Are You Interested In Learning about Assistive Listening Devices?

If you are interested in finding out how Assistive Listening Devices may help you hear more clearly at work or school the MED-EL Blog has a few helpful blog posts. 

Click HERE to begin reading. The archives are tagged for: "assistive listening device"

FUN FALL FESTIVITIES at HearingFirst.org

 APPLYING LISTENING AND SPOKEN LANGUAGE (LSL) Strategies  

TO FUN FALL FESTIVITIES

Fall brings many new and rich opportunities to introduce your child to new sounds and language along their listening and spoken language journey. 

HearingFirst.org provides specific suggestions for home while your child is learning to listen and talk.

Click HERE  to read go to the Hearing First website and download these free articles

Fire Safety for Individuals with Hearing Loss

Fire safety is a special concern for persons with hearing loss. Read the following precautions that can help save your life or the life of a loved one. Be prepared.

Tips from Cochlear America:

·  Register as a person with impaired hearing with your local emergency (911) dispatcher.

·  Whether you’re staying in a college dorm, hotel or other facility, be sure to request proper safety accommodations, such as a fire alarm with a built-in strobe light that is ADA compliant.

· Establish an effective alerting system based on your hearing loss needs. Some systems sound a low-frequency alarm, flash a light or even vibrate the bed.

· Take preemptive measures to lower your fire risks by making sure cigarette butts are fully extinguished before discarding, never leaving a flickering candle unattended, and following instructions when using a space heater and clothes dryer

·       Ace Hardware Corporation

·       BRK Electronics

·       Gentex Corporation

·       Kidde Fire Safety

·       Menards

Smoke alarms save lives. But those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing cannot depend on the sound of the regular alarm to alert them to a fire.

People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing should use alarms with strobe (flashing) lights that have been tested by an independent testing laboratory. The alarms for sleeping areas with strobe lights are required to be of a special high intensity that can wake a sleeping person.

Most major smoke alarm companies offer alarms with strobe lights. For information on availability and pricing, go to the manufacturers' Web sites. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of smoke alarms that meet U.L. standard 1971 for people who are deaf or hard of hearing include:

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the three keys to proper fire safety are Planning, Practice and Preparation so that you’re never caught helpless in a blaze. Other measures may be appropriate as you deem fit. The main point, of course, is your awareness and precaution. For more information about fire prevention and safety, visit the NFPA’s website at www.nfpa.org.

Little Listener Anthony - A Jockey, A Wheelchair and A Horse

Check out one of my "Little Listeners" who I have seen for AVT since he was an infant. Anthony has auditory neuropathy and  hears with his cochlear implant.

Each Halloween Anthony's Dad designs and makes one of a kind costumes. This year he is a jockey with his wheelchair and his horse. He was a honored guest at two horse tracks in Chicagoland last week. Anthony's 2015 Halloween costume is amazing and parents hope to reach Ellen DeGeneres so he can be a guest on the show!

Cochlear's Communication Corner

The Communication Corner

The Communication Corner provides age-appropriate resources to help maximize your or your loved one’s hearing. The training programs include fun and engaging activities from early listening to more complex conversations to use of technology.

Click HERE

HOW IT WORKS

1. Choose the most appropriate age level to view the various programs available within the site.
2. Use the program sample to see if the program meets your needs to improve your or your loved one’s communication skills.
3. Take the short assessment to get guidance as to where to start within the program.
4. Come back often as there will be suggestions for which programs to try next.           

HOW TO GET STARTED

Each program has a short assessment which helps you know where to start. This ensures tasks are at the right level and will be fun and engaging. You will always have access to easier materials if you would like to practice skills you have already mastered.

FAQ- Cochlear Implants - Bringing The Gift of Sound

Frequently Asked Beginning Questions

Cochlear implants are not new. They have been around for more than 30 years.

The ear surgery required is a routine, outpatient procedure that takes approximately 2-3 hours.

Cochlear implants are safe, effective, FDA-approved devices that help when hearing aids cannot.

A cochlear implant is not a hearing aid. A hearing aid makes sound louder, but a cochlear implant works differently. It directly stimulates the hearing nerve and goes around the damaged parts of the ear 

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Listening Skills and Phonemic Awareness -SIGHTWORDS

SIGHTWORDS is a new website that targets early listening skills and phonemic awareness.  

Sightwords.com is a comprehensive sequence of teaching activities, techniques, and materials for one of the building blocks of early child literacy. They combine the latest literacy research with decades of teaching experience to bring you the best methods of instruction to make teaching easier, more effective, and more fun.