COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Helpful Hints For The Listener

• Watch the person speaking. We all lip read more than we realize. Also pay close attention to facial expressions, gestures and body language.
• Try to arrive early to large group functions so you can sit at the front of the room, closer to the person speaking. Position yourself in the best place to hear AND see the speaker.
• When you have a choice, sit away from noisy areas, such as the kitchen or main traffic area in a restaurant.
• Try to limit conversations to smaller groups whenever possible.
• Double-check key details such as addresses or phone numbers to verify that you heard them correctly.
• Tell the speaker which part you missed rather than only saying "what."
• Position yourself to take advantage of good lighting. Have the light come from behind you to avoid glare on the speaker's face.
• Remember that hearing in noisy places is a problem for ALL listeners, regardless of their hearing.
• Don't hesitate to inform the speaker that you have hearing loss and suggest what he or she can do to help you hear better.
• Don't be afraid to ask people to repeat or speak louder.

Helpful Hints For The Speaker

• Get the person's attention before speaking.
• Don't talk to someone from another room, wait until you are in the same room.
• Don't try to talk to the person with the water running or TV turned up loud, eliminate extra noise in the room before speaking.
• Speaking slower and more clearly sometimes helps more than speaking louder.
• Rephrase rather than repeat when something is not understood.
• Don't put objects in front of your face or chew gum while speaking.