About Hearing Loss Signs & Symptoms Types & Causes of Hearing Loss What Does Hearing Loss Mean? Treating Hearing Loss

What Can I Do? Friends & Family What Can You Do? Your Support is Vital Tips for Communication

Tips for communication

By following the suggestions below, you can communicate much better with someone who has hearing loss.

You can communicate better by: 

Speaking clearly and naturally

• Speak in a normal tone of voice. Shouting makes many words hard to understand.
• Don’t slow your speech. Speak at a pace that allows words to be clearly distinguished from one another, but not so slowly that you lose the natural rhythm.

Attracting the listener’s attention before you begin speaking

• Before you begin to speak, be sure the listener knows you want to communicate.

Facing the listener

• When speaking to someone with hearing loss, make sure they can clearly see your mouth – especially in noisy environments. Most people have a natural ability to lip read.
• Maintain eye contact while speaking.

Staying close

• Stay within 1-2 meters (4-6 feet) of your listener.
• If the listener can hear better on one side, try to stay on that side.

Using body language to emphasize your feelings

• We communicate a lot more than we realize through facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice.

Repeating and rephrasing if you are misunderstood

• If you need to repeat a sentence, try using different words that may be easier to understand.
• If someone with hearing loss walks in during the middle of a conversation, bring him up to speed on the subject.

Eliminating or reducing room noise

• Reduce background noise as much as possible before starting a conversation. TVs, radios, air conditioners and even other people talking can greatly affect a hearing-impaired listener’s understanding.
• In noisy places, speak directly into the listener’s ear at a suitable volume (not too loud).
• Avoid sitting on the sidewalk or near open windows close to traffic. When entering a noisy place such as a restaurant, choose a quiet corner instead of the main seating area.

Use these simple suggestions and you’ll soon find that good communications doesn’t have to be difficult. And remember – a little extra consideration and effort will go a long way towards helping the new wearer to get the best from his or her hearing aid.