assertiveness training in aural rehabilitation

Assertiveness training in aural rehabilitation professional#

Simply said, his comment scared the hell out of me and this fear stayed with me for many years, until I learned better. That doctor did me, and I’m sure many other patients, a great disservice when he employed a term in one way that most people would understand in a different way. The fact that I can still do this, even with a bilateral 90 dB hearing loss, tells me that I am not functionally “deaf”. From my perspective, the only definition of “deaf” that counted was my ability to use audition as my primary communication mode. Without hearing aids, I would indeed be “deaf”, but certainly not with them. It was only many years later that I realized the doctor’s definition of “deaf” and my definition of “deaf” were quite different. But not before the examining otolaryngologist told me that I had “progressive hearing loss” and that I would soon be going “deaf!” Fortunately for me, I was not given a choice.Īfter I was given an audiometric test, which clearly revealed the presence of hearing loss, the next thing I knew I was transferred to Walter Reed Hospital, as an involuntary participant in their AR program. At the time, the only help I would have considered would have been medical or surgical - some way to “cure” or “fix” my hearing loss. Of course, like just anybody else with hearing loss, I knew I had some hearing difficulties and, like many other people in the same predicament, I simply tried to ignore its presence, getting along as best I could. I think its onset occurred during an earlier period of military service. My hearing loss was detected in l951 while I was in the Air Force.

On reflection, however, it really may be a good way to introduce a conference on Aural Rehabilitation (AR), since I believe there are lessons we can draw for the present day from my personal experiences a half-century ago Actually, I wasn’t sure if I could or should do this, since I don’t feel all that comfortable talking about myself. When Geoff Plant asked me to give this keynote presentation, he said to be sure that I included some of my personal experiences as a hard of hearing person. Karl Strom, Editor-In-Chief of the Hearing Review, for allowing us to republish this important work. Due to the importance and depth of this fine presentation, we have minimally re-edited this article for the non-professional audience, to help transfer the knowledge and concepts in a non-technical manner.

Assertiveness training in aural rehabilitation professional#

Editor’s Note – The original article (as published in the Hearing Review, see above) was a podium presentation for a professional audience.