Communication Strategies

From the chronicles

What the COVID pandemic meant for people with hearing loss

In the video below, I have summarized an interesting research study that looked at the impact of the COVID pandemic on people with hearing loss. During the COVID pandemic, I found myself bluffing—especially at the grocery store, with all the masks, background noise, and plastic barriers. I couldn’t understand a word. What finally helped? Just […]

Learn how to read lips No. 19

A superpower when it comes to reading lips is the ability to use the context. As we get older, we become more skilled in using context. The topic is a major clue about the context. Ways to ask for context and the topic are discussed in my free Lipreading Challenge on YouTube. In the meantime, […]

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 […]

finger pointing to phrase trying new things

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

When confirming that a person with hearing loss understands you

When confirming understanding with PWHL (people with hearing loss), avoid yes/no questions, such as “Do you understand?” These questions can be answered with a yes, without revealing whether the person actually understood what you said. Yes/No questions can also put pressure on the person to say yes, out of politeness, fear, or embarrassment, even if […]

Overhearing is hard to do when you have hearing loss

Overhearing is hard to do when you have hearing loss. This is particularly impactful for children, since most new vocabulary words are learned by overhearing them. So, what’s the solution? 👉Explicit Vocabulary Teaching ✅ Pre-teaching vocab helps prep the brain. Ask the daycare/preschool/school for upcoming themes and use books, word cards, and pictures […]

Why it’s important to slow down when talking to people with hearing loss

When you are talking to a person with hearing loss, it’s really important to slow down. Why? Your words run together when you talk fast. Here’s an example. Let’s say you are commenting on some brownies that I made, and I thought you said, “It’s awfully chewy.” When you actually said, “It’s soft and chewy.” […]

Four Things not to do as a person with hearing loss at a party

Assume that others remember that you have hearing loss: as a PWHL (person with hearing loss), expect that you will have to tell people more than once about your hearing loss and your communication needs. People will forget that you have hearing loss. We’re human, and human beings forget. Also, people are more focused on […]