Listening isn't always easy

These tips ensure everyone
can enjoy the holidays!

My 8-year-old asked to listen to a Christmas CD in the car today on the way home.  I have always loved the jolly songs of the holidays, but recall as a child growing up with hearing loss, I never really knew the words to the songs. When one has hearing loss, this is a simple thing that one can miss out on. Thankfully the internet affords many opportunities to get the lyrics for just about every song ever written. If you have a child with hearing loss, consider downloading the words to songs they may wish to learn and teach them the lyrics so they can follow along.

Other tips for better hearing at the holidays:

Rethink lighting.  Candlelight may be festive, but it makes visual cues much more difficult to utilize and makes speech reading and communication more challenging.
Give thought to your tabletop decorations.  A too tall centerpiece on the table can obscure the view for a family member with hearing loss that needs to speech read.  Consider moving the centerpiece to another location when it’s time to eat, or choose a lower profile centerpiece. 
Keep background music at reasonable volume levels, if you are hoping to facilitate conversation. Hearing in background noise is very challenging for those with hearing loss. 
Don’t over schedule.  It requires tremendous concentration to ‘hear’ what is being said. If your loved one with hearing loss has a very busy day, a quiet evening with family may be a welcome relief from all the holiday gatherings.

Stephanie Sjoblad, AuD, served on the Board of Directors for BEGINNINGS for more than ten years, including  several terms as President of the Board.  She is a life-long user of hearing technology having been identified with hearing loss at the age of five.  Dr. Sjoblad is the Clinic Director at the UNC-Hearing and Communication Center in Chapel Hill and an Associate Professor for the UNC CH Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences.