Chronicles of a deaf Audiologist
Rehabilitation beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants: lipreading instruction, brain/auditory training and communication strategies.
Success for Hearing Better
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From the chronicles
Radio as speedometer?
We all need a favourable signal-to-noise ratio to hear well in noise. But did you know that it is particularly important for children? Children don’t hear as well as adults do when there is background noise in the listening environment. In a typical, noisy classroom, the signal-to-noise ratio will vary from + 5 to – 7 […]
Learn how to read lips #10
Substitution practice can be valuable when you are learning how to read lips: Can you think of two other words that look like veil and fail? Keep the same vowel sound. Get more substitution practice with my free Lipreading Challenge on YouTube! Related post: Learning How to Read Lips #9
You should wear your hearing aids consistently– here is why!
Some fascinating research outlines why it is important to wear hearing aids consistently: In the second half of the experiment, some were able to ride a bicycle! If they had been able to remove the goggles for any length of time during the experiment, the results would not have been the same; the brain […]
Do hearing aids prevent dementia?
The short answer is that there is no evidence. The ACHIEVE trial results published in 2023 provide evidence that comprehensive aural rehab, with hearing aid use, effectively improves communication outcomes. However, there was no significant overall effect of aural rehab on the rate of cognitive decline. A reduction in the rate of cognitive decline was […]
Are you getting new hearing aids?
In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker hesitantly says he will ‘try’ to complete a task. Yoda, the warrior mystic, replies: ‘No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.’ Anytime you say that you will ‘try’ something, your words imply a lack of commitment. They suggest that you feel that you won’t be able […]
Addressing cognitive dissonance is a huge part of an audiologist’s job! Part 2
Cognitive dissonance happens when you hold two conflicting thoughts in your mind simultaneously–like denying hearing loss while still being aware of communication difficulties. Canadian Audiologist published an article by Bill Hodgetts, PhD, called “Psychological Dimensions of Hearing Healthcare: Audiology is More Than Just Diagnoses and Devices” in Canadian Audiologist (Vol 11, Issue 3, 2024). I […]
Group work in classrooms can be challenging for children
Several research studies have examined the ability to recall a sequence of items in background noise. Noise was particularly impactful when the children were exposed to “irrelevant sound,” especially when the sound had a changing-state characteristic (e.g., background speech, as opposed to steady-state white noise). An example of this in practical terms is the high […]
Beethoven had lead poisoning, leading to hearing loss
Beethoven died from liver and kidney disease at age 56. He expressed a wish that his ailments be studied and shared so “as far as possible at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death.” Analysis of Beethoven’s hair suggests that he had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he […]
Noisy classrooms may affect the well-being of children
In 2019, a study looked at how noise affected the well-being of children in classrooms. Over three hundred first graders across 10 different schools were involved in the study. Room acoustics of the various classrooms were measured. Questionnaires were given to the students to determine their state of well-being and perceived disturbance by noise. Students […]
Attention educational audiologists and teachers: how-to videos for remote microphone technology now available!
I’ve created six how-to videos about remote microphone technology from an educational audiologist’s standpoint. To my surprise, I had fun while doing them. Pearce Socials, my social media manager, suggested ways to transition to different “scenes” in the videos and encouraged me to be myself. I hope they will be helpful to teachers this coming […]