Learning Opportunities

There currently exists a dearth of research in the area of fatigue and students with hearing loss. This oral presentation reviews fatigue factors that may affect students who are Deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) and presents data from a pilot narrative study (Rohatyn-Martin & Hayward, 2016). Pilot study participants described a variety of fatigue symptoms due to the auditory and visual demands needed to attend to, and comprehend, classroom instruction and conversation.

Four themes were revealed through thematic analysis:

1. listening effort,
2. listening conditions,
3. survival mechanisms, and
4. not worth the effort.

Recommendations for classroom teachers are offered, as well as educational implications for students who are D/HH.

Target Audience

Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing students, Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Audiologists working with DHH students