When the doctor confirmed I had a hearing loss, I felt like a failure. Years later, my older sister pointed out our mother felt the same way. “How did I miss that?” my mother had wailed.
Just Part of Who I Am
My advice for anyone starting this journey is to make sure that you know your limits so you don’t get into a situation that you can’t handle. Plus, make sure the people you’re interacting with know what you’re going through so they can help.
Listening to Quiet Voices
Optimizing Cochlear Implant Care
What these findings make clear is that audiologists are carrying an enormous clinical load. Much of what surrounds that load does not require their specialized training.
Can You Hear Me?
In addition to conducting research, I realized that prevention is just as important, or even more important than treatment. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is becoming increasingly prevalent among Gen Z—my peers—due to increased access to personal listening devices and loud entertainment events.
Building a Bridge Between Linguistics and Audiology
The internship last summer provided my first real chance to step into hearing science and learn the experimental side of speech perception under the tutelage of a senior researcher.
Meet the Audiologist With a Creative Streak
While working in the clinic I realized how much I loved creating resources for patients—brochures, handouts, visual guides—mostly because I couldn’t find what I wanted online.
Beyond Hearing Aids: 4 Reasons to Explore Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implants work differently from hearing aids. Instead of making sounds louder, they bypass the damaged parts of the inner ear and send signals directly to the brain, allowing individuals to perceive sound more clearly.
To Hear or Not
Cochlear implants were never on our radar, and the topic arose what felt like out of the blue while talking to his audiologist who said hearing aids could no longer improve his ability to better understand speech.
Access Isn’t One Size Fits All
Even within the d/Deaf and hard of hearing umbrella, our access needs and identities vary widely. That in-between space can feel like nowhere—not “hearing enough” for the hearing world, not “Deaf enough” for Deaf spaces.