Though hearing aids can reconnect you to many of the sounds in your world, you may need some additional assistance to fully comprehend what you hear. It can be frustrating to hear but not understand, but that’s where aural rehabilitation comes in.
Also known as aural rehab or A.R., this process helps you fully participate in activities affected by hearing loss. Our team will guide you through this process and help determine techniques that work best for your individual needs.
What Are the Goals of Aural Rehabilitation?
You might notice that situations with background noise or cross conversation require extra focus, even after you’ve been fitted with hearing aids. This may lead to you feeling stressed and result in listening fatigue.
During aural rehabilitation, your provider will work with you to identify these situations and strategies you can implement. This process, known as a needs assessment, is the first step of aural rehabilitation.
How Does Aural Rehabilitation Work?
Once your needs assessment is complete, your audiologist will help you implement strategies for difficult listening environments. These may include:
- Auditory training: Our team will help you with aspects of verbal communication.
- Assistive listening devices: Technology like personal amplifiers, FM systems, infrared systems and alerting devices can be used in addition to hearing aids.
- Communication strategies: Eliminating background noise, facing the person you’re speaking to and listening without interrupting can all be helpful techniques.
- Relaxation techniques: Activities like meditation, yoga and mindfulness breathing can help prevent listening fatigue.
- Peer support groups: Connecting with people who have similar experiences with hearing loss can reduce feelings of isolation.
What Are the Benefits of Aural Rehabilitation?
By helping improve communication skills, aural rehabilitation can help you feel more connected to the people in your life. It can reduce social isolation and listening fatigue while improving your overall quality of life.
Because aural rehabilitation isn’t one-size-fits-all, our providers will work with you to determine which goals and techniques will best serve your needs. An effective aural rehabilitation strategy will help you adjust to living with hearing loss, and our team will be here to guide you through this process.