Auditory-Oral Approach for Speech Production: Education Innovation Enhancing the Communication of the Hearing-Impaired Children

People with disability are often a neglected segment of society worldwide. Effective communication is a concern for educators, especially for hearing-impaired (HI)children. Hearing loss, a main barrier to effective communication leads to speech impairment, learning difficulties, feelings of isolation, multiple social problems, and a lifelong of ineffective productivity. The auditory-oral approach (AO) is an innovative tool aimed to educate the HI in the understanding and usage of spoken language. Speech production is enhanced by stimulating hearing residue which many HI possess. The HI is taught to lip-read and speak through speech reading aided by contextual cues, amplification devices, and visual aids. This study assessed the effectiveness of AO with four HI students in grades 4 and 5 at the Special Education Center, MCCS, in Malaybalay City Bukidnon as subjects. Intervention without using sign language consisted of 6 weeks of speech training, vocalization aided by the use of visual aids, a mirror, a video recorder, a pair of hearing aids, and 3 to 4 individualized exercise sessions per week. The post-test to determine word recognition, retention, and level of speech production doubled the pretest scores suggesting potential for speech development even for those with profound hearing loss. AO is recommended for teachers and parents to enhance the communication skills of the HI for successful integration into mainstream society and preparation for lifelong productivity.