communication expedients used by people with hearing loss

There may be times when, despite the best efforts of both parties to a conversation, the person with hearing loss just doesn’t understand what is being said. This will be more likely to happen when conditions are less than ideal. For example, the environment might be especially noisy, people might be tired, etc.

If a conversation that was expected to progress smoothly is repeatedly requiring the use of expedients, the participants might ask themselves if are fighting an uphill battle, and might decide to conduct the conversation under more favorable circumstances.

Under normal situations, expedients can be of great benefit when communication breaks down. Of course, both participants must also be conscious of adhering to the general tips discussed in the sections on the speaker and listener.

Repetition

The most common expedient is the use of repetition. If a person misses information, he may ask for the speaker to repeat. A simple repetition may be sufficient, and the conversation can continue.

Rephrasing

Sometimes, the listener may not understand after repeated attempts. In these situations, the listener may be stumbling over a single words or a very few words. It is, therefore, often beneficial for the speaker to rephrase, or to say the same thing using different words.

Writing

Another expedient is to write. Many persons with hearing loss routinely carry pencil and paper to facilitate this method. It can require a bit of patience on the part of the speaker to write something rather than to continue attempting communication using his voice. However, if repetition and rephrasing prove ineffective, writing may be the most productive alternative.

Bluffing

If you mention the word "bluffing" around people with hearing loss, you're likely to be greeted with a sheepish grin. It's something all do, but really are not proud of. Sometimes the listener will miss a single word and pretend to get it. Other times, he'll be clueless to the entire conversation, not even knowing the subject!!! The listener is observing your body language and providing appropriate responses, but is totally lost.