Communication Tips
Posted by Living Sounds
Communicating with a loved one with hearing loss can sometimes be difficult, but there are many tips and tricks people can utilize to make communication easier! Below are a few helpful tips for communicating with people struggling with hearing loss.
Face the Person
Always face the person you’re talking to, understanding that if you’re looking away from a person or covering your mouth, your lips can’t be seen or read.
Speak Normally
Speak normally, there is no need to don’t yell or scream. Yelling causes you to speak abnormally, making it difficult for people to understand you.
Slow Down
Don’t speak too quickly. What you’re saying needs to be processed and figured out.
Be Conscious of Lighting
Make sure you’re well-lit (avoid backlighting). Dim areas make it difficult to speechread. If there’s a light source behind you, such as a window, this often makes it difficult to see your lips.
Reduce Background Noise
When speaking with someone who is hard of hearing, try to minimize surrounding noise, as it can be tricky to distinguish between sounds.
Be Creative
Explore alternative ways of communicating, such as writing on a whiteboard, using pen and paper, using text or email on a smartphone, or showing examples of what needs to be done.
Clarification
If there’s a chance you were misunderstood, a great way to clarify is to have someone repeat what you’ve said. This works for hearing people as well!
Val Elyn
Customer Care Representative