What is key to ensuring effective communication with individuals who have hearing impairments?

Maintaining eye contact is a crucial component in ensuring effective communication with individuals who have hearing impairments. Eye contact helps to convey engagement and attentiveness, making the conversation feel more personal and direct. It also allows the person with hearing impairments to read lips or observe facial expressions, which can significantly enhance their understanding of the spoken words. When the communicator maintains eye contact, it fosters a sense of connection and can help to alleviate any feelings of isolation that the hearing impaired individual might experience.

The other choices lack the necessary elements for effective communication. Screaming can create discomfort and is unlikely to aid understanding, while complex sentences might confuse rather than clarify. Similarly, relying solely on silence would eliminate the possibility of verbal exchange and reinforce communication barriers rather than break them down.