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.
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From the chronicles
Learn to read lips No. 43
I have noticed that people are not offered troubleshooting strategies when they are lipreading and they guess wrong. It’s important to have a back-up strategy if the first thing you see doesn’t make sense. In my lipreading classes, I teach substitution skills, as it seems to be the most effective back-up strategy. Try this one. […]
How does brain chemistry help you to hear in noise?
I can’t say this enough: your ability to hear in noise is not fixed! A key is to be able to practice near your learning threshold. The difficulty level is paramount. Brain chemistry can help you to hear in noise: For more information, see Why do I need auditory training?
Learn to read lips No. 42
As a teacher of lip reading, an important skill that I impart is substitution. You can get more practice with my free lessons on YouTube. In under two hours, you will get the information you need to start rockin’ at lipreading! I also offer one-to-one lipreading instruction. Related post: Learn to read lips #41
Have hearing loss, but don’t need “help”?
There are short-term and long term impacts of not pursuing “help” for hearing loss. My take on it is that if you bump up against any of the short-term impacts listed here, it’s time to take action. Taking action doesn’t have to be hearing aids, if you’re not ready. But do something! Examples include […]
Do you take your hearing for granted?
The ability to understand spoken language is something that people with normal hearing often take for granted. Their brains automatically fill in missing pieces and make sense of speech without conscious effort. For PWHL (people with hearing loss), however, understanding spoken language can require constant concentration. They may hear sounds but struggle to clearly distinguish […]
Learn to read lips No. 41
If you’re learning to read lips, you can expect to make mistakes. The mistakes are not serious; the conversation will keep flowing if you have a way to recover. Substitution skills are the best way to get back on track. Try it with me now, in this short (31 seconds) video: You can get […]
Learn to read lips #40
When you’re learning to read lips, substitution is an essential skill. Try it now, in this 57-second video! To get more information about which sounds look the same, and practice with substituting those sounds, see my free lessons on YouTube. Related post: Learn to read lips #39
When a teacher won’t wear the remote microphone
Here are ways I have been told that a teacher or presenter doesn’t want to wear the remote microphone: 1) It would be easier if we didn’t use it. 2) It won’t be needed. I have a loud voice. 3) I don’t want or need to look like a rock star (after I was trying to jolly a […]
Learn to read lips #39
Substitution is a crucial skill when learning to read lips. See this 37-second video to understand what’s involved: You can get more substitution practice with my free Lipreading Challenge on YouTube. I also offer one-to-one lipreading instruction. Related post: Learn to read lips #38
Life with a second cochlear implant
Sequential cochlear implantation means getting two cochlear implants in two separate surgeries, with a gap of months or years between them. The gap in my case was 20 years. Before the second surgery, my score was 0% for live voice sentences in quiet. At the first anniversary of my activation, with live voice at […]