Communication
Connection
from the Speech & Hearing Clinic at Illinois State University
Brain Fitness
Spring 2015
www.csd.illinoisstate.edu/clinic
IDENTIFY THE SIGNS
& HEARING LOSS
Patients with moderate to severe hearing loss are most at risk for developing
degenerative cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. A study to look
at the effects of Brain Fitness software was conducted on participants with a
wide range of hearing abilities and the results were impressive.
With the nationwide launch of the new public
awareness campaign Identify the Signs by the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
(ASHA), the ISU Speech and Hearing Clinic
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two training groups, the Posit
Science’s Brain Fitness group and the control group. Those assigned to the
encourages parents, caregivers, and others to
Brain Fitness group ranged in age from 55 to 70 and were instructed to use the
educate themselves about the early warning
program
on their personal computers for one hour each day, five days a week, for
signs of speech, language, and hearing
a total of eight weeks. Training covered six separate modules that studied the link
disorders. The campaign stems from
between memory and perception in different situations, focusing primarily on the
ASHA’s new findings that identify lack of
consonant-vowel transition, a notoriously vulnerable area of speech.
awareness of the early warning signs as
the number one barrier to early detection
At the start of the program the transition times were extended and then gradually
of communication disorders.
shortened as listener performance improved. Participants in this group showed
Research has shown that early
detection is critical to treating—and
oftentimes reversing—communication
disorders. Delayed treatment can
result in isolation, poor academic or
career performance, and delayed
development.
64%
Parents unaware of early
warning signs
70%
Individuals think untreated
hearing loss among elderly is
an acceptable part of aging
45%
Speech-language pathologists
and audiologists believe lack of
awareness is the leading barrier
to early detection
For more information visit
www.IdentifyTheSigns.org
improvements in neural timing, short-term memory and processing speed, particularly
in noisy situations, while the control group displayed no change in hearing or cognitive
functioning. Those in the Brain Fitness group were enthusiastic over their experience and
reported noticeable improvements in both their ability to hear and to focus on conversations.
With such encouraging results, audiologists should consider auditory training techniques to
help manage hearing loss in their patients.
Hearing devices provide an invaluable benefit to millions of Americans suffering from hearing
loss, but even they have their limits. Following conversations in noisy environments is an
ongoing challenge for a number of reasons, including deficits in central auditory processing
and cognitive function. Participating in brain exercises is one way for these patients to help
improve their listening experience.
Daily brain exercises, in conjunction with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, can help fend off
or delay Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Just fifteen minutes of rigorous brain
exercise a day is enough to keep the brain active. Contact the ISU Speech and Hearing
Clinic for more information about participating in Cognition and Wellness programs.
211 Rachel Cooper, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790
309-438-8641 • http://csd.illinoisstate.edu/clinic
Earwax – When Too Much of a
Good Thing Causes Problems
Sometimes mistakenly viewed as a sign of poor hygiene, earwax (also known as cerumen) is produced naturally
by glands in the outer ear and plays a very important role in hearing health. It should not be viewed as something
dirty that needs to be eliminated. In fact, complete absence of earwax will result in a very itchy, dry ear!
When present in normal amounts, earwax protects the lining of the ear canal and prevents dirt and dust from reaching
the eardrum. Old earwax is constantly being transported away to the outer ear through the normal jaw motions of
chewing and talking.
However, trouble can occur when earwax becomes pushed down into the ear canal and impacted, usually by a foreign
object such as an ear swab or a hearing device. A blocked ear canal can cause hearing loss, vertigo, ringing in the ears,
earaches and infections. Earwax can also accumulate in hearing devices, resulting in problems with performance.
When cleaning the ears, wash the external ear with a cloth, but do not insert anything into the ear canal. To remove
excess earwax that is causing blockage, you can try placing a few drops of mineral or baby oil into the ear, or using
commercial earwax removal drops. However, if earwax buildup is preventing normal hearing, don’t try to remove it
yourself. Instead, contact the ISU Speech & Hearing Clinic. We will use the proper instruments to remove the earwax.
Earwax buildup on a hearing device not only damages the instrument, but can block sound and/or cause the hearing
device to not fit into the ear canal properly, leading to feedback. To remove earwax from your hearing aids, use a
hearing aid cleaning kit that includes a wax pick and brush, and follow the directions carefully. Remember, you
should also schedule your routine visits in our clinic for your “check-up” appointments.
Language and Literacy
The ability to read and write is critical for success as it is the basis for all other education and is critical to strong
social and economic advancement. Strong literacy skills are needed to raise children, to be a good employee,
to be active in the community and to avoid a life of crime. Unfortunately, there are over 30 million people in the
United States who read at the age of an elementary student and 800 million worldwide who are illiterate in their
native language.
Parents can help their children develop strong reading skills by actively communicating with them, teaching
them new words, reading to them, encouraging them to write, singing, playing games and answering their
questions.
Parents who suspect their child is lagging in the development of reading skills should contact a SpeechLanguage Pathologist (SLP) in the ISU Clinic for an evaluation and recommended treatments. Early detection
is critical to successful treatment.
SLPs are experts in oral language development, the foundation for learning to write, read and spell. They can play
a major role in the prevention of literacy problems, especially by working with children with language impairments
(e.g., dyslexia) who usually have a more difficult time reading than children who are developing normally. Contact
the Speech & Hearing Clinic today for more information about these services.
211 Rachel Cooper, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790
Hearing Aids Aren’t Enough Without Good Communications Habits
If you’ve taken the first step toward better hearing by investing in hearing devices, you deserve
to be congratulated. But satisfaction is not guaranteed by a simple purchase. To understand and
communicate effectively, you must learn to be a good listener and to control your environment to help
compensate for your hearing loss… even while wearing hearing devices. To maximize the benefit you
receive from your hearing devices:
• Commit to wearing your hearing devices. You must become accustomed to hearing sounds you
may not have heard for a long time. You may initially find certain sounds irritating but in time your
brain will adjust and they’ll become normal. Be patient and focus on the commitment you have
made to your hearing health.
• Show off your hearing devices. Inform others you are wearing hearing devices. Give them guidance
to allow you to communicate effectively. You must face the listener when you talk, tell him or her to
speak louder or move the conversation to another room if the environment is too noisy.
• Control your environment. If you know you are going to be in a situation where background noise will
interfere with your ability to communicate effectively, formulate a plan. For example, if you plan on
dining with friends, arrive early to find seating away from sources of background noise.
• Make eye contact. You will discover communication improves when you can evaluate and interpret
body language and facial expressions.
• Practice your listening skills. Listen to the radio or audio books. There is even auditory rehabilitative
software you can buy for your computer to practice listening with background noise.
• Be patient. In time, listening with hearing devices will become second nature and you will be rewarded with
the joy of hearing all the sounds of life.
Feeding and Swallowing Disorders
Severe feeding and swallowing disorders may result in malnutrition, poor hydration and reduced respiratory health.
Causes of feeding and swallowing disorders include:
• Autism
• Low birth rate
• Neck and head abnormalities or muscle weakness in those areas
• Cleft lip and/or palate
• Cerebral palsy, meningitis or other nervous system disorders
• Respiratory or airway difficulties
• Gastrointestinal conditions (e.g., reflux, “short gut” syndrome)
• Medications that may cause lethargy or decreased appetite
• Heart disease
• Problems with parent-child interactions at meal times
Treatments by a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) for a feeding disorder will consist of the development of a behavioral
feeding program that focuses on learning a new behavior (e.g., learning to chew), practicing the new behaviors and
completing the learned behavior with different foods in a variety of environments.
The SLP will make the diagnosis for a feeding or swallowing disorder after a review of symptoms and medical conditions,
the strength and movement of the muscles involved in the swallowing process, observing eating and drinking
behaviors and performing special tests as necessary. Treatments for swallowing disorders include recommendations
for exercises and positions to improve swallowing and suggestions for foods and liquids with textures that are easier
to swallow.
http://csd.illinoisstate.edu/clinic
Illinois State University
Eckelmann-Taylor
Speech and Hearing Clinic
Campus Box 4720
Normal, IL 61790-4720
Now
Conveniently
Billing
Insurance
Keeping our patients informed of the latest news in hearing health care...
Why choose ISU?
Choosing the Eckelmann-Taylor Speech and Hearing Clinic
Means…
• Benefiting from our longstanding affiliation with Illinois State
University.
• Having access to comprehensive and innovative speechlanguage services and hearing healthcare.
• Receiving the best care. Our audiologists provide customized
treatment plans for each hearing loss patient and our speechlanguage pathologists identify and remediate the full range of
speech-language deficits across the lifespan.
• Convenience of direct billing for Medicare. Look for the addition
of direct billing to other private insurance companies soon.