Hidden Exhaustion: The Struggle of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Education

For most students, attending to a typical school lesson involves listening to the teacher, perhaps jotting down notes, and occasionally participating in discussions. But imagine having to concentrate intensely on every word, constantly shifting your attention between the teacher and a sign language interpreter; or straining to lip-read and process spoken content, while simultaneously trying to keep up with the lesson and take notes. This is the daily reality for deaf and hard of hearing students in schools, and new research suggests it's leaving them mentally and physically exhausted. Dr Natalia Rohatyn-Martin, an educational researcher at MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, reveals how fatigue affects deaf and hard of hearing students in inclusive classrooms, with implications for teaching practices worldwide.