Research Paper on:
Living with the Challenges of Being Hearing Impaired

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
The Hearing Impaired - Life and its Challenges Written by Susan A. Nelson - May, 2001 For More Information On This Paper Please Visit  /aftersale.htm Hearing impairments are believed by many to be the most devastating of the sensory handicaps -- and it is easy to  understand why. While visual impairments are environmental deficits that keep us from "things", hearing impairments are communication handicaps that ultimately keep us from getting closer to others. Without  question, communication is the very cornerstone of our social and cognitive being, and without it we are severely isolated from the world. Moreover, auditory input is one of an  infants most significant windows through which to view the world. This is because from the time of birth, a baby hears and begins to recognize sounds that not only  help to define his world, but help to define his feelings about that world. Without effective auditory functioning response to sound is impaired, and consequently a childs development is  stunted. This essay will examine the general impact on those with hearing impairments relevant to todays social and educational world (Cichowski, 2001, Cook and Semmel, 1999).  Some literature has characterized hearing-impaired individuals (and that community at large) as possessing feelings of inferiority and depression, as well as detachment and isolation. However  - and not inappropriately -- poor body image, socio-environmental unawareness/ isolation, along with language and communication deficits contribute significantly to these feelings. For those with hearing loss, limited auditory  input not only impedes ones ability to hear the speech of others, but it also has a negative impact on the individuals own language development. Regular auditory exposure to language