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
Learn how to read lips No. 30
During a conversation, you are expected to respond to what the other person is saying. The added challenge of lip-reading in real time can make communication tiring and stressful. Practicing outside of these interactions can help you to improve your skills without added pressure. I’ve created free YouTube resources to support people in gaining practice. […]
Life with a hearing ear dog
My hearing ear dog alerts me to household sounds such as the doorbell, smoke alarm, telephone ring, and oven timer. I need this support when I am sleeping or if I remove my cochlear implants during the day. The Lions Foundation says she has to retire at 11, and since only one hearing ear dog […]
Working memory and hearing difficulties
If you are struggling to hear, it can lead to “I don’t know” answers, even if you do know. Research has found that people with a stronger working memory capacity will hear better in noise.If you’re in a situation with lots of background noise, whether you have hearing loss or not, your working memory capacity […]
Learn how to read lips No. 29
So enthusiastic am I, that I am willing to sing over the Internet. As a person who is deaf, that’s a big risk to take! I have created 10 free lipreading lessons on YouTube to help you get more practice. No singing. Promise. Related post: Learn how to read lips No. 28
What is the secret to hearing better in noisy environments?
Which do you think has the greatest impact when it comes to hearing in noise? Your age Your hearing threshold at 4,000 Hz (i.e., in the high frequencies) Working memory Believe it or not, research has shown that working memory is the most important of the three factors. The good news is that your […]
LACE AI Coaching Notes #8
Are you finding the Missing Word exercises in LACE AI a breeze? If so, let’s kick things up a notch. Try choosing Treatment > Mumbled instead of Fill in the blank—it’s not only tougher, but it also feels more like what you’ll encounter in everyday conversations. To get the most out of your training, head […]
Learn to read lips No. 28
When learning to read lips, context can make it seem obvious what someone is saying. In this case, the context is the duct tape and how it is used. Try it out in the video below! It’s essential to remain flexible and let go of what you initially thought you saw if it doesn’t fit. […]
Common emotions with hearing loss
When your emotions are normalized, you recognize that your feelings are a valid response to your situation. Understanding that others would likely feel the same helps to reduce distress. When I was studying to become an audiologist, my feelings about coping with hearing loss were normalized. This was life-changing for me! More information about common […]
Learn how to read lips No. 27
The topic of a conversation provides important lipreading cues. A word can have different meanings depending on its surrounding words or context. If I say the word “flour,” you might think of a flowery alpine meadow rather than the flour used to bake bread. When we say someone took our words “out of context,” we […]
Learn how to read lips No. 26
Lipreading, like any skill, gets better with practice. A useful technique is to substitute sounds that are visually similar. Substitution skill will support you in making educated guesses. Try it out in the video below! I have created a free series of ten lessons on YouTube that provides a foundation in lipreading theory. […]