Telephone Training for Selected Deaf Students

The Communications Aids Lab at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf was designed for training the hearing impaired to participate in various telephone communication situations through the use of special equipment and learned strategies of communication. Approximately 44% of the students, having non-functional hearing and unintelligible speech, were trained to use visual telephone equipment; while the 22% having good speech and language skills with a limited range of hearing were taught to use auditory codes. Thirty-three students (approximately 25%) with potential to use the standard telephone were tested in the areas of hearing discrimination, average hearing level, frequency range of hearing, speaking ability, and English skills; and were enrolled in a third special course. These students were taught (1) to analyze their problems on the telephone; (2) to overcome those problems with six specific strategies such as asking for repetition of information and spelling of names; and (3) to gain confidence through use of the strategies in telephone practice with strangers. By the end of the course, 15% of the students were able to communicate using one or two strategies, 73% by adding one or two more strategies, and 12% relied on all six strategies. (IM)