Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
additional question to ask in reference to
this last situation is how are those situa-
tions and/or people difficult? For exam-
ple, does a communication partner have
facial hair or speak with a hand in front
of the face, or does he or she speak to our
client with the back turned or from a sep-
arate room? Audiologists provide infor-
mation, often handouts, on techniques
to improve communication with difficult
communication partners and/or in noisy
environments.
A client's home is a very important
listening space. Just as important are the
social activities such as church, syna-
gogue, or mosque attendance; theater;
and get-togethers with friends, either in
the friends' homes or in public spaces.
What is some basic information audi-
ologists need to help their clients make
informed decisions about personal ampli-
fication and hearing assistive technology?
Here is a “starter” list of questions, and
you are encouraged to add to this list:
“telephone assistance program”
is a must. Although the names
vary, this type of program
exists in each state and lends
landline telephones to qualifying
individuals on a permanent
basis.
n
What type of mobile phone
does the client own? Is it
Bluetooth enabled? (Note
that the Telecommunications
Equipment Distribution
Program Association [TEDPA;
http://www.tedpa.org] is a
good resource to find out about
your state's program. In 2014
Delaware, Michigan, New York,
and Washington, DC, did not
have state-wide programs,
according to TEDPA.)
n
If the client attends religious
services, does that institution
have hearing assistive
technology available? Is the
space looped? (Note that looping
for telecoil use has become quite
popular again in some states.
It may be wise to find out what
venues in your city have this
capability and place a telecoil in
personal amplification devices.)
n
Does the client attend live
theater, movie theaters, the
symphony, or go to museums?
What hearing assistive
technology is available at each of
these places?
n
Which situations are difficult for
the client to communicate in?
Why?
n
Does the client listen to the
radio or watch television?
n
Does the client use a computer,
use programs such as Skype or
FaceTime?
n
Does the client have a landline
telephone, mobile phone, both,
or neither? How well can the
client use each of those devices?
What causes difficulties?
n
If there is no telephone in the
home, a referral to your state's
With working-age clients, one envi-
ronmental situation that needs focused
