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
Vocabulary can help you to hear
Vocabulary is significantly related to inference ability (such as reading between the lines) and listening comprehension. An expanded vocabulary will give us more context. Context can be important in adverse listening situations, in that we can use the context to make educated guesses about what we see and hear.
Hearing loss can strain relationships, if both parties don’t put in the work
As an audiologist and someone who has hearing loss, I’ve seen how even a little bit of hearing difficulty can affect a relationship. It can start with small things, such as missing jokes or quick comments. Common adjustments that happen gradually as we get older are watching TV in different rooms and socializing less and […]
Learn how to read lips No. 10
Context is important when you’re learning how to lipread. This is a shared responsibility; if the other person gives you enough context, you will better understand what they say. The person with hearing loss (PWHL) can also share the responsibility by asking for context. Context includes the topic, where you are, who you are with, […]
People with hearing loss often get accused of having selective hearing
By its very nature, hearing loss results in selective hearing. People with hearing loss have to pay attention and expend a lot of effort when listening. And nobody can pay attention 100% of the time. So the person with hearing loss has to “select” when to hear. Hearing loss is also selective in that we […]
Why you shouldn’t call a person with hearing loss from another room
Significant others and family members often speak to a person with hearing loss (PWHL) from another room. It’s not realistic to try to have a conversation when you are in different rooms, for two reasons: 1) consonant sounds can’t be properly transmitted over this distance and 2) there are no visual cues available, such as […]
“I can’t hear because of tinnitus”
Many people who have both tinnitus and hearing loss blame their tinnitus for their hearing problems. ~Dr. James A. Henry, Tinnitus Research Scientist The Tinnitus and Hearing Survey (THS) was developed as a tool to differentiate hearing problems from tinnitus problems.
Why I became an audiologist
I was asked why I became an audiologist. When I watched myself talking about it on camera, I felt a bit sheepish…
Learn how to read lips No. 10
When you’re listening in a noisy situation, it’s conceivable that you would miss a word or two, whether you have hearing loss or not. If you do miss a word, it can be really helpful to know which sounds look alike. If the first thing you see doesn’t make sense, you can do a quick […]
Learning How to Read Lips No. 6
I never thought I would have the courage to sing online! Yikes. See video clip below for a quick substitution practice. Substitution practice is a critical skill when you’re learning how to read lips. If you would like to learn more, try my free Lipreading Challenge on YouTube! I also offer one-on-one instruction […]
As an audiologist, something I will never do…
Something I will never do is stop learning about my profession. After 30 years, I am still learning. What’s something you will never do, in your profession?