Objectives: We provide a novel application of psycholinguistic theories and methods to the field of auditory training to provide preliminary data regarding which minimal pair contrasts are more difficult for listeners with typical hearing to distinguish in real-time. Design: Using eye-tracking, participants heard a word and selected the…

"We wish we had that option in our area." "Wish we lived closer." "I wish I would have known." These statements, made by parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, illustrate a frustrating reality for many families--a lack of access to qualified professionals and specialized services to help children with…

Cultural elements such as language, beliefs about health, and family context play important roles in the uptake of rehabilitation and treatment of deafness. Because of cultural issues, minority groups often do not receive optimal care. Focusing on the Netherlands, the researchers explored how the rehabilitation and counseling of deaf children of…

Two studies, each conducted with 10 adults with mild to moderately severe hearing loss, compared the effectiveness of custom in-the-ear (ITE) or over-the-ear (OTE) hearing aid fittings. ITE fittings typically yielded speech intelligibilty that was equal to the better OTE fitting. (Author/CB)

According to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, between eight and nine million people suffer from some form of deafness or loss of hearing. Modern technology, however, together with the work of audiologists such as Karen Shepherd, enables many adults and children to recover near-normal levels of hearing, even when they have suffered some…

Determines whether in-service programs for the elderly are helpful in providing information about hearing loss and helping them cope with that loss. Results indicate the programs are beneficial for the elderly as well as students of gerontology. The project also increased awareness of financial limitations prohibiting purchase of hearing aids.…

This study compared the speech perception skills over time (mean = 3.5 years) of 74 prelingually deaf children using cochlear implants with the predicted speech perception skills of 58 similar children using hearing aids. Generally, speech perception scores for the children using cochlear implants were higher that those predicted for children with…

Four groups of 12 young adult deaf subjects evaluated 2 aspects of lipreading training: source of video feedback (self or trainer) and timing of feedback (during or after speech production). Results substantiate the beneficial effects of multisensory feedback by practicing lipreading of one's own speech production. (Author/JDD)

A test of lipreading accuracy in relation to varying transformational content. (CH)

The aim of the study was to analyse speech perception of children with cochlear implants (N=29) and children fitted with traditional hearing aids (N=20). One- and two-syllable words were presented auditorily in a forced choice minimal-pair discrimination task. The children repeated the word and pointed to the appropriate picture presented on…

LESSONS DESIGNED TO ASSIST TEACHERS AND PARENTS IN TEACHING SYNTHETIC LIPREADING TO HARD-OF-HEARING ELEMENTARY AGE CHILDREN ARE GROUPED INTO PRIMARY AND INTERMEDIATE LEVELS. EACH LESSON PLAN IS BASED ON THE PREVIOUS LESSON AND INCLUDES SEVERAL RELATED SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES. INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT MATERIALS, PROCEDURE, AND THE EXACT SENTENCES TO BE USED…

Stresses the need for local materials centers which loan speech and hearing materials to therapists for trial and evaluation. Borrowing privileges enhance the probability of careful selection and purchase of needed materials. (MB)

It is clear that there is a substantial need and demand for clinical services within the hearing-impaired population. As services are expanded, opportunities for growth should be extended to the deaf community to stimulate positive potentials rather than concentrating solely on pathology and impairment. (CJ)