Deaf Children and the Natural Aural Approach

by Laura McAuley, Trainee Teacher

Deaf teachers in a hearing school? Believe me it's possible! I have a severe hearing loss and am soon going to be teaching children in mainstream education, most of whom will have fully-functioning hearing.

If parents discover their child is deaf, they have a few different options available to them. I am speaking on behalf of teaching deaf children to be brought up in the oral/auralism approach. I am, myself, one of those deaf children.

In the 21st century, it is very realistic, natural and common for deaf children to be brought up in the oral/aural approach. Because I can speak clearly and I have few problems communicating with hearing people, most people tend to think that my hearing loss isn't very big, I am often asked if I am partially hearing when I have a hearing loss of 120 db! That means I can't hear you at all even if you shout right up against my ear; I can't even hear the music in a club without the technology that helps me. The majority of deaf people that I know have a similar hearing loss level and we all communicate with each other by speaking and listening rather than the sign language approach.

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