Aural rehabilitation: common communication strategies
Avoid saying “What?” or “Huh?”
Instead, try to make a specific clarification request. If the speaker mumbles, ask them to please speak more clearly. If the talker speaks in a quiet voice, politely ask him or her to speak louder. Many talkers cover their mouths when they are talking. When this happens, tell them you can understand them better if they would not cover their mouths.
Inform others about your hearing loss
Your difficulty hearing and likely your hearing aids are not visible to the people you converse with. They may forget to speak in a manner helpful to you. One way to overcome this is to explain that you are really interested in hearing what they have to say and that you would like to use a cue, like tapping your ear or your mouth, to remind them of the best ways to communicate with you.
Model good communication
Speak slowly and concisely. Resist the temptation to shout, which can lead to distorted speech and make your words more difficult to understand. Pause between sentences to ensure what you are saying is understood. Remember, communication is a two-way street. Give the other person a chance to speak, and do not interrupt.
Reduce or eliminate background noise
Background noise (music, people talking, dishes clanking, television) can create greater difficulty for people with hearing loss or hearing aids to understand speech. You might choose quieter restaurants, or ask your place of worship to carpet the social hall to reduce reverberation; you might move to a quieter location to have a conversation. Anticipate difficult listening situations and think about your communication strategy. Your audiologist can help you with these strategies.
Face each other while talking
Tell your family, coworkers and friends that you communicate most easily if you can see their face. This is actually true for everyone.
Attention is key
It is not uncommon to misunderstand what someone says if your attention is on something else, like an email or a TV show. Get each other’s attention before speaking. Remind people to say your name or tap you on the shoulder so you can be ready to listen.
Take notes
Supplement your conversation by writing down important information. This might include jotting down the topic you will be discussing beforehand
It takes two
Communication takes two people. Yes, many people mumble, speak too fast, cover their mouths or drop the volume of their voices at the end of sentences. If you are using hearing aids and paying attention, you are fulfilling your end of the effort to communicate effectively, and you can feel good about that. Keep in mind that communication habits are hard to change. You may need to remind people you speak with regularly the best ways to communicate with you.