Services & Support
by Cochlear Guest Author

Pediatric Spanish Rehabilitation Resources For Your Patients!

March 28, 2016
Share

Cochlear Americas has updated The Communication Corner to include new Spanish materials for pediatric patients. The Communication Corner is an innovative website which helps make the most of a patient’s hearing with fun and engaging games, printable resources and practice tools developed specifically for each age group.

From early listening skills to more effective everyday conversations, the Communication Corner supports the needs of children, parents and adults with hearing loss, as well as the professionals who serve them. Whether your patients are using hearing aids, a bone conduction device, or a cochlear implant system, the Communication Corner helps tailor learning programs to any age and communication level. Each program comes with a description and sample exercise so that the user can “try it on for size” to see how it fits. Completing the accompanying assessment provides guidance on where to start and how best to use the selected program. At the end of the program, there is a suggestion as to which program might be attempted next.

Programs include:

  • NEW – Sound Foundations for Babies and Toddlers (Spanish) – provides guidance in developing a child’s spoken language through listening both before and after receiving a hearing device.
  • NEW – Sound Foundations for Children (English) – this program follows the same flow as the babies and toddler program with advanced language learning tools for kids just staring school.
  • NEW – Bucket of Frog Activities – These games are built around learning different speech sounds in fun and engaging games for play groups. Follow the link to buy your own toys for the activities.
  • Sound Foundation for Babies and Toddlers (English) – provides guidance in developing a child’s spoken language through listening both before and after receiving a hearing device
  • LEAPing on with Language for School Age Children – provides practical strategies that aim to accelerate a child’s spoken language learning beyond simple sentences to more complex and abstract language
  • Telephone with Confidence – allows daily practice using the phone by calling a toll-free number with rotating word lists and phrases
  • HOPE Notes – helps improve music perception and appreciation
  • Improving Understanding with Communication Strategies – helps assess different communication styles and uses strategies to improve understanding in a variety of listening situations

Visit The Communication Corner at https://www.Cochlear.com/US/CommCorner

Author

Cochlear Guest Author

In an effort to keep our content fresh and reflective of a diverse industry, Cochlear Americas features a mix of employees and professional partners to contribute to Cochlear ProNews as Guest Authors.

View all posts

Related Posts
woman on phone at table

6 reasons to try new Cochlear™ CoPilot app

May 25, 2021

Did you know that being actively involved in managing your hearing health can make a difference in your outcomes?1,2,3

Research shows that using information, tools and activities that are easy to use and understand, and that are shaped to individual needs, makes a difference.4

Digital tools are making this easier by providing patients with access to knowledge, tools and strategies to better manage their hearing loss. They can practice skills at home, track progress, build knowledge and achieve the outcomes that matter most. Cochlear™ CoPilot is our latest digital tool developed as a self-guided app designed for iPhone®.

The app features information from clinical experts and recipients, as well as interactive skill-building activities to help build listening confidence.

Here are six reasons to try Cochlear CoPilot:

Active practice can help

Our brains continue to change and adapt throughout our life as a result of experience.5,6,7 Adults can learn new skills, but often require focused attention or active practice to learn.8

Cochlear CoPilot has been designed with this in mind and features skill training to support auditory learning through active engagement and focused attention.

The app puts the patient in the driver’s seat

Self-managing hearing loss is shown to be one of the key components of successful rehabilitation.3 This is especially important as patients may not have access to hearing health experts 24/7.

As an app, CoPilot allows self-selected content and activities suited to personal needs and takes an active role in managing the hearing health journey at a pace that suits the patient.

It delivers content relevant to the individual

Because everyone’s hearing loss experience and life stage is different, rehabilitation is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it should be shaped by  personal requirements – needs, interests, abilities and preferences.

Created with feedback

The app has been developed with input from people with cochlear implants –those who have recently had surgery, as well as those who have had their implant for many years.

This helps to ensure the app’s features and content are relevant to the real-world needs of everyone using the app. There are also personal stories, practical tips and support from others who are cochlear implant recipients.

The app updates with new features, information and activities that are relevant as the hearing journey progresses.

Engaging and easy for your patients to use

Cochlear CoPilot has been designed to be visually engaging, using plain language presented in easy-to-use chunks that focus on concrete actions and skills. It also features videos and interactive exercises to support adult learning.

The app is easy to use and simple to download, no matter age or level of comfort with technology.

It fits into your patients’ daily life

Cochlear CoPilot is designed to fit into the patients’ lifestyles. With everything in one place, it can be used whenever, wherever or while on the go at their own pace.

Get started today! Download Cochlear CoPilot for free from the Apple® App Store®.

References

1.Feste C, Anderson RM. Empowerment: from philosophy to practice. Patient Educ Couns. 1995;26(1-3):139-144. doi:10.1016/0738-3991(95)00730-n                                                                                                                                                              

2.Milijana Malmberg, Elisabet Sundewall Thorén, Marie Öberg, Thomas Lunner, Gerhard Andersson & Kim Kähäri (2018) Experiences of an Internet-based aural rehabilitation (IAR) program for hearing aid users: a qualitative study, International Journal of Audiology, 57:8, 570-576, DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2018.1453171

3. Convery E, Keidser G, Hickson L, Meyer C. The Relationship Between Hearing Loss Self-Management and Hearing Aid Benefit and Satisfaction. Am J Audiol. 2019;28(2):274-284. doi:10.1044/2018_AJA-18-0130

4.Caposecco A, Hickson L, Meyer C. Hearing aid user guides: suitability for older adults. Int J Audiol. 2014;53 01:S43–S51. [PubMed]

5. Anderson, S., & Kraus, N. (2013). Auditory training: Evidence for neural plasticity in older adults. SIG 6 Perspectives on Hearing and Hearing Disorders: Research and Diagnostics, 17, 37-57. https://doi.org/doi:10.1044/hhd17.1.37             

6. Zendel B, West GL, Belleville S, Peretz I (2019) Musical Training improves the ability to understand speech-in-noise in older adults . Neurobiology of aging. 81() 102-115 September                                                                                                                  

7. Pascual-Leone, A., Amedi, A., Fregni, F., & Merabet, L. B. (2005). The plastic human brain cortex. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 28, 377-401.

8. Drouin, J. R., & Theodore, R. M. (2020). Leveraging interdisciplinary perspectives to optimize auditory training for cochlear implant users. Language and Linguistics Compass. https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12394 

ACE, Advance Off-Stylet, AOS, AutoNRT, Autosensitivity, Beam, Bring Back the Beat, Button, Carina, Cochlear, 科利耳, コクレア, 코클리어, Cochlear SoftWear, Codacs, Contour, Contour Advance, Custom Sound, ESPrit, Freedom, Hear now. And always, Hugfit, Hybrid, Invisible Hearing, Kanso, MET, MicroDrive, MP3000, myCochlear, mySmartSound, NRT, Nucleus, Outcome Focused Fitting, Off-Stylet, Slimline, SmartSound, Softip, SPrint, True Wireless, the elliptical logo, and Whisper are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Cochlear Limited. Ardium, Baha, Baha SoftWear, BCDrive, DermaLock, EveryWear, SoundArc, Vistafix, and WindShield are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB.

For compatibility information visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility

Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Watch, FaceTime, Made for iPad logo, Made for iPhone logo, Made for iPod logo, iPhone, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

woman on computer

Tips for patients working remotely

April 13, 2020

With the recent COVID-19 events across the world, many are using homes as offices or classrooms.

Those experiencing hearing loss or who are cochlear implant recipients may be seeking guidance on the best way to communicate in this virtual space.  They are likely considering these things: Will I be able to hear the speaker, follow along with the team meeting or present with confidence?

Here are some suggestions that may help set the stage for your patients’ success in a virtual environment:

Utilize the computer camera

Use the camera for identifying who is speaking during a group conversation. Seeing body language gives additional context to the conversation. Employing video removes much of the guesswork and allows focused attention on the conversation at hand.

Quality surroundings

Audio environment is another important factor for success in a virtual workplace. A noisy meeting environment increases listening processing (and fatigue), so finding a quiet office or section of the home where distractions, such as background tv, are mitigated should be considered. 

Also, encourage your patients to advocate for themselves. For example, if on a call with one or more people, they can ask all others to mute themselves when they are not talking. This helps to focus on the speaker’s voice without competing sounds drowning out the conversation. It also may lessen exhaustion.

Have an agenda, presentation materials and meeting invite list

Having an agenda will give more context about what is being discussed.  A clear understanding of the meeting’s goals and objectives can keep the meeting on topic and allow for appropriately- timed contribution. Asking for the presentation materials ahead of time also gives your patients a chance to prepare and have context of the upcoming discussion. Lastly, understanding who has been invited to the meeting prior to the call can signal whose voices may be heard.  

Clarifications

When starting on a new project/account or when communicating with a new group of people, transparency regarding hearing loss is important. Your patients can delineate that they can communicate well if able to see, but may on occasion ask for repetition or clarification.

This can break the ice and create the space to collaborate. The team can become comfortable with the candidness and embrace the supportive atmosphere. They too may feel welcome to raise any issues they may anticipate, such as a kid potentially running into the room during the call.

Embrace technology

As well as utilizing video calls, your patients can make the most of device technology such as direct streaming to your Cochlear™ Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor or use the Cochlear Wireless Phone Clip. Further, chat features on the video call or instant messaging programs can be beneficial when asking for clarification from an internal colleague.

Take action

When the meeting is winding down, your patient can suggest that the group define action items.  This can be an opportunity to state your responsibilities as understood, or to bring up those clarifying points if there wasn’t an opportunity to do so earlier.

Finally, asking for a copy of the meeting notes, either in formal format within a company folder or even an email, can be a beneficial recap of the main points and action items.

Pre-planning virtual collaborations can be key for successful interactions online. 

For more tips while working at home, visit Cochlear ProNews.

Cochlear logo - white

©Cochlear Limited 2024. All rights reserved. ACE, Advance Off-Stylet, AOS, Ardium, AutoNRT, Autosensitivity, Baha, Baha SoftWear, BCDrive, Beam, Bring Back the Beat, Button, Carina, Cochlear, 科利耳, コクレア, 코클리어, Cochlear SoftWear, Contour, コントゥア, Contour Advance, Custom Sound, DermaLock, Freedom, Hear now. And always, Hugfit, Human Design, Hybrid, Invisible Hearing, Kanso, LowPro, MET, MP3000, myCochlear, mySmartSound, NRT, Nucleus, Osia, Outcome Focused Fitting, Off-Stylet, Piezo Power, Profile, Slimline, SmartSound, Softip, SoundArc, True Wireless, the elliptical logo, Vistafix, Whisper, WindShield and Xidium are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the Cochlear group of companies. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

 

This material is intended for health professionals. If you are a consumer, please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.

 

Cochlear ProNews is monitored Monday through Friday, excluding some holidays. Questions and inquiries submitted over the weekends or holidays may see a delay in response. For immediate assistance please contact us directly. You are solely responsible for your interactions with other members of our Websites. Cochlear reserves the right, but has no obligation, to monitor disputes or communications between you and other members of our Websites. For a full list of Cochlear’s terms of use, click here.