Learning Difficulties Encountered by Children with Hearing Impairment in an Inclusive Setting in Ndarugu Division, Gatundu District-Kenya

ABSTRACT The main focus of this study to find out chilenges faced by children with hearing impairment in an inclusive setting. The researcher picked interest in finding out the mode of communication used by teachers instructional materials teachers use to instruct hearing ipaired learners, teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of children with hearing impairment in regular schools and findind ways of improing the education ofthese children. To get the information needed an interview guide was designed for children with hearing impairment and questionaires prepared and distributed to headteachers and teachers in the selected schools. Random and purposive sampling techniquues were used to select schools and the respondents. The findings revealed that children with hearing impairment in regular schools experienced some challenges which among others included; lack of specially trained teachers in special needs education to cater for their learning needs and interests, inadeqaucy of appropriate equipment and learning materials, inappropriate teaching materials and methods, negative attitudes of teachers towards the education of the handicapped children and high teacher—pupil ratio in class among others. From the study, the following recommendations were made that; Special Needs Education should be co-opted into Primary Teachers’ Colleges as a course, government, NGOs and other stakeholders should intensify community awareness programmes about the rights of persons with disabilities, refresher courses should be provided to teachers to equip them with knowledge and skills to assitst learners with special learning needs and teachers be trained to make and use the available local materials, primary school teachers should be encouraged to go for up grading special needs education, parents of children with special needs should be encouraged to actively get involved in the learning of their children among others.