Study Guide

Field 030: Deaf/Hard of Hearing 
Sample Selected-Response Questions

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General Test Directions

This test consists of two sections: 1) a section with selected-response questions and 2) a constructed-response section.

Each question in the first section is a selected-response question with four answer choices. Read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  best answer.

Try to answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be penalized for guessing.

The second section of this test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You will be asked to provide a written response to the assignment. Directions for completing your written response to the constructed-response assignment appear immediately before the assignment.

You may  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  use any type of calculator or reference materials during the test session.

Sample Selected-Response Questions

Competency 0002 
Understand processes involved in hearing and characteristics of all types and degrees of hearing loss.

1. A student with a severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss is most likely to experience which of the following?

  1. reduced ability to process spoken information
  2. improved hearing with medication
  3. extreme sensitivity to high-pitched sounds
  4. episodes of temporary hearing loss

Correct Response: A. A severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss is a permanent hearing loss that involves some damage to the auditory nerve that results in the distortion of sound. Students with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss have a reduced ability to process spoken information because they are unable to hear spoken information or they hear it incorrectly.

Competency 0004 
Understand speech and speech development.

2. The speech of students with mild-to-moderate hearing loss is often difficult to understand because such students tend to omit:

  1. voiceless consonants such as /s/ and /t/.
  2. pronouns such as  start italics we end italics  and  start italics us end italics .
  3. long vowels such as /ā/ and /ē/.
  4. articles such as  start italics the end italics  and  start italics a. end italics 

Correct Response: A. Voiceless consonants are produced at a higher frequency than many other speech sounds. Students who have mild-to-moderate hearing loss tend to have difficulty hearing these sounds, and therefore may omit these sounds within their own speech.

Competency 0005 
Understand assessment procedures for evaluating individual differences and making placement and programming decisions for students with disabilities.

3.  start bold Use the information below to answer the question that follows. end bold 

Bevan is a seven-year-old second-grade student who has a mild bilateral hearing loss. He was referred for a comprehensive individualized evaluation with concerns about his ability to acquire basic reading skills.

Informal Assessment Excerpt—Bevan's Word List
Grade Level Automatic 
Recognition 		Hesitation Incorrect 
Recognition
Preprimer
  1. a
  2. it
  3. and

items 1 through 3 checked.

no items checked.

no items checked.

Primer
  1. no
  2. me
  3. did

items 4 and 5 checked.

item 6 checked.

no items checked.

First
  1. see
  2. good
  3. where

no items checked.

items 7 and 8 checked.

item 9 checked.

Second
  1. come
  2. great
  3. while

no items checked.

no items checked.

item 10, 11 and 12 checked.

Based on this assessment information, which of the following programming decisions should the Individualized Education Program ( I E P ) team make for Bevan?

  1. Modify Bevan's reading curriculum to the preprimer level of instruction.
  2. Begin the next unit of reading instruction for Bevan at the primer level.
  3. Provide Bevan with a reading curriculum at the first-grade instructional level.
  4. Arrange for Bevan to receive remedial reading instruction at the second-grade level.

Correct Response: C. Informal assessments can yield a variety of results that can be used to determine instructional programming for a student. Reading instruction for a student with a mild hearing loss should build on the student's existing skills. A reading curriculum that begins at the student's emergent skill level will provide the student with a greater sense of self-confidence. In this example, the assessment data indicate that all of the preprimer level words and two of the three primer level words are at Bevan's independent reading level, and the second-grade words are at his frustration reading level. Therefore, the first-grade reading curriculum would be the best choice for instruction.

Competency 0008 
Apply procedures for assessing the intellectual performance and academic achievement of students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

4. A new student who has a mild hearing loss, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( A D H D ), and dyslexia has recently been placed in a fourth-grade general education classroom. The teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing is collaborating with the classroom teacher to implement the student's Individualized Education Program ( I E P ). The teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing would most appropriately recommend using a dynamic assessment with the student to obtain information about which of the following?

  1. the pattern of errors the student typically makes
  2. the immediate effects of instructional interventions
  3. the progress the student makes over time
  4. the student's abilities when compared with those of peers

Correct Response: B. A dynamic assessment is an interactive, informal method of monitoring a student's progress and evaluating instructional methods. It is an appropriate and valuable tool to use with a student who has multiple needs because it provides a means for collecting ongoing information about how the student is learning as well as an opportunity for giving immediate feedback while the student is engaged in learning.

Competency 0011 
Understand amplification methods and strategies for promoting auditory skill development in students who are hard of hearing.

5. A cochlear implant functions by:

  1. clarifying vocal tones and filtering out ambient noise.
  2. amplifying sounds and delivering them to the inner ear.
  3. electrically stimulating the auditory nerve.
  4. mechanically vibrating the basilar membrane when a sound is detected.

Correct Response: C. A cochlear implant is an electronic device that includes a surgically implanted receiver and electrode array and an external transmitter coil, microphone, and speech processor. Through a series of steps, sound is converted into electrical pulses that stimulate the auditory nerve.

Competency 0011 
Understand amplification methods and strategies for promoting auditory skill development in students who are hard of hearing.

6. Which of the following is an appropriate procedure for the regular maintenance and monitoring of a hearing aid?

  1. Wash each hearing component using a mild cleaning solution.
  2. Check the batteries in the hearing aid each day using a battery tester.
  3. Hold the hearing aid close to the ear to check for feedback.
  4. Replace the earmold of the hearing aid at least once a month.

Correct Response: B. Students who are hard of hearing and who use hearing aids should be taught and urged to use proper maintenance procedures to ensure that they receive maximum benefits from the device. One such procedure involves checking the batteries using a battery tester. This should be done on a daily basis to ensure that the hearing aid has sufficient power to function properly.

Competency 0013 
Understand how to meet the overall communication needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

7. Beginning in the 1970s, widespread dissatisfaction with oralism as an instructional approach led most educational programs for the deaf in the United States to adopt methods characterized by which of the following?

  1. increased emphasis on fingerspelling
  2. concentration on the development of auditory skills in preference to lipreading
  3. development of both speech and signing skills
  4. replacement of instruction in oral skills with instruction in sign language

Correct Response: C. In the 1970s, research indicated that the oral method of teaching young deaf children was not adequately helping them develop the skills they needed for independent daily living. Another study found that deaf children of deaf parents who had been exposed to manual methods of communication tended to have better academic and social skills when compared to deaf children of hearing parents. These and other studies led many educators to conclude that the early use of manual communication has a positive effect on learning. This resulted in a shift away from oral-only instruction to total communication, or the use of both speech and signing skills.

Competency 0015 
Understand how to promote independent living competence and self-advocacy in students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

8. A teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing is planning prevocational instruction for Katie, a middle school student with a moderate hearing loss and a mild intellectual disability. Katie wears behind-the-ear hearing aids, communicates primarily through speech and speechreading, and has learned some basic American Sign Language ( A S L ) signs. Prevocational instruction will include communication skills such as following instructions, asking for assistance, asking questions to clarify, and accepting feedback. Which of the following instructional strategies would likely be most effective for helping Katie learn to generalize these communication skills?

  1. discussing with Katie the importance of these communication skills for her future vocational goals
  2. making sure that Katie has frequent opportunities to practice these communication skills in real-life, community-based settings
  3. arranging for Katie to role-play these communication skills with a paraprofessional on a weekly basis
  4. encouraging Katie to use both speech and  A S L  when practicing these communication skills with others

Correct Response: B. One of the most effective techniques for teaching students with hearing loss, especially students who also have mild intellectual disabilities, is to provide direct instruction with authentic, hands-on experiences. Students who have mild intellectual disabilities tend to have difficulty generalizing newly learned skills to new settings; therefore, it would be very important for Katie's teacher to provide direct instruction in a variety of settings. Opportunities that require Katie to perform specific communication skills in an authentic situation will have a greater impact on her ability to master these skills.

Competency 0017 
Understand how to promote strong school-home relationships.

9. Which of the following workshop topics would be most important for parents/guardians of deaf or hard of hearing students?

  1. the etiology of types of hearing impairments
  2. procedural requirements related to the development of Individualized Education Programs ( I E Ps ) for students who have hearing losses
  3. the interpretation of student hearing assessment results
  4. communication strategies that can be applied in a variety of settings

Correct Response: D. Parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing need to learn about the various options for communication and come to a decision about the communication methods(s) that will be used by them and by their child at home, in school, and in the community. The choice of language and communication systems is an issue that will affect the family of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing forever, since the systems are key ingredients in the development of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing. Parents will need to learn various strategies to effectively communicate with their child and to promote their child's ability to effectively communicate with others in a variety of situations.

Competency 0018 
Understand how to encourage school-community interactions that enhance learning opportunities for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

10. A high school has scheduled an assembly involving local poets presenting their poetry to the school community. The teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing has contacted an agency to provide an interpreter for several students. Before the assembly, the teacher will meet with the interpreter to help ensure that the students' needs will be met. Which of the following topics would be most important for the teacher and interpreter to discuss during their meeting?

  1. what types of poetry and other creative writing genres the students have been exposed to previously in their school careers
  2. how the poets, interpreter, and students should be positioned to maximize the flow of communication
  3. what types of visual props the interpreter might need to reinforce the emotions of the poetry for the students
  4. how the interpreter can simplify the content in a manner that would be academically appropriate for the students

Correct Response: B. For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, an interpreter can be a crucial communication tool in various situations, such as during a school assembly. It is essential for an interpreter to be positioned in a manner that allows him or her to see the presenters clearly so that their message can be communicated correctly. The interpreter must also be located in a place that allows the students who are deaf or hard of hearing to clearly see him or her so that they can receive the presenter's message.