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.
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