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
Choose an area of interest to explore ways to improve your hearing
From the chronicles
What is Auditory Neuropathy?
Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD) is a rare form of inner ear hearing loss. This video resource is intended for families and teachers of children with auditory neuropathy.
Self-advocacy: still learning to stand up for my hearing
I grew up without the guidance of an educational audiologist or a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDHH). In fact, I didn’t even experience the difference a remote microphone could make until I reached university. Because of that, I consider myself a “late bloomer” when it comes to self-advocacy. What I’ve realized […]
Why you shouldn’t bluff when you have hearing loss
I have never met a PWHL (person with hearing loss) who didn’t admit to bluffing (pretending to understand). Even people with normal hearing bluff sometimes. The difference is that hearing loss is a permanent condition for us. As an ongoing strategy, bluffing has its limitations. Why would any PWHL do this? One reason is that […]
Why dynamic auditory training programs work best for hearing loss
Adaptive auditory training programs, such as Neurotone’s Lace AI Pro, offer a significant advantage because they are designed to be dynamic. One of the primary benefits of an adaptive approach is that the program automatically adjusts its difficulty level as you improve, ensuring that you are always training at or near your personal threshold level. […]
People with hearing loss who say, “What??”
When you experience hearing loss, it’s common to ask others to repeat what they’ve said. Phrases like “What?”, “Sorry?” or “Pardon?” are common ways to seek clarification, but they’re actually less effective. Overusing these simple requests can lead to frustration or impatience in those who have to repeat themselves. A better approach is to […]
Feeling excluded from group conversations because you can’t hear?
To anyone who has felt left out or not included for any reason: may you find your tribe. Don’t give up! 🙏 In addition to finding the support of others who made the effort to include me, I also rely on cochlear implant technology, remote microphone technology (Phonak Roger 20 receiver and a Roger On […]
When I am not wearing my cochlear implants, I really have to pay attention!
I didn’t want to waste water on this reel (especially since it took two takes) – but I have walked away from the sink, come back, and found it overflowing and water on the floor. Without the auditory cue of running water, I really have to pay attention. Being attentive is how I want to […]
When you’re learning how to read lips No. 36
Learning to read lips is all a matter of practice! Here’s an example of what you need to know: Check out my free Lipreading Challenge on YouTube to quickly learn key lipreading concepts. Just 90 minutes can improve your skills and help you when the listening environment is challenging. If you need more support, I […]
Cochlear implants without auditory training is like a cell phone without a signal
Cochlear implants without auditory training is like a cell phone without a signal. If you can’t get a signal on your phone despite a nearby cell phone tower, you might feel disconnected and different (compared to everyone else who can get a signal). Similarly, with cochlear implants, the signal in the signal-to-noise ratio is the […]
I heard you the first time: my responsibility as a person with hearing loss
As a deaf person, I can be guilty of not acknowledging that I have heard something, and force the other person to repeat needlessly. The tension is also avoidable. Here’s what is going on for me in a conversation: What about you? Related post: How can you tell hearing loss from selective hearing?