Post-Lingual Hearing Loss is a deafness which develops after the acquisition of speech and language. It can occur gradually or with sudden onset hearing loss. Contributing factors to this problem may due to health problem such as meningitis, use of ototoxic drugs, brain injury, over exposure to loud noise, or come from the normal aging process. (Read –> Occupational Noise Induced Hearing Loss.
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The audiologist will perform hearing test to evaluate hearing level, then will suggest an appropriate hearing intervention such as:
Those intervention goal is to facilitate hearing in verbal communication. Hearing level is measured in decibel unit (dBHL), that represent the softest sound a human can detect/hear. |
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Three Type Of Hearing Loss are conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss and mixed hearing loss, while the range of severity may vary from mild, moderate, severe and profound hearing loss. (Read –> Hearing Impairement.
Cochlear Implant is an electronic device to replace inner ear function for transmitting the sounds to the brain. This involve surgery to implant the electrode into the cochlear at the inner ear. This technology is helpful for individual with severe to profound healing loss.
Candidacy Criteria for National Cochlear Implant Program of Malaysia Ministry of Health is documented in Standard Operating Procedure National Cochlear Implant Program, MMOH. This national program was begin in 2008 until now that involve multidisciplinary team of medical and allied health professionals from Malaysia Ministry of Health.
Auditory Therapy
The main goal of auditory therapy is to monitor listening progress among the cochlear implant user. It will provide training to the brain to comprehend the sounds presented. Good achievement of this program will much related to cochlear implant user’s motivation and cooperation in performing therapy task given by the Speech Language Therapist.
The principal of the auditory therapy
- Committed to achieved long term goals.
- Consistent practice to listen and comprehend sounds.
- Practice the precise therapy approach.
- Sincere in reporting the therapy progress.
Communication Tips for Cochlear Implant Users,
- Be flexible to modify the way you listen and speak in conversation.
- Involve in daily verbal communication with family and friends.
- Aware of communication breakdown and respond immediately.
- Master the skills of turn taking, listening and speaking in conversation.
- Able to control verbal communication regardless any background or environment contributing factors.
Read –> Communication Tips for Hard of Hearing People.
Auditory training consist of:
- Analytic Training is based on sounds in speech,
- To identify the number of syllable in words, eg: [bus], [mother],
- To repeat the words that differ in certain sound, eg: [cup], [cut]
- To differentiate sentence, eg [I want to eat], [close the door]
- Syntetic Training
- To repeat the sentence in variety situation.
- To increase task complexity from silent to noise background and from simple to complex sentence.
- To ensure the cochlear implant user can comprehend conversation in all situations.
- Communication Training
- To modify conversation techniques for better comprehension in verbal communication.
- To modify conversation techniques for better comprehension in verbal communication.
Family Support
Post lingual hearing loss cochlear implant user may develop depression due to changes in verbal communication skills and family reactions towards their daily conversation. Information and realistic goals will help both parties to face the scenario.
It is important for cochlear implant user and family to know their roles in the aural rehabilitation program. They need to aware and ready to accept the benefit and limitation of the cochlear implant usage.
Family and friends involvement in the program will motivate cochlear implant user for better outcome. They can give feedback on progress, then suggest appropriate activity for home program.
Family support can be:
- Motivation
- Information and resources
- Professional reference
- Financial
- Transportation
- Material for assessment and therapy
- Progress report
References
- HOPE Online seminar, Adult Cochlear Implant Rehabilitation: What and Why,
- Cochlear Implant Technical Report of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Executive Board in March 2003
- Adult Aural Rehabilitation Book
- Hearing Impairement, MyHEALTH Portal.
- Article Communication Tips for Hard of Hearing People, MyHEALTH Portal.
- Article Occupational Noise Induced Hearing Loss, MyHEALTH Portal.
| Last Reviewed | : | 28 August 2020 |
| Writer | : | Noormala bt. Anuar Ali |
| Accreditor | : | Zaidi bin Ya’acob |
| Reviewer | : | Nadwah bt. Onwi |
