Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing en-us Matthew1471's BlogX / BlogX.co.uk Content Â© 2010 Hearmore http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:53 -0400 Fri, 6 Apr 2010 16:09 -0400 Youâ€™ve Just Learned Your Baby Is Deaf. What Next? http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ViewItem.asp?Entry=10 http://www.hearmore.com/blog/Comments.asp?Entry=10 <img src="http://www.hearmore.com/blog/images/baby.jpg" alt="Newborn baby" width="240" height="194" hspace="8" vspace="8" align="right"> <div>First, make sure that your baby actually has a hearing impairment by getting a professional evaluation. Many newborn babies with normal hearing will fail their initial hospital hearing screenings, and babies with normal hearing under the age of three months may appear not to hear loud sounds. Until they pass three months of age, they can often sleep through the sound of smoke alarms, cell phones, fire sirens and other loud noises. Once you are certain that your baby has a hearing loss, you will have many questions if you have no prior experience with deafness. Parents of a deaf child can benefit from interacting with other families in the same situation. Exchanging information and sharing experiences and expectations with other parents can be a valuable bonding experience and can lead to lifelong friendships for you and your deaf child. Try some Mommy And Me Sign Language classes, and see if you can involve your partner, grandparent or another one of your children as well. Many of these classes have family and sibling discounts. You can also reach out online to one of the many deaf and hard of hearing agencies for information and guidance. Families will encounter others who have made various choices for raising their deaf child. Some families will choose to learn sign language, where others will choose to use speech and lipreading exclusively. There will be some families where one or both parents are deaf, and the child is hearing. Also, some families may have one or both parents who are deaf, with a mixture of hearing and hearing-impaired children. You can go online to find many resources available to you. Search for phrases such as â€œeducation of the deaf,â€ â€œschools for the deaf,â€ â€œsign language for babies,â€ â€œchildren of deaf adults,â€ and â€œhearing loss associationâ€ to give you a starting place for local groups and information. There will be some decisions to be made regarding educating and communicating with your deaf child. A great deal depends on the type and degree of your childâ€™s hearing loss. Familiarize yourself with his audiogram, which is the chart of his hearing loss. Not all hearing loss is the same, so be sure you understand what the audiogram means in regard to how your child may perceive speech. Some questions to consider are: <ul> <li>Will you choose to use sign language, or will you opt for oralism? </li> <li>Will you learn and use the â€œcued speechâ€ system to help your child understand speech?</li> <li>Will you choose to mainstream your child in regular schools, enroll him in a day school for the deaf, or place him in a residential deaf school?</li> <li>Will you fit your child with some kind of hearing aid?</li> </ul> It is never too early to start considering these issues. The best time for language development is in the preschool years, so any steps you will take regarding hearing amplification should be taken as early as possible. <img style="MARGIN: 10px 10px 0px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" src="http://www.hearmore.com/ProdImages/916213.jpg">You may choose to encourage your family to learn sign language. Learning some basic sign language and teaching it to your baby can be very beneficial. In addition to aiding in language development, the use of sign language can help reduce the babyâ€™s tantrums and frustration caused by the inability to communicate his wants and needs. <a href=http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=9128&idstore=6&product=Signing-Smart:-My-First-Signs-Board-Book-14-Pages> Signing Smart: My First Signs Board Book</a> is an excellent first signs book for you and your baby. If you and your family are unfamiliar with sign language, donâ€™t worry. You donâ€™t have to be experts in signing in order to communicate with your hearing-impaired baby. Focus first on the signs for the words the child will encounter in everyday life, such as mommy, daddy, eat and sleep. You can step up to a larger vocabulary and sentence formation as your child grows. <img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" src="http://www.hearmore.com/ProdImages/BP514920.jpg"> To expand your proficiency, there are many sign language books and courses available for adults. An excellent book is <a href=http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=151&idstore=6&product=Book---Signing-Made-Easy> Signing Made Easy </a> . To build your vocabulary, try <a href=http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=6405&idstore=6&product=The-Gallaudet-Dictionary-of-American-Sign-Language> The Gallaudet Dictionary of American Sign Language </a> . An excellent aid for seeing the movement of each sign is the <a href=http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=9179&idstore=6&product=Krown-Portable-Sign-Language-Translator> Sign Language Translator </a>. With this device you can look up a sign just as you would look up a word in an electronic thesaurus. Itâ€™s important to see the movement of signs because movement is a grammatical marker in sign language. The way a sign moves can completely change its meaning. Start signing with your baby right away, no matter how young the child is. Repetition is the key to learning, and the more your baby sees a sign, the quicker he will learn it. Just as hearing babiesâ€™ first attempts at speech will sound different than adultsâ€™ speech, a babyâ€™s signing will look different than an adultâ€™s signing. Be open to your childâ€™s variations on the signs you have shown him. If you often read and sign to your baby, be alert to his attempts to imitate your signs as you read to him. Encourage him to sign along with you so you will learn â€œhisâ€ way of signing. As he grows and gains better control over his hands, his signs will become adult signs. Whether you choose to use only oral speech with your deaf child, or to incorporate sign language into your familyâ€™s communication, there are many resources available to you. Families who are new to deafness will find the deaf culture to be socially and linguistically rich. Take advantage of all HearMore has to offer, says Elliot Zaretsky. We carry books, DVDs, educational materials and a wide range of assistive devices for deaf and hard of hearing children and their families. <a href="http://www.hearmore.com/store/emailer_opt-in.asp?idstore=6">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> and find out about our special weekly discounts. You can also look us up on <a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Farmingdale-NY/HearMore/443054005012> Facebook</a> or follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/hearmore">Twitter</a> for up-to-the-minute news and product updates. Visit us at <a href=http://www.hearmore.com> www.HearMore.com</a> or contact us at the following numbers: Voice: (800) 881-4327 TTY: (800) 281-3555 Fax: (631) 752-0689 Video Phone: (631) 752-1145 Text: (631) 742-3277 Email: <a href="mailto:sales@hearmore.com">sales@hearmore.com</a>. </div> Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:14 -0400 The Ultimate Vibrating Travel Alarm Clock http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ViewItem.asp?Entry=9 http://www.hearmore.com/blog/Comments.asp?Entry=9 <img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" src="http://www.hearmore.com/ProdImages/705640.jpg"> <div>The <a href="http://www.maxiaids.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=9121&idstore=6&product=Compact-Vibrating-Alarm-Clock>Compact Vibrating Alarm Clock"> Compact Vibrating Alarm Clock </a> features a pulsing vibration alarm that is helpful for the deaf and hard of hearing, and is also convenient for those who want to wake up without disturbing their partner. This compact size vibration alarm tucks easily under your pillow and is ideal for travel. It's even small enough to carry in your pocket as an appointment and medication reminder. The built-in foldout stand allows for use on a nightstand and doubles as a protective cover for the buttons, preventing accidental button presses. Uses one AAA battery (not included.) Item#: 705640. Price : $14.95 For more information or to order, visit <a href='http://www.hearmore.com/'>http://www.hearmore.com</a> or click the product name above. </div> </body> </html> Wed, 11 Mar 2010 12:20 -0500 Sign Language Education Goes Mobile http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ViewItem.asp?Entry=8 http://www.hearmore.com/blog/Comments.asp?Entry=8 <img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" src="http://www.hearmore.com/ProdImages/9000100.jpg"> <div>For those learning to sign, the days of hauling heavy books around, or being bound to a home or classroom, can now be a thing of the past. The <a href="http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=9179&idstore=6&product=Krown-Portable-Sign-Language-Translator"> Krown Sign Language Translator </a> is an electronic teaching tool that keeps ASL at your fingertips. Simply enter a word using the touch screen keyboard and watch a video clip signed by a live individual in American Sign Language (ASL.) Itâ€™s ideal for those in education and public service, as well as students, friends and family of deaf individuals. Lightweight and portable, it charges via your computerâ€™s USB port. The Sign Language Translator offers a bank of 3,500 ASL signs that includes numbers, letters and pronouns. A rechargeable battery with USB power port (USB cable included) provides up to 6 hours of continuous use. The 320 x 240 pixel (2" High x 3" Wide) touchscreen is housed in a lightweight 5.9 oz. unit that measures only 3.1" High x 5.6" Wide x .75" Deep. A Stylus Pen is included. Item#: 9000100. Price : $229.00. For more information or to order, visit <a href='http://www.hearmore.com/'>http://www.hearmore.com</a> or click the product name above. </div>... <a href="http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ViewItem.asp?Entry=8">Read More (2 Characters)</a> Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:30 -0500 Music for the Deaf http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ViewItem.asp?Entry=7 http://www.hearmore.com/blog/Comments.asp?Entry=7 <img src="images/music.jpg" alt="Muisc for the deaf" width="225" height="300" hspace="6" vspace="0" align="left" />Ask any hearing person which of their five senses is used to enjoy music.  Most likely, their response will be “My sense of hearing.”   The enjoyment of music is a multisensory experience, not only an auditory one, and involves much more than the simple auditory processing of sound waves. Many of us have had a certain experience while driving that clearly illustrates this point.  You sense that a car coming up from behind has the music turned all the way up.  You feel the music thumping in your chest as the car rushes past you.  Your car vibrates to the other driver’s music.  Even if you don’t recognize the song, you feel that bass with your whole body. This is the sense of touch at work much more than the sense of hearing. Many people listen to music while working at their computer.  For greater intensity and clarity of the music, lots of people use headphones or earbuds.  Music played on a computer can include an on-screen light and pattern show.  This involves the sense of sight along with hearing.  When we go to a concert, we respond to the extreme lighting effects.  We see the keyed-up faces of the other audience members and participate in the excitement of our own companions.  We respond to what the musicians are wearing, how they work with the instruments and how they move around the stage.  This is visual and emotional enjoyment of music. We have all heard stories about the amazing plasticity and adaptability of the brain.  In the human brain there is a specialized golf-ball sized area over the left ear.  In hearing people, this area processes sound and another area of the brain processes other vibrations.  In deaf people, it has been shown that this golf-ball sized area adapts itself to process all vibrations in addition to the area that is already programmed for vibrations.  This adaptation can assist in giving deaf people a unique and very rich appreciation of music. Deaf people’s enjoyment of music can be enhanced with training and assistive equipment.  The equipment can go from extremely low-tech to state-of-the-art.  On the low-tech end, a simple balloon held in the fingertips can transmit airborne vibrations extremely well.  There is a device that hooks over the ears and wraps behind the head that contains a powerful vibrator which sends sound vibrations through the wearer’s head.  For a number of years in many schools there have been platforms mounted on springs and equipped with specially-adapted speakers that allow students standing or sitting on the platform to feel a wide range of musical sounds through their feet and bodies.  A chair is in development that has air jets, body vibrators and a shaking floor plate to give a total-body experience of all the different instruments and variations of sound produced by a full orchestra. Music can be enjoyed by both the hearing and the deaf.  Technology is advancing every day that will give deaf people a fuller and deeper musical experience in the very near future.  Right now, hearing-impaired people can use a device called a <a href="http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=2708&idstore=6&product=Boostaroo">Boostaroo</a>.  This item amplifies and splits the sound from any portable device.  At about the size of a computer’s thumb drive, it delivers up to 12 decibels of amplification, which makes a big difference when played directly into the ears through earbuds or headphones! Another device that opens up a whole world of hearing to the deaf is the <a href="http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=7706&idstore=6&product=Clearsounds-Amplified-Power-Neckloop-for-Hearing-Aid-Wearers">Clear Sounds Amplifying Neck Loop</a>.  Worn around the neck, this neck loop amplifies sound from iPods, TVs, laptops – any personal sound device.  Some hearing impaired people can enjoy music, and give the joy of music to others in a very big way.  Is the name <a href="http://www.officialelliottyamin.com/">Elliott Yamin</a> familiar?  A quick Google search turns up a fascinating story.  Anyone who is a fan of American Idol recognizes his name instantly.  His mother was a professional singer, so he was around music his entire life. What many people don’t know is, with all of Elliott’s musical talent – the smooth voice, the moving expressions, and his recent second-runner-up final standing on the show, Elliot is nearly deaf in one ear.  He grew up with chronic ear infections, and eventually his right eardrum burst, requiring eardrum replacement surgery.  He was embarrassed about constantly having to use drops in his ears, and this embarrassment made him shy.  Despite his shyness and only ten percent residual hearing in his right ear, he couldn’t deny his love of music and singing.  With a couple of nudges from his friends, he began to sing karaoke.  Finally, he decided to audition for American Idol.  He almost didn’t get to audition – out of thousands of people, many of whom never got in front of the judges, Elliott was the second-to-last candidate to be auditioned. In addition to his hearing loss, Elliott is a diabetic.  He doesn’t let any of his problems slow him down.  <img src="images/Beethoven.jpg" alt="Beethoven" width="160" height="199" hspace="4" vspace="4" align="right" />Another name that is famous in music despite hearing loss is Ludwig van Beethoven.  Beethoven has been called the most influential composer in history.  Born with normal hearing in 1770, he began to notice hearing loss and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, when he was aged 26 or 27. There are varying opinions on what the cause of Beethoven’s hearing loss was.  The tinnitus suggests auditory nerve or cochlear damage or deterioration.  Other diagnoses suggest ossification of the bones of the middle ear.  Whatever the cause of Beethoven’s deafness was, by the time he was 49 he was profoundly deaf and could no longer perform in public. As his hearing declined, he came up with unique ways of staying in touch with music so that he could continue composing.  One ingenious method he invented was to hold a wooden rod in his teeth, and press the other end of the rod to his piano’s soundboard as he composed.   In this way, the musical vibrations were transferred directly to his jawbone.  Through the process of bone conduction, Beethoven could feel the musical notes.  This crude method can be roughly compared to modern bone conduction hearing aids – although it was certainly much less efficient than today’s technology. <img src="images/EarTrumpet.jpg" alt="Ear Trumpet" width="160" height="209" hspace="4" vspace="4" align="left" />A more famous method Beethoven used involved an ear trumpet and a hammer.  At the time, an ear trumpet was the only type of hearing aid available.  It was, simply, a cone-shaped item with a small end and a very large end.  The user would place the small end in his ear and aim the large end at whatever sound source he was trying to hear.  Beethoven adapted this crude technology for his own use.  He cut off the legs of his grand piano and laid the body of the piano directly on the floor.  Then, while sitting on the floor himself, he would place an ear trumpet in his ear and pound the piano keys with a hammer until the keys broke.  Not only did this method amplify the sounds for his ear, by sitting on the floor he could feel the notes with his body as well.  At other times, he would lean over and put his ear to the floor while he played, picking up the sounds through his cranial bones directly from the floorboards under his sawn-off piano. In addition to his hearing loss, Beethoven was plagued with lifelong health issues.  Due to his determination and his devotion to his music, Beethoven found ways of succeeding against enormous odds.  His music influenced and informed generations of composers.  Fortunately, we now have technology that can help people with hearing loss and other health issues to gain and retain a more independent lifestyle. For information on assistive devices for the deaf, please visit <a href="http://www.hearmore.com">hearmore.com</a>. Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:13 -0500 MagniEar Plus Discreet Personal Amplifier: Hear What Youâ€™ve Been Missing http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ViewItem.asp?Entry=6 http://www.hearmore.com/blog/Comments.asp?Entry=6 The <a href="http://www.hearmore.com/store/prodView.asp?idProduct=8761&idImage=1&product=MagniEar_Plus_Discreet_Personal_Amplifier">MagniEar Plus Discreet Personal Amplifier</a>... <a href="http://www.hearmore.com/blog/ViewItem.asp?Entry=6">Read More (875 Characters)</a>