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
How can people with hearing loss reach their full potential?
How can PWHL (people with hearing loss) reach their full potential? Many PWHL wait years to get hearing aids. Over this period of years, a person adjusts to hearing loss. Many adjustments are made without explicitly discussing them with friends, family members, and co-workers. Examples include withdrawing, watching TV in different rooms, bluffing our way […]
I created a Lipreading Challenge on YouTube
I created a Lipreading Challenge to provide quality, free content for people who would benefit. What do I get out of it? I am hoping to find PWHL (people with hearing loss) who want to learn even more. Playlist for Lipreading Challenge here. Check out my online classes at https://heara.ca/programs/
Learning How to Read Lips No.3
Knowing the topic can be really helpful when you are learning how to read lips. If you know the topic, you can anticipate the vocabulary that is associated with that topic. So if you miss a couple of words, you can fill in the blanks more easily! Try it out! Click on the play button […]
This is what I wish more people understood about hearing loss rehabilitation
There is so much more to hearing rehabilitation than hearing aids. Hearing aids are a good step in hearing loss rehabilitation. But hearing aids are not the ONLY step. There are other options for rehabilitation, such as auditory training, lipreading instruction, and learning about communication strategies. This is true if you are not ready for […]
When will hearing loss rehabilitation be a bigger discussion?
I’m just sitting here waiting for hearing loss rehabilitation to be a bigger discussion. There is a tendency in hearing care to focus on hearing aids. Aural rehabilitation is seen as something done by other professionals or not at all. With hearing aids, immediate outcomes can vary from person to person. Many adults with acquired […]
A tip to save battery power on your hearing aid
When you get a low battery warning on your hearing aid, remember that actual time between low battery warning and shutdown will vary depending on noise level in your environment. If you are not near a charger or if you don’t have extra batteries with you, reduce the sound levels. Turn off any background music, […]
What to do if someone talks too fast (and you have hearing loss)
When you have hearing loss, non-verbal language can be an important way to signal to others that they are talking too fast. My non-verbal language in this short is not so effective. It does not give the other person any information about what they can do to make things better. It’s only 10 seconds — […]
People with Hearing Loss are Underserved when it comes to Aural Rehab
People with hearing loss are underserved when it comes to aural rehab. As a hearing care professional, one of the benefits to you is that it will set you apart from your competition. Aural rehabilitation can be your unique expression of hearing healthcare. And people will absolutely pay for it! Consider offering auditory training, or […]
When You’re Learning How to Read Lips No.2
When you’re learning how to read lips, it’s surprising how important it is to know the topic. It’s almost impossible to read lips without having this context. See my short video below for an fun example. The answer is in the description section. If you have a slow connection, the thumbnail will take a minute […]
What NOT to do When Speaking to a Person with Hearing Loss (PWHL)
I created a goofy short video, below, to highlight some “don’ts” when speaking to a person with hearing loss. Despite the goofy tone, I am serious about the suggestions. This is especially true about “Never Mind.” It feels dismissive, and it can hurt. A viable alternative to “Never Mind,” suggested by Word Selector, is “It’s […]