Improve Your Communication with Someone Who Has Hearing Loss

Think of the brain and the ears as partner. They work together to take random sounds and transform them into something meaningful.

The ears capture the sound and deliver the jumbled code of waves to the brain. The ears job is simple – capture and deliver. The brain then takes the jumbled code and processes it, assigning each nuanced sound and frequency specific information – such as what it means and where it’s coming from. It also helps use the defined sound to help determine how to respond, triggering learned memories and behaviors to formulate a reply.

With hearing loss, this pathway is disrupted. Sound can either not be captured properly, or it is not delivered properly. So in this case, the brain receives broken code with missing pieces. When this happens, it tries its best to put something together based on retained memories and knowledge. (For example, it’s what happens when you think you hear “seed”, but someone actually said “feed”.) Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

So for people with hearing loss, how can we better support this process and make conversation easier?

Tips to Make Conversations Easier

Conversations can be heard when you have hearing loss or are talking to someone with hearing loss. Here are tips for before and after the conversation that can help both of you!

Before the Conversation

1. Choose a quiet environment with good lighting (for easy lip reading) and to minimize distractions or other sounds
2. Sit facing each other to make it easier to read lips and facial expressions
3. Turn off background noise from TVs, music, or other sources if possible. If not, sit as far away from music speakers or TVs as possible.
4. Sit inside if the location’s exterior is by a busy roadway
5. Make sure you have each other’s focused attention before speaking
6. If the conversation is online use captions
7. If the conversation is on a phone, consider a captioning app like Innocaption or using the phone’s auto-captioning feature if available(For example, . iPhones can now offer captions on Facetime and overall if you turn it on from your settings.).

During the Conversation

1. Speak and enunciate clearly to help the ears catch the sound, and the brain to process it
2. Don’t shut – speak at a normal volume and cadence. If a person’s voice is too soft, ask them to speak up a bit more. Shouting or speaking too forcefully can actually distort speech more, so try to find an even tone.
3. Speak at a slightly slower pace to make the conversation easier to follow. We speak so fast nowadays – especially with people we’re comfortable with – so try to watch this habit and slow down.
4. Use different words or phrases if the first ones aren’t understood. Repeating isn’t aways helpful, so try rephrasing when a word or phrase is missed multiple times. (This can also help minimize frustrations on both sides).
5. Encourage feedback or questions if you’re speaking with someone with hearing loss, and vice-versa, if you have a hearing loss, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or repeat what the person said to you to confirm accuracy and understanding.

After the Conversation

Sometimes following up can be a good idea, especially if the conversation was hard to follow or it’s important (such as for work). Consider sharing notes if you used an AI notetaker for a digital call, writing up a summary via email, or following up via text with any leftover questions.

Remember, when communicating with anyone be patient and positive. And if it’s really hard to hear to speak, try writing it down to be safe.