Counselling Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clients – Part 2: Communication Issues

By Carolyn Cahen

In the previous issue of the Contact Point Bulletin, different conceptualizations of deafness were examined. This section is intended to provide information regarding deafness and will discuss issues related to communication.

Facts about deafness:

• Deaf people are typically not able to hear well enough to understand spoken communication with or without the use of hearing aids. There are serious implications of this statement. These include:
• Mechanical devices such as hearing aids do not “fix” deafness. For many deaf people, hearing aids can, at most, only detect the presence of speech. For some deaf persons, hearing aids can detect only extremely loud noises such as sirens and lawn mowers.
• Ninety percent (90%) of all deaf children have parents who are able to hear. Consequently, the vast majority of deaf people do not speak the same language as their families. By the time they are age 6 or 7, most deaf children have surpassed their parents in terms of their ability to communicate using sign language.
• Deaf children do not have the same opportunities for incidental learning as hearing children. They do not overhear conversations and not absorb as much information through television and radio. Essentially, almost everything a deaf person learns is through direct interaction. Consequently, deaf children and adolescents do not seem to have as much general knowledge as their hearing counterparts.
• Many deaf people begin to learn language when they enter school. As a result, the language is often delayed. Even though the majority of deaf persons have normal non-verbal intelligence, their language and cognition is often not commensurate to their chronological age.

Communication Systems

Deaf people use different methods of communication. Some deaf people are more easily understood than others. Oral communication is the term used to denote the teaching of speech as an expressive skill to deaf children and youth. It means that speech and lip-reading are the only means used for the transmission of thoughts and ideas. As mentioned in the previous bulletin, many deaf people prefer to use sign language as their primary mode of communication. In such cases, an interpreter is necessary in order to facilitate the sharing of ideas and communication.

General Suggestions for Interviewing Deaf Youth

The following suggestions are intended to facilitate with deaf adolescents to ensure that they are able to understand and participate in communication.

Communication Setting

Determine the preferred communication mode of the youth.

• Deaf and hard of hearing people often tend to have lower reading and writing levels than normally hearing people. Do not assume you can rely on writing.
• Ensure that you have good lighting. The room should be bright, but not with glaring lights.
• Face the person, and look directly at her/him when you talk.
• Have paper and pencil handy so the client can write or draw information.
• It may take more than one interview to get the necessary information.
• Use an FM System if necessary.
• Inform your receptionist or secretary beforehand that you are expecting a deaf client. This will make it easier for the administrator to assist that deaf person with any necessary paper work. Provide company literature for the client before the meeting. This helps the deaf individual become familiar with the agency.

Language

• Suggestions for communicating with oral deaf people:
• Simplify your language. Use short sentences and simple vocabulary whenever possible.
• Remember: The speech of orally educated children is not necessarily intelligible. Sometimes, deaf and hard of hearing persons can be difficult to understand.
• Make sure the client is looking at you before you start talking. Make sure the person is looking at you each time it is your turn to talk.
• Speak clearly and naturally. Do not over-enunciate your words. This distorts your mouth movements, making it more difficult to speech-read.
• Keep the lower part of your face uncovered. (Some people find it difficult to speech-read people with mustaches and beards.)

Tips for Situations where Sign Language is used:

• You will need an interpreter. A person who has taken a couple of sign language courses is not a qualified interpreter.
• Ask the deaf person what type of interpreter he/she prefers. Some may want a sign language interpreter who is skilled in American Sign Language or signed English.
• Make eye contact and speak directly to the client. It is the interpreter’s job to convey what you say.
• If a meeting will last more than three hours, it is preferable to have two interpreters. Schedule breaks during the meeting.
• The interpreter is a few words behind the speaker. Give the interpreter time to finish so that the deaf person can ask questions or join the discussion.

Biography

Carolyn Cahen is a social worker who is hard of hearing. She works for the Toronto District School Board and she specializes in working with deaf children and adolescents and their families. She received her educational training at the University of British Columbia and at Yesh University in New York, New York.