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
Study shows lipreading helps you to hear better in noisy situations
Understanding speech in noisy environments is a common issue with hearing loss. Since hearing aids can’t always solve this problem, it’s important to explore other options. A research study looked at whether lipreading training could help people understand speech in noisy settings. Before and after the training, participants took a speech-in-noise test that mimicked […]
Reducing social isolation due to hearing loss
Hearing loss can lead to social isolation due to communication difficulties and withdrawal behaviours. Support from hearing care professionals can help normalize these feelings. The process starts with PWHL (people with hearing loss) meeting others with similar experiences, reducing feelings of isolation. In the second stage, PWHL practice communication strategies with those with normal hearing, […]
Learning How to Read Lips No. 17
Substitution practice is surprisingly important in increasing your accuracy as a lip reader. ANSWER: Some smells are indeed magical, but the more probable choice is “spell.” Related post: Learning how to read lips No. 16
When your partner has hearing loss
Research shows that partners tend to respond more favourably to people with hearing loss (PWHL) who ask specific questions (“Did you say…?”) instead of “What?” or “Huh?” The strategy chosen by the partner is even more important. The most common strategy is repetition. Rephrasing or confirming what you have said may be more effective if […]
Should you talk about hearing loss in a job interview?
When I was in my twenties, I started a summer job as a chambermaid at a Bed and Breakfast. I was excited to live at the B&B with a great view of Halifax harbour. But on my first day, the owner started my training by showing me the phone system (this was in the days […]
Learning how to lipread No. 16
Lipreading is all about restricting the possibilities. If there is a smaller number of possibilities, you will probably be able to guess the word. Both people in the conversation share the responsibility in restricting the possibilities. The best way to do this is to narrow down the topic. Offer clues: “It’s about my favourite way […]
Adjusting to hearing loss
This blows my mind: people adjust to hearing loss before they even acknowledge that the hearing loss exists. A common adjustment for people with hearing loss (PWHL): bluffing. A common adjustment for significant others and family members: repeating themselves. For couples, it’s often about going out less and for shorter times. What kind of adjustments […]
How can you tell hearing loss from selective hearing?
How can you tell hearing loss from selective hearing? For me, it might seem like I only pay attention when I want to. However, under the same listening conditions, some days I can engage in conversation while other days I cannot due to the effort involved. Communication should be a two-way street, with both partners […]
My amazing hearing ear dog guide
My hearing ear dog’s name is Chanty. Her ability to transition from sleeping to running in response to a sound is amazing! I need her help mostly at night when I am not wearing my hearing devices. Hearing ear dogs are typically high energy due to their need to respond swiftly to brief sounds. After […]
This is challenging for people with hearing loss
A common pattern is that a talker will speak louder or slow down for the first part of a conversation, but then revert to their normal way of speaking soon after. This happens because people focus more on what they are saying than how they are saying it. So, what is the solution? Communication is […]