Help for Hearing Impairment

altocumulus

allydowd wrote: »

Ah, the answer is simple...Bone conduction aids don't have to have an ear-mould, so no irritation. Information here:

RNID factsheet link

Yes, the BAHA option I have thought long and hard on. After waiting a year to try one out I didn't find the result an improvement on what I can already hear.

After telling the audiologist, he shrugged his shoulders and that was that !!...

During medical assessments, when still at work, they expressed surprise that the BAHA was being thought of as an option. (this opinion not told to me personally, only in their written submission-so I didn't get an opportunity to ask why).


Always a danger - though - of ending up with a screw loose ...... (:sorrytakestongueoutofcheek: )

Jenny_Wren_3

lozzer90 wrote: »

After reading this i thought i would go to my local swimming baths to see about swimming lessons, they told me i would have to pay £40 a lesson because it would have to be a 1 to 1 lesson, i think that is disgusting

Sorry to hear about your experience, my daughter had one-to-one lessons at our local pool The usual cost was £15 for 30 minutes but they only charged £10 as they had a special disabled rate.
Is there another pool locally that you can try? Otherwise I found that my daughter could hear better in water than out, it might be worth trying normal lessons but with the teacher being made aware of the hearing problems.

mau408

lozzer90 wrote: »

After reading this i thought i would go to my local swimming baths to see about swimming lessons, they told me i would have to pay £40 a lesson because it would have to be a 1 to 1 lesson, i think that is disgusting

Where are you based? I'd recommend a local swimming club. I was born severely deaf and I learn to swim the same age as your son. My parents put me in swimming lessons with hearing people before I joined a club run by volunteers. By seeing other kids swim it kinda works as following by example. When I was younger I swum nationally and have managed to get my swimming assistance teaching certificate - although its now out of date. Starts were the most problematic but just explaining to the starter to drop their hand was how this was got around.

Local volunteer swimming clubs do not cost the earth - they tend to have a yearly membership fee (£50) and say £1 everytime you go.

If you're from northwest I'll try point you in a direction.

lozzer90

mau408 wrote: »

Where are you based? I'd recommend a local swimming club. I was born severely deaf and I learn to swim the same age as your son. My parents put me in swimming lessons with hearing people before I joined a club run by volunteers. By seeing other kids swim it kinda works as following by example. When I was younger I swum nationally and have managed to get my swimming assistance teaching certificate - although its now out of date. Starts were the most problematic but just explaining to the starter to drop their hand was how this was got around.

Local volunteer swimming clubs do not cost the earth - they tend to have a yearly membership fee (£50) and say £1 everytime you go.

If you're from northwest I'll try point you in a direction.

Im in stoke on trent. The lessons are not for my son they are for me. I think ive got it sorted now i was talking to a friend & she said she would come with me & teach me.
Thanks to those who posted with info.

rosieben

I'm giving this thread a shameless bump in case it helps any newbies to the forum

naf123

Can I give a rant

WHY THERE IS NO SUBTITLES MOVIES ON SUNDAY NIGHTS???

Why do they only show in the middle of the week? or at some very unsuitable times????

Do they think we deafies are unemployed bunch of people with no life! I have work to do. I dont have time in the middle of the week at 2.45pm to watch a movie!

I am a busy parent. I want to get a babysitter, go out with my OH and watch a nice movie on sunday night.

Its pure blantant discrimination in this day and age. My local cinema has EIGHT screens....i repeat EIGHT screens and not one has subtitles on a sunday night!

In fact on sunday afternoons at 2.30pm they are showing "Ghosttown" with subtitles but my daughter is too young to watch that. Sunday evenings at 7.45pm they show the same movie WITHOUT SUBTITLES.

Pure discrimination. I feel very hurt and singled out by society. Why no deafies kicked up a fuss about this. I know there is this excellent website http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/ but the timings are all useless.

rosieben

Rant away naf! I've decided to start pointing out things like this to whoever rather than let them get away with it. Maybe a strong letter to the cinema management? or how about a local paper -they might be interested in the story? Also if you have a local deaf group maybe they can join in on the campaign

Interesting article here on possible future developments for hearing help

allydowd

SmileyS wrote: »

Anyone know where I can get a vibrating alarm for a child? Or any other pointers on things to get him would be much appreciated

SS x

Ask your local Social Services Deaf Team for an assessment and they should give you one for free. If for some reason they won't contact the NDCS:

NDCS link

cazziebo

Really interesting thread - thanks to everyone who has contributed. I've learned a lot.

I was diagnosed last year with progressive hearing loss. My problem is that there is a range of sounds I just don't hear, therefore hearing aids won't help. I can hear perfectly well if I am facing the person who is speaking and I'm used to their accent/tone etc, or I'm on the phone in a silent room. (apparently my brain fills in the gaps). If there is any noise at all, I can't make out anything. I don't know someone is speaking to me unless I can see them, or they catch my attention first. It's almost unnoticeable to most other people. (Oddly enough, I struggle with the TV and hardly watch it at all, but can listen to the radio for hours.) The hospital weren't particularly helpful - I had a session with an audiologist who advised on some coping mechanisms, and advised looking for a career change. (Listening is a key part of my job, can't think of many jobs where it's not pretty critical!)

My problem is other people's attitudes. I work in a small office, and I've explained to colleagues that I have a hearing problem, can they quieten down when I'm on the phone, and not send stuff to the printer. They think it's a bit of a joke. Similarly, at home, my children don't take it seriously at all, and having mumbled something several times which I haven't heard, then say "Doesn't matter". Worst of all is probably the bf - strong glaswegian accent of which he is so proud - I have to ask him to repeat everything several times. (Why can some people not open their mouths when they speak?!)

It really gets me down sometimes - especially as I know it can only get worse. I'm not interested in benefits etc as thankfully I've got a good job that I love, but would there be any point in getting some sort of "proof" that what I have is "real"? Is there such proof?

rosieben

Hi Cazzie, welcome! I'm not sure about 'proof' but hopefully someone will be along with more help on that

I know how frustrating it is to try to do your job when you can't hear properly anymore. I lost my hearing very suddenly and when I look back now I am appalled at the lack of support and help from my employer and work colleagues but of course people cant realise what its like unless they have experienced it and there wasn't any visible sign of a problem (it took nearly 6 months before I got my hearing aids). Access to Work people wanted me to take action against the employer and now I think I should have done, but then I was in such a state I couldn't have coped with it.

My family are pretty good, but its taken them a long time to understand that I cant hear if they talk to me from another room (!) and that shouting really doesn't help me to hear what they say! I feel very isolated sometimes as I cant keep up with a multi sided conversation and I tend not to go to places where there will be lots of people. When I'm on the telephone to strangers I always start of by telling them I have hearing difficulties and that I need them to speak slowly and clearly but I might have to repeat this several times before they get the message. :rolleyes:

Your situation is slightly different in that you wont have hearing aids, but I think it might help if you have a good talk to your children and explain that 'it doesn't matter' is not only rude but hurtful, then maybe they will begin to take it more seriously.

Might it help to ask for a formal meeting with your hr dept when you can explain the problems you have and they might have solutions that would help. After all, they're paying you to do a job and its in their interests to ensure that you can do properly.

hope that helps and hope to see you posting here again to let us know how you're getting on