Learning About the History of The Hearing Aid for Audiology Awareness Month
October is Audiology Awareness Month. So, what better time than now to celebrate the history of the hearing aid? Let’s take a look at the device’s humble beginnings as well as how far hearing technology has come. Historical Hearing Aid Facts The earliest hearing aids appeared in 17th century. They were funnel-shaped devices often referred…
Does My Child Need a Speech Evaluation?
If your child is exhibiting the symptoms of a speech disorder, you should schedule an appointment for a speech evaluation with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) right away. If diagnosed, they can then begin speech therapy. Speech therapy has been shown to be highly effective in improving speech skills. In fact, one study found, “An average…
What’s Happening in Your Body When You Lose Your Voice
Have you ever opened your mouth to speak, only for a whisper or a croak to come out? This symptom is known as hoarseness. Hoarseness describes vocal fatigue, vocal breaks or abnormal voice. We review what’s happening in your body when you’re hoarse, how long you should wait to seek care and how to care…
The Do’s & Don’ts of Hearing Aids
Your hearing aids aren’t just accessories; they’re essential medical devices that connect you to the world. In fact, they’re one of the most important investments you can make, and because of this, you’ll want to do your best to ensure they’re well cared for. In this post, we review some do’s and don’ts of hearing…
Ways to Keep Your Voice Healthy
Whether you’re on the job or talking to a friend on the phone, you use your voice a lot. In fact, you may not realize how much you use it until you lose it. Below we review tips for keeping your voice healthy and strong. Quit Smoking & Vaping One of the best things you…
How To Help Your Child With a Stutter
Stuttering is a common pediatric speech-language disorder. Research has shown that stuttering affects 5-10% of preschoolers. If you’re a parent of a child who stutters, know that there are various things you can do to help them. Be Patient and Supportive Try to create a relaxed environment for you and your child to talk. Set…
How to Enjoy a Day on the Beach with Hearing Aids
Is there anything more refreshing on a hot summer day than taking a trip to Belmar, sinking your feet in the sand and wading out into the water? If you’re planning a trip to the beach and you’re one of the 30% of adults over 70 or 16% of adults 20 to 69 who wears…
Ways to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Child’s Speech Therapy
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “Nearly 1 in 12 (7.7 percent) U.S. children ages 3-17 has had a disorder related to voice, speech, language, or swallowing in the past 12 months.” For this population, there can be major impacts on speech-language development and their performance at Westfield Public Schools….
Unilateral Hearing Loss in Children Could Affect Later Development
A common misconception about hearing loss is that it only affects older adults. But not only are children also impacted, hearing loss can actually affect their development. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2 – 3 out of every 1,000 children are born with some degree of hearing loss. Additionally,…
Hearing Loss May Cause Reading Problems in Children
Nearly 15% of school-age children and teens (ages 6-19) have some degree of hearing loss according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hearing loss reduces a person’s capacity to detect and process speech as well as sound. This produces multifaceted effects including speech and language delays. These developmental delays can cause challenges…