Hearing school - behind the news

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: This probably looks just like your primary school at lunch time, but take a closer look. At this school, about thirteen of the kids are deaf or hearing impaired,

but that doesn't stop them missing a thing! You see, instead of learning Italian or French like you guys might all the students here learn Auslan, Australian Sign Language, so everyone

can communicate. In this class, Kerry the teacher chats away but next to her at all times is Jan, relaying all the info through her fingers and facial expressions. Kerry also wears a special

microphone, which amplifies her voice through speakers. Narges has a special device in her ear called a cochlear implant, which helps her hear more clearly. Without that, class would sound

a little more like this: [deep echoey distortion] Ian however doesn't hear sound at all. He's been deaf since birth. So just as we learnt to talk as babies, he learnt to

communicate with his fingers. IAN: My mum and dad are both deaf, my three sisters are all hearing and they can sign. My one little brother, he is deaf too. But with help from Jan, Ian can

join in any activity. CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: Now, when we're angry or sad or happy, it's pretty easy for us to let people know through our voice. So how do kids like Ian

express themselves? IAN: I sign when I'm angry, when I'm angry I use my facial expressions and people know from my body and my facial expression that I'm angry. So what

happens if he meets people outside school who don't know how to sign? Or when he meets a new buddy? IAN: The guy will use body language and call me over and say do you want to play

football and we get on together and when we're finished we write notes I have a small pad and pen in my pocket and we write notes back and forth and that's how we communicate. Now

Ian may not be able to talk or sing, but he's part of the school choir! These guys are on high demand. Ian's performed alongside stars from Dancing with the stars, Aus Idol's

Guy Sebastian and royalty! Here they are with Queen Sylvia of Sweden! Ian may never have heard a song or a siren at a sports match, but he plays footy, is in a choir and learns all same the

stuff you guys do.