Chronicles of a deaf Audiologist
Rehabilitation beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants: lipreading instruction, brain/auditory training and communication strategies.
Success for Hearing Better
HEARa is dedicated to the idea that people need the right information, at the right times, to be successful with hearing loss. HEARa’s mission is to reach out to adults with hearing loss and say—keep going. Learning about your hearing loss should be a lifelong process.
Areas of interest for hearing improvement
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From the chronicles
Are you learning a new language? Auditory training can help!
Learning a new language is great for your brain. Research shows that while there are long-term advantages for your brain, learning a new language can introduce immediate processing costs, particularly when listening in noisy environments. The cost of code switching between two languages comes at the expense of listening in noise. People don’t hear as […]
Learn to read lips #38
When you are learning to read lips, substitution is an essential skill. Try it now with this short practice video: Here’s a link to the playlist for the free lessons on YouTube. There’s 10 lessons, which take about 90 minutes (total) to complete. Once you have finished that, you will have the basic […]
A hearing loss scowl
I’ve been told I look serious or even angry in tough listening situations. This is known as the hearing loss scowl. Listening requires so much effort with hearing loss that I can’t focus on my facial expression. Filming this made me realize the same could happen when others feel overwhelmed, and it’s helped me become […]
Through your own efforts, you can hear better
Hearing better is about more than just having the right technology; it’s about the active role you play in the process. While hearing aids or cochlear implants give access to sound, it’s through your own practice and determination that your brain learns to really understand it. By putting in time and effort to train your […]
Gestures for communicating with people who have hearing loss Part One
When you use gestures to make a point or emphasize the meaning, it can be really helpful for people with hearing loss. Here are 11 gestures for clearer communication: Send this link to the person in your life who has hearing loss to make sure they are on the same page! (No pun intended.) […]
Learn how to read lips No. 37
I finally found a good analogy to explain the importance of substitution when you are learning how to read lips! Substitution is your friend when you are learning how to read lips. Think of substitution as your brain’s Visual Autocorrect. When you see a word that doesn’t quite fit the conversation, you don’t get stuck […]
Hear Me Out podcast: cochlear implants, listening fatigue, auditory training and communication strategies
I had the pleasure of appearing on Belinda Waites’ podcast, Hear Me Out. We talked about cochlear implants, listening fatigue, auditory training with Lace AI Pro, and communication strategies. The video resources about lipreading theory that I spoke about in the podcast are available on YouTube; check out the playlist.
Why it doesn’t help to talk really loud to a PWHL
When you talk loudly, only the vowel sounds get louder. You can’t yell consonants, such as S or SHSHSHSHSSH. You’re better off giving the person with hearing loss (PWHL) some context (such as, we’re talking about our lunch plans tomorrow) and then slowing down a bit. And if that doesn’t work…create the space for the […]
What is Auditory Neuropathy?
Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD) is a rare form of inner ear hearing loss. This video resource is intended for families and teachers of children with auditory neuropathy.
Self-advocacy: still learning to stand up for my hearing
I grew up without the guidance of an educational audiologist or a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDHH). In fact, I didn’t even experience the difference a remote microphone could make until I reached university. Because of that, I consider myself a “late bloomer” when it comes to self-advocacy. What I’ve realized […]