Hearing loss can greatly affect one’s ability to participate in conversations, especially in noisy environments. Using good communication strategies is key to helping those with hearing loss hear conversations accurately.
First, use clear speech when talking to someone with hearing loss. Many times, it is not that the individual with hearing loss missed the entire sentence, but they just need the speech to be spoken clearly and more distinctly. Using a key phrase with clear speech can also help guide the conversations along more smoothly. An example of a key phrase is “Now I am going to change subjects.” Letting the individual know that there will be a change in topic is helpful even to those without hearing loss.
Second, use anticipatory strategies. Anticipatory strategies include asking for the topic of the conversations ahead of time, reading about current events before a meeting or asking for an agenda to follow along with throughout a lecture.
When an individual is unsure if they hear the sentence correctly, they can use repair strategies. Repair strategies include asking for repetition, asking for rephrasing and requesting confirmation. Can you please repeat that? Can you please explain that in a different way? Did you say that the microwave was broken? Those are all examples of repair strategies.
Give us a call at 727-584-9696 or email us with any questions about your hearing issues. We’d be glad to help. Click here