SUMMARY: GOOD COMMUNICATION HABITS

Good Habits for Those with Hearing Loss

Be sure that your hearing aids are up to date and in good working order; if you’re not doing everything you can to help yourself, you cannot expect the people around you to make an effort.

Wear two hearing aids if this is recommended by your audiologist and you can afford it.

Maintain your hearing aids in the best possible condition; always carry spare batteries with you.

Inform people that you have a hearing loss and ask for their help; explain that hearing what they say is important to you.

Give people specific suggestions about what they can do to help you understand them (for example, “Please face me when you talk; Please slow down just a bit; Please rephrase that; Please get my attention before you begin talking to me; Please tell me what you’re talking about”). Remember to give speakers positive feedback when things are going well.

Be prepared to good-naturedly remind people about your hearing loss and what they can do to help. In most cases, people want to be helpful, but they easily slip back into communication habits that are familiar.

“Stage manage” your conversations:

Minimize background noise to the fullest extent possible, or move conversations away from it.

Communicate in a well-lit area; the light should fall on the speaker’s face.

Decrease the distance between you and the speaker to maximize auditory and visual cues (3–6 feet is ideal).

Position yourself for a clear view of the speaker’s face.

Position yourself so that your better ear (if you have one) is directed toward the conversation.

Give listening and watching the speaker your full attention.

Be sure you see well; wear eyeglasses if you need them, and be sure your prescription is up to date.

Whenever possible, get information about the topic or program ahead of time. Stay informed about current events.

Accept that you will miss some things; try to relax and get the gist of conversations.

Don’t interrupt too quickly; as a conversation progresses, you might understand more. If you feel lost, however, ask for help.

When you need help, ask for specific information (rather than saying “Huh?” or “What?”).

If you haven’t heard completely, don’t bluff.

When details are important, get them in writing; carry a notepad and pen with you.

Listening and watching can be exhausting; be prepared to take breaks from time to time. Let your communication partners know when you need to “tune out” for awhile.

Learn about hearing assistance technology.

Good Habits for Communication Partners

Be sure that you have the listener’s attention before you begin speaking.

Face your listener (don’t try to communicate when you’re out of sight). Don’t turn away while speaking.

Move to the listener when you want to communicate. Decrease the distance between you to maximize auditory and visual cues (3–6 feet is ideal).

Don’t put anything in your mouth or in front of your face while you’re talking, because this makes speechreading difficult (for example, avoid eating, smoking, chewing gum, and putting your hands in front of your face).

Give the listener the topic and let him know when the topic changes.

Speak precisely, but don’t exaggerate your speech (exaggerated mouth movements actually make speechreading more difficult).

Speak up, but don’t shout (shouting distorts speech, making it more difficult to understand). Shouting also seems rude, and it can be physically painful to listeners with sensory hearing loss).

Decrease your speaking rate ever so slightly.

Pause between thoughts (phrases).

Emphasize key words.

Use gestures.

Check for comprehension; confirm details (if necessary, in writing).

Use a microphone whenever one is available.

When asked to repeat, rephrase what you’ve said; most likely, repeating the same phrase in the same way will cause it to be misunderstood again.

In group situations, signal the listener about who is speaking (for example, look/nod/gesture in the speaker’s direction). It can take a listener with hearing loss a moment to locate where a voice is coming from; by that time, he might have lost part of the message, and it can be hard to catch up.

Minimize background noise to the fullest extent possible. For example, when entertaining in your home, don’t play background music because it can make communication difficult for some of your guests.

Talk to a person who is hard of hearing, not about her.

Recognize how difficult communicating can be for a person with hearing loss, especially in difficult listening environments, and be sensitive to stress and fatigue.