by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A concerned daughter wrote, My step-dad has been hard of hearing since the 1990s due to being a gunner in Vietnam. Only in the last 8 years has he decided to not wear his hearing aids even though he got some updated ones just 3 years ago. I have seen the […]
Coping Strategies
Speech Speed vs. Understanding What Was Said
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote, Have you addressed the issue of “speech rate” as a factor in hearing loss and comprehension? As I recall, the “optimal” speech rate is approximately 180 words per minute (wpm). Yet I find that the broadcast industry (radio and TV) are hiring commentators who speak at least 210 […]
Turning on the Captions on TVs in Public Places
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Doesn’t it just irk you when you go into a coffee shop and the TV is on, but there are no captions so you can’t understand what is going on? Maybe you are in the breakfast area at a motel and they are showing the weather for the day—but you can’t […]
Learning to Speechread (Lipread)
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained, I am new to the world of hearing loss. I want to know if there is a way to learn lipreading. How did you learn? Did you just watch people? I am trying to do that but getting frustrated. I am sure that is normal. My problem lies […]
Hard-of-Hearing Nightmare—Hearing in Groups
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man explained, I have had a hearing loss since I was a child. My hearing loss continues to increase as I get older. I have been spending more and more on hearing aids that don’t seem to help. I have trouble in crowds and have increasingly avoided gatherings with more […]
Get It Right! Repeat Back What You Heard
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady wrote, My friend asked me why I didn’t tell her I hadn’t heard her. I said, “If I didn’t hear, how do I know to ask?” I liked the “duh” look on her face. That’s sort of my experience. When I was in school, the only accommodation I had […]