A cognitive/experiential approach to aural rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Communication Sciences
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Hearing impairment significantly impacts communication effectiveness.
• Traditional speechreading courses may lack real-world application.
• Developing practical communication skills is crucial for hearing-impaired individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an experiential speechreading course designed for hearing-impaired students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of this supplementary course in enhancing real-life communication experiences.
• To assess changes in students' self-perceptions of communication success.

Main Methods:

• An experiential speechreading course was developed as a supplement to traditional methods.
• Student participants completed a self-evaluation questionnaire.
• A matched control group was used for comparison.

Main Results:

• The experiential course was found to be effective.
• Students reported increased self-perceptions of communication success in real-life situations.
• The course provided valuable real-world communication practice.

Conclusions:

• Experiential learning is a beneficial supplement to traditional speechreading education.
• This course positively impacts hearing-impaired students' communication confidence.
• Further research can explore long-term effects and broader applications.