Some of you have been living with this impairment for a while and have already figured out some of these techniques on your own--good for you! This is more for those who are "new" to functioning with hearing loss. I know I and my family members could've used this information upon day one of my hearing impairment. We muddled through as best we could, but this information could've made it easier for all. After starting a lip reading class I was handed an info sheet on tips for the hearing impaired and wanted to share in hopes of making the transition an easier one on the hearing challenged and family/friends.
For Family Members And Friends Communicating With A Hearing Impaired Person:
1. Be patient. All conditions of communication are changing and the hearing impaired person is learning new skills to communicate better.
2. Gain the attention of the hearing impaired person before speaking. Face the person and get on the same level whenever possible.
3. Stand close enough so the hearing impaired person can see your face clearly. A distance of 3-6 feet is most desirable.
4. Have the lighting in our face, not behind you. The hearing impaired person needs to see your face clearly.
5. Avoid background noise whenever possible. It interferes with the hearing impaired person's ability to clearly understand the message. Turn off all radios, TVs, water, etc. Move away from excess noise when possible.
6. Do not speak to the hearing impaired person from another room. They cannot understand what is being said.
7. Do not speak to the hearing impaired person with your back turned to them or when walking away. They need to rely on visual clues from your face.
8. Keep your hands away from your mouth.
9. Don't have objects in your mouth such as food, gum, cigarettes, etc. If you wear a mustach, keep the upper lip visible as this helps seeing the word being formed.
10. Don't shout. It may give the impression that you are angry. Learn to speak distinctly and clearly. Enunciate your words.
11. Speak at a normal rate, slightly slower if needed. Do not exaggerate your lip movements.
12. Do not drop your voice at the end of words and sentences.
13. Use facial expressions and gestures.
14. State the topic you are going to talk about.
15. Expect to repeat yourself at times.
16. Confirm details. Double check key details of the message (times and places) to make sure you were understood.
17. Get to the point. Use different words if necessary. Write words down if needed.
18. Arrange the room (living room) where communication will take place so the speaker or listener is no more than 6 feet apart and everyone is visible.
19. When the hearing impaired person is tired or ill they hear and understand less.
20. Be understanding. The hearing impaired person already feels that they are a tremendous burden.
Communication Strategies For The Hearing Impaired Person:
1. Position yourself in a way that you can best hear as well as see the speaker.
2. Be attentive. Concentration is very important. Take breaks from listening when possible so that you can give your full attention to important information.
3. Observe the speaker. Use your vision for clues to supplement what you are hearing.
4. Watch the speakers lip movements for clues. You can easily tell the difference between some words by the way the sounds are formed on the lips. For example: "fat" and "pat".
5. Use clues of intonation, rhythm and stress to give more information to the message.
6. Watch facial expressions, gestures and body language for additional clues.
7. Pay attention to the context of the message. Concentrate on ideas and not isolated words.
8. Determine the topic. Listen for key words and phrases.
9. Keep up with current events. Know the topic being discussed ahead of time when possible.
10. Avoid poorly lit and noisy places when trying to understand what is being said.
11. Keep in mind the distance to the speaker. The closer you are the more of an advantage you will have in understanding what is being said.
12. Keep in mind the size of the room. It will be easier to hear and understand in smaller rooms.
13. Understand the acoustics of a room. Rooms with hard surfaces such as tiles will cause sound to bounce around (reverberate) and make the message harder to understand. Rooms with carpet will give you a better advantage.
14. Plan ahead. Consider challenges you may face and be prepared to face them.
15.Talk to the teacher or presenter ahead of time about needs you have. Do not interrupt a lecture to ask for assistance.
16. Inform the speaker of your hearing loss and tell them what your needs are.
117. Double check details such as times, dates, etc.
18. Remember to have realistic expectations. Even with hearing aids you will need to use other strategies in many listening situations.
Repair Strategies:
Instead of saying "what or excuse me" over and over, try these:
Repeat - Use this strategy when you have missed the entire message. "Please say that again"
Rephrase - Ask the speaker to say the message in a different way.
Partial repetition -If you heard part of the message, let the speaker know. Then ask for repetition of the missed portion of the message. "You're going to the store when?"
Simplify - Ask the speaker to say the message in a simpler way.
Elaborate - Ask the speaker to give you more information. "Please say that again but now say it in two sentences."
Key word - Ask the speaker to tell you or spell the important word in the sentence. If you know the key word you can figure out the message easier.
Spelling - Ask the speaker to spell out the word you missed.
Confirm - Repeart information to be sure it is correct. "Did you say..."
