Audiology

Heathlands has a Total Communication Policy which recognises the importance of varied and individual communication approaches to support each child’s learning.

For many pupils this will include the use of hearing aids, cochlear implants, auditory brainstem implants and other devices to help them develop listening skills.

In primary school we support children to routinely wear their equipment. Daily equipment checks take place in the morning to ensure students are set up and ready to learn. Children are encouraged to develop independence in looking after their devices.

Teachers and LSAs are able to carry out basic troubleshooting such as changing batteries, cleaning moulds and retubing. This is supported by on on-site Audiology Assistant who is able to help fix faulty devices and liaise with hospitals if there is a problem. We have good working relationships with most of the Paediatric Audiology Centres locally and around the country. We also have good links with the County Educational Audiologist who provides support, guidance and training.

As children grow it is important that their ear moulds are regularly replaced so that they fit securely. This can be as often as every 3 months. We have agreements with many local hospitals, so that impressions can be taken at school, to minimise time out of school for appointments. Where this is not the case, we can make up to 1 new mould per year per student, if needed. We understand it can be difficult to get appointments.

In the classroom, teachers wear Roger Touchscreen radio aid transmitters and connect directly to students with compatible hearing devices. Other options including EduMic and Audio Links are also used, depending on the child’s devices and needs. The assembly hall is equipped with a Roger Wall Pilot, which automatically connects children to the Radio Aid system.

We have an Aurical HIT test box which we use for testing the performance of hearing aids and balancing with radio aids. We aim to balance radio aids every term to ensure the best listening conditions for students. Data can be sent directly to hospitals if required.

The school was built with the needs of deaf children in mind so classrooms were designed with optimum acoustic conditions for listening. Sound absorbing surfaces and careful choice of resources further contribute to an excellent listening environment. Teaching areas have been assessed as meeting the relevant standards BB93.