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
Can hearing aids affect your well-being?
A study found that people reported significantly lower fatigue and required less overall concentration at the end of the day when they wore hearing aids that day, compared to not wearing them. The study participants had significantly faster processing speed at the end of the day when they wore hearing aids that day, compared to […]
Lipreading the Desiderata
Desiderata has been a fixture in my home since forever. In remember as a child fixing my gaze on the last line: “Strive to be happy.” Can you lipread another two lines from Desiderata in the video below? Related post: Learn how to read lips #24
Hearing aid use linked to a reduction in falling
Older adults with hearing loss in both ears are half as likely to fall if they use hearing aids compared to their peers who do not wear hearing aids, according to a new survey analysis. Wearing the hearing aids consistently reduces this risk even further, the survey found. Related post: Multi-tasking affects balance in […]
LACE AI Pro Coaching Notes #6
Some people with hearing loss (PWHL) have vastly different word discrimination scores (WDS) between ears. If one ear is significantly poorer for WDS, I recommend initially training with the poorer ear only when using LACE AI. After 12-15 hours of training (roughly a month) with the poorer ear only, is there any improvement in Speech […]
Three things to do when you get hearing aids
In hearing loss rehabilitation, there’s a focus on technology and the expertise of hearing care professionals. However, there is an additional piece to consider: the role that people with hearing loss (PWHL) themselves play in shaping the outcome. Having hearing loss myself, I have identified key areas where PWHL should focus their time and effort. […]
Learn how to read lips No. 22
Context plays a vital role in lip reading. Knowing the topic, setting, what just happened, and what is about to happen will help you to anticipate what others are saying. Try it out in this video below! Related post: Learn how to read lips No. 21
Learn how to read lips No. 24
Lipreading, like any skill, gets better with practice. A useful technique is to substitute sounds that look the same. Substitution skill will support you in making educated guesses. Watch this video to try it out! Check out my free Lipreading Challenge on YouTube. You can book a one-to-one lipreading lesson with me. Or, get two […]
LACE AI Pro Coaching Notes #5
The default training activity in LACE AI is Speech in Noise. Unless it is changed, it will stay that way. To change the training activity from Speech in Noise to Rapid Speech or Working Memory, tap Train > Lesson and select one of Rapid Speech or Working Memory by tapping on it. This selection will […]
Flat hearing loss and auditory training
Auditory training is rarely used in hearing loss rehabilitation. Identifying ideal candidates could help hearing care professionals gain experience and confidence with this tool and potentially recommend it to more people. Nadia Abbott, an audiologist, suggested that people with flat hearing loss might especially benefit from auditory training. Watch the video below for more information. […]
LACE AI Pro coaching notes #4
In Rapid Speech and Speech in Noise training, you are asked to repeat what you heard aloud or silently to confirm your understanding. Then, you tap Confirm. The next screen displays the sentence that was just presented to you. You are then asked, ‘Is this what you heard?’ If you did not hear the sentence, […]