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Audiologist recommended googling “communication tactics” and here is one result: Communication strategies when talking to individuals with hearing loss https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/51744-Communication-strategies-when-talking-to-individuals-with-hearing-loss
Choose your environment
Some environments are much easier for communication for people with hearing loss. Here are some things you can do to ensure the environment is perfect for communication:

  • Make sure the room has enough lighting. People with hearing loss often rely upon lip reading, facial expressions and gestures to supplement their remaining hearing and improve communication.
  • Pick a place that has minimum background noise. Though our ears and brain are able to filter out background noise in most situations, people with hearing loss often have a very difficult time hearing over excessive noise.
  • If you will be in a group setting, choose a location – or if you’re at a restaurant, a round table – where the person with hearing loss will have visual access to everyone’s faces to facilitate better communication.

Here are a few examples of using the above tips to pick an appropriate environment for communication:

  • If you’re planning a dinner out, pick a restaurant that you know has ample lighting, does not play music and has decent acoustics. Choose a restaurant that you have been to before, where you know the noise levels do not get too loud. Another good tactic is to select an off-time: Rather than having dinner at 7 p.m. on Friday or Saturday night – the busiest dinner hours – opt instead for a late lunch or early dinner, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. when restaurants are likely to be the least busy.
  • During a group gathering at your home, if you’d like to have a conversation with a friend or family member with hearing loss, invite him or her to speak in a different, quieter room. Turn off the TV and any other sources of noise.

Tips for communicating
Here are some great things you can do to help facilitate better conversations and include someone with hearing loss:

  • Make sure to keep your mouth uncovered. Don’t talk through a yawn or while chewing gum. This distorts your lip movements and makes it difficult for someone with hearing loss to speech read.
  • Don’t speak from another room or when your back is turned to the person.
  • Sit or stand close to the person with hearing loss, but not so close that he or she can’t easily switch focus between maintaining eye contact and speech reading.
  • If the person with hearing loss hears better in one ear, take note of that and try to speak more toward their right or left side.
  • Before starting a conversation, say the person’s name so you can get his or her attention.
  • When giving specific information, like an address or time for a meeting, write the important information down or ask the person to repeat the specifics to you so you can make sure you got them right.
  • Pay attention to the listener’s cues. People with hearing loss sometimes feel embarrassed or get tired of asking others to repeat themselves or clarify. If the person looks a bit puzzled, find a tactful way to ask if he or she understood you.
  • In group settings, make sure to avoid speaking over each other.
  • Don’t talk about a person with hearing loss as if she or he isn’t there. Instead, talk directly to that person and do your best to use the above and below tactics.

Communication repair strategies
Sometimes, there will be a breakdown in communication. Here are some things that you can do to get back on track for successful conversation with your friend, family member or colleague:

  • Speak at a normal level. Sometimes it’s tempting to speak too loudly to someone with hearing loss, but this can distort the words.
  • Provide the topic of conversation or key word to someone having difficulty understanding, especially if there has been a topic change.
  • Spell a tricky word. For people with hearing loss, many consonants sound the same, which can trigger misunderstanding. Write it out on paper if necessary.
  • Use gestures if they might help.
  • Speak more slowly, but still clearly.
  • Rephrase what you have said.
  • Shorten your sentences and use less complex phrasings.
  • Change environments if the location is giving you problems.
  • Ask the listener what he or she needs you to do to facilitate better communication in the event of a break down.

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