CHILDREN

When working with small children realize that what they say if very precious and if you miss what they say the first time they may not want to repeat it. With small children get down on their level and try to talk one on one. Even if you missed what they said the first time, taking the time to get down on their level makes you seem less intimidating.

You need to let them know that what they said was important and that you want to understand them.

SMALL GROUPS AND SEMINARS

This is another area where trying to hear may be difficult. Work to find a seat close to the front if you are in a meeting or seminar. That way the speaker’s voice can be heard and you will not miss any important facts. Also, if there is a question and answer session, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on something that was confusing.

In small groups I try to sit near the leader or teacher. I attend Sunday school class and I always sit as close to the teacher as possible. It makes the class so much more interesting. Remember though that although everyone may know you have a hearing problem there may be an occasional person who ignores your handicap. I have a lady in my class who begins talking whenever she feels like it and continues to talk after the lesson begins again. It is frustrating and way too challenging to hear the teacher. Other members have also noted the same problem and they are not hearing impaired so some people will just ignore you and you will have to make the best of the situation.

TEST TAKING

In places where testing for the ACT, SAT, Teacher Certification, and Grad school entrance tests there may be a part where you are tested on your ability to hear a recording or follow directions according to oral instructions. I had this happen once and I requested front row seating. I was frustrated because I was ignored (maybe due to the long line of students that were being ushered into the classroom) and had to sit near the back row. It’s another example of where people don’t see hearing impairment as a handicap. If it isn’t visible, then the problem doesn’t exist. It is a faulty conclusion and if given the same circumstances today I would push harder for front row seating. Be affirmative but not obnoxious.

LEARN TO LIP READ

As someone who has grown up being able to hear and to maintain conversations, I have elected to not attempt to learn sign language. I did glance at a book once and have sat in services where there was someone doing sign language but the phrasing and overall sentence structure seemed strange.

If you have experienced a gradual loss of hearing only during the past few years, consider using lip reading to enhance your listening skills. It isn’t as hard as it sounds. Focus on the person who is talking and watch the variation in the lips as words are formed. This only works really well on a one-to-one basis or maybe in small groups of no more than three. The idea is to listen to what is being said and to use the lip shapes and clues to fill in any sections which you may have missed.

I actually didn’t notice that I was doing this until someone pointed it out. It had become second hand nature to me so that I did it without thinking. What the person noticed was that I would use the lips to help discern between “lamb”, “land”, and” lamp”. Since everyone doesn’t pronounce words clearly with special emphasis on the ending sound, it worked. It was not an issue with people who spoke clearly.

CLOSED CAPTIONING

I used to be bothered by the closed captioning option on TVs and I will admit it takes some time to adjust to the writing below the picture, but it is worth it. When I miss words that are said I simply have to look below and the captioning gives me the ability to distinguish whatever I didn't understand. My friends and family automatically add the feature to the TV when I visit. It's worth a lot to be able to understand what characters on shows are saying. There's no reason to miss out on this aspect of life.