use a home/school communication book.Enunciate words clearly using lip movement to assist the child to lip read.Keep close proximity to the student.Provide small group work when possible. Make assessment accommodations to enable a clear picture of demonstrated academic growth. Provide visual materials and demos whenever possible.

The Bank War Waged by President Andrew Jackson

The Bank War Waged by President Andrew Jackson The Bank War was a long and bitter struggle waged by President Andrew Jackson in the 1830s against the Second Bank of the United States, a federal institution which Jackson sought to destroy. Jacksons stubborn skepticism about banks escalated into a highly personal battle between the president of the United States and the president of the bank, Nicholas Biddle. The conflict over the bank became an issue in the presidential election of 1832, in which Jackson defeated Henry Clay. Following his reelection, Jackson sought to destroy the bank and engaged in controversial tactics which included firing treasury secretaries opposed to his grudge against the bank.   The Bank War created conflicts which resonated for years. And the heated controversy created by Jackson came at a very bad time for the country. Economic problems which reverberated through the economy eventually led to major depression in the Panic of 1837 (which occurred during the term of Jacksons successor, Martin Van Buren). Jacksons campaign against the Second Bank of the United States did ultimately cripple the institution. Background on the Second Bank of the United States The Second Bank of the United States was chartered in April 1816, in part to manage debts the federal government had taken on during the War of 1812. The bank filled a void left when the Bank of the United States, which had been created by Alexander Hamilton, did not have its 20-year charter renewed by Congress in 1811. Various scandals and controversies plagued the Second Bank of the United States in the first years of its existence, and it was blamed for helping to cause the Panic of 1819, a major economic crisis in the United States. By the time Andrew Jackson became president in 1829, the problems of the bank had been rectified. The institution was headed by Nicholas Biddle, who, as bank president, exercised considerable influence over the financial affairs of the nation. Jackson and Biddle clashed repeatedly, and cartoons of the time depicted them in a boxing match, with Biddle cheered on by city dwellers as frontiersmen rooted for Jackson. The Controversy Over Renewing the Charter of the Second Bank of the United States By most standards, the Second Bank of the United States was doing a good job of stabilizing the nations banking system. But Andrew Jackson viewed it with resentment, considering it a tool of an economic elite in the East that took unfair advantage of farmers and working people. The charter for the Second Bank of the United States would expire, and thus be up for renewal, in 1836. However, four years earlier, in 1832, prominent senator Henry Clay pushed forward a bill that would renew the banks charter. The charter renewal was a calculated political move. If Jackson signed the bill into law, it might alienate voters in the West and South and jeopardize Jacksons bid for a second presidential term. If he vetoed the bill, the controversy might alienate voters in the Northeast. Andrew Jackson vetoed the renewal of the charter of the Second Bank of the United States in dramatic fashion. He issued a lengthy statement on July 10, 1832, providing the reasoning behind his veto. Along with his arguments claiming the bank was unconstitutional, Jackson unleashed some blistering attacks, including this comment near the end of his statement: Many of our rich men have not been content with equal protection and equal benefits, but have besought us to make them richer by act of Congress.Henry Clay ran against Jackson in the election of 1832. Jacksons veto of the banks charter was an election issue, but Jackson was reelected by a wide margin. Andrew Jackson Continued His Attacks on the Bank At the beginning of his second term, believing he had a mandate from the American people, Jackson instructed his treasury secretary to remove assets from the Second Bank of the United States and transfer them to state banks, which became known as pet banks. Jacksons war with the bank placed him in bitter conflict with the banks president Nicholas Biddle, who was as determined as Jackson. The two men sparred, sparking a series of economic problems for the country. In 1836, his last year in office, Jackson issued a presidential order known as the Specie Circular, which required that purchases of federal lands (such as lands being sold in the West) be paid for in cash (which was known as species). The Specie Circular was Jacksons last major move in the bank war, and it did succeed in virtually ruining the credit system of the Second Bank of the United States. The clashes between Jackson and Biddle likely contributed to the Panic of 1837, a major economic crisis which impacted the United States and doomed the presidency of Jacksons successor, Martin Van Buren. Disruptions caused by the economic crisis which began in 1837 resonated for years, so Jacksons suspicion of banks and banking had an effect that outlived his presidency.