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time to develop and strengthen. Both patients and audiologists must understand and respect the important knowledge that each side brings to the table. The best outcomes require both perspectives. Audiologists provide expertise in hearing science, proven methods and tools for evaluating hearing loss, and deep knowledge of traditional hearing aid technologies [...] tips and tricks too. Shari Eberts is a hearing health advocate, writer, speaker and avid Bikram yogi. She is the founder of LivingWithHearingLoss.com , an online community for people living with hearing loss and tinnitus. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Hearing Loss Association of America . Shari has an adult-onset genetic hearing loss and [...] be removed and cleaned, but keeping your aids in top condition will help you hear your best and show your audiologist that you are serious about your hearing. 5. Respect your audiologists’ training and expertise. While you know the most about your experiences and communication desires, audiologists possess time-tested diagnostic tools and programming

Published: 30-07-2019 17:20

plan and prepare for each session, set ground rules, encourage group members to contribute, and occasionally offer expert knowledge as a hearing care professional. The power of Group AR comes from the group members sharing their experiences and suggestions with each other. They are experts in their needs, what it is like to live with a hearing loss [...] s, lessons learned, strategies, and ideas for living well with hearing loss. Please be generous with your comments and feel free to ask the group for input. 5. Integrity Respect each other and agree that personal stories stay in the room. Dealing with difficult emotions As you get the group engaged in activities and sharing experiences, difficult emotions [...] pessimistic perspective, selecting and remembering negative aspects of a situation and disregarding the positive aspects. Depression often robs a person of the energy necessary to take steps to improve their quality of life. Grief and loss Some people have lost something of great value to them due to their hearing loss. For example, a music lover may

Published: 30-07-2019 16:49

sure your hearing aids are in good condition before traveling. If in doubt, have them checked by a hearing care professional. If you are planning a longer stay, ask your hearing care professional for a referral to a hearing care professional in the area you are visiting. Pack extra batteries and cleaning supplies for your hearing aids and keep them [...] tips for traveling, and preparing for emergencies. Agenda Follow up on topics and questions from the previous session Discuss the importance of self-advocacy Share tips for traveling Safety and emergency preparedness Follow up on topics and questions from the previous session The last session covered the signal-to-noise ratio, hearing assistive technology [...] later in this session, self-advocacy is also important for people with hearing loss when traveling or preparing for emergency situations. Most people want to be helpful and supportive of those with hearing loss. This requires that as a person with hearing loss you are about your needs and goals. This means that you need to employ different communication

Published: 30-07-2019 16:27

Group Aural Rehabilitation session six This session focuses on hearing assistive technology (HAT) beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants. Agenda Review from last session: Relaxation techniques Introduce hearing assistive technology Discuss challenging listening environments and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) Group activity: Use an app to identify the [...] SoundPrint , iHEARu , and NoiseCapture that crowdsource information about dB ratings in public places like restaurants, cafes, and parks. Group members can use these apps to help find places with less noise and make smart decisions about where to meet up with family, friends, and colleagues. Discuss how helpful the dB measurements and apps are when you [...] what assistive listening devices are, when they are used, and an overview of the different kinds. Group members with hearing loss may not know if their hearing aid has a telecoil or is compatible with their phone. Take a minute to go around the room, have group members check their hearing aids, and show them how to activate the settings. If possible, bring

Published: 30-07-2019 16:15

strategies have more positive outcomes and can cope better with their hearing loss. Explain that hearing loss can increase stress and anxiety . In addition to its impact on relationships and the experience of stigma, individuals with hearing loss must use more effort to understand speech than individuals with normal hearing. This is because they have to use [...] their confidence, self-efficacy, and overall quality of life. Wallhagen, 2010 found that stigma influences a person at multiple points on their journey including initial acceptance of hearing loss, deciding to have their hearing tested, choosing what steps to take, selecting a type of hearing aid, and deciding when and where to use assistive technology [...] well with hearing loss a person needs to overcome embarrassment and the damage to self-esteem that stigma creates. This is an ongoing personal process. This session’s conversation is a starting point for participants to think and talk about the topic of stigma and how it affects their lives. Introduce the topics of stigma and self-stigma, and define these

Published: 26-07-2019 17:11

Introduce clear speech methods Clear speech is a method where the speaker talks slightly slower and louder, uses frequent pauses, and enunciates speech sounds more clearly. It is not exaggerated speech, but rather a style of speaking that is adopted intuitively by many talkers in difficult communication situations. For example, clear speech is often used [...] living well with hearing loss is for participants to learn how to educate the people they frequently communicate with about clear speech. Research has indicated that people (including young children) can be taught to produce speech that is much more easily understood by people with hearing loss. Group activity: Practice clear speech methods Ask the group [...] end of “left” disappeared, and the “k” of week became merged into the “c” of “cruise.” In a clear speech style, the sentence would be: “The ship left__on a two__ week cruise.” The vowels sound the way they are supposed to, the “t” at the end of “left” has reappeared, and natural pauses are inserted after “left,” “two,” and “week.” Exercise 2 Target sentence:

Published: 26-07-2019 16:56

For people with hearing loss, having to ask people to repeat themselves frequently or feeling out of the loop of a conversation can be tiring or frustrating. If a person with hearing loss repeatedly says that they are having trouble understanding, their communication partner may misinterpret this as negativity. If a person with hearing loss takes an [...] something broad like “I can never understand what you’re saying” – it sounds like the person with hearing loss is blaming whom they’re talking to. This might make their communication partner defensive and less likely to modify their behavior. A person with hearing loss can head off the problem by requesting help using more positive terms before the communication [...] group member – either a person with hearing loss or a communication partner – identify a problem they have experienced or are anticipating. State the problem in objective, measurable terms. For example: "George does not go out in public since his hearing has worsened. I would like him to go out to a restaurant with me and another couple. When we go out,

Published: 26-07-2019 16:46

questions since you last met. Introduce communication strategies It is important for both the people with hearing loss and the partners they bring with them to the session to learn strategies that will make communicating easier. Practicing how to prevent and solve communication breakdowns in the supportive environment of an aural rehabilitation group increases [...] yourself at a good distance, not too close and not too far Be assertive: For example, ask for repetition, identify the part of the sentence you need repeated, or suggest moving the conversation to a quieter place If you’re in a noisy room, suggest moving somewhere quieter Both the person with hearing loss and the people they communicate with are responsible [...] Everyday communication breakdowns require people with hearing loss to come up with solutions at a moment's notice. To use repair strategies, Kaplan, Bally and Garretson recommend focusing on specifics . By focusing on what was not understood, or why it was difficult for the person with hearing loss to understand, the person speaking has more information

Published: 26-07-2019 15:59

each other and find things in common. Introduce the ground rules Set some ground rules to make sure everyone gets the most out of Group AR. Start with this list and ask the group if they have any they would like to add. Group activity: Identify how group members are affected by their hearing loss This activity helps the group warm-up and bond with each [...] afraid I’m going to lose my job because of my hearing problem" can be modified to "because I don't hear everything during a meeting I rarely participate and my boss thinks I am not doing my job." This makes it easier to focus on tangible challenges and solutions. For more inspiration, Hickson, Worral and Scarinci describe a two-part exercise where the [...] for this session is to enable the group to express their life experiences with hearing loss and to recognize the sources of their communication challenges. Agenda Icebreaker introductions Introduce the ground rules Identify how group members are affected by their hearing loss Get feedback from the group Icebreaker introductions It’s important for group

Published: 26-07-2019 15:16

Session three Introduce and practice anticipatory communication strategies Session four Introduce group participants to clear speech and lipreading Session five Discuss emotions brought out by hearing loss, experiences of stigma, and stress reduction techniques Session six Review hearing assistive technology (HAT) beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants [...] encourage discussion, help your clients problem solve together, and tip and tricks for them to try out at home. You can complete all of the sessions in order or choose the topics that are most relevant to your clients. Session one Encourage participants to share their experiences with hearing loss and identify communication challenges Session two Familiarize [...] implants Session seven Discuss the importance of self advocacy, tips for traveling, and preparing for emergencies