Questionnaire Hearing and Listening Problems Screening

For each question, check the box that best describes your situation

Check only one box per question and answer every question.

Questions

1. I have difficulty understanding the conversation when talking to someone in a noisy environment (e.g., at the mall, at a restaurant, in a car).

2. I have to turn up the volume on the television or radio to understand what is being said.

3. I have difficulty understanding conversations when several people are talking at the same time.

4. I have difficulty hearing someone knocking at the door or ringing the doorbell.

5. I have difficulty hearing the phone ring if I’m in another room of the house.

6. I have difficulty understanding what someone is saying to me if I can’t see their face.

7. I have difficulty understanding when people talk too fast.

8. I have difficulty understanding someone over the phone.

9. I have difficulty identifying where sounds are coming from.

10. I have difficulty understanding someone who is talking to me from another room in the house.

If you scored 24 or higher, here’s what we recommend:

01 Make an appointment for a free* hearing consultation, including a brief evaluation of your hearing.

*Permanent offer. 18 and over.

02

If hearing loss is detected, you’ll be referred to another hearing health professional.

The Ability to See Speech

When a person has difficulty correctly understanding the messages being communicated, they will often resort to lip-reading in order to recognize the words and phrases that make up the conversation. By definition, lip-reading is the deliberate or intuitive observation of a speaker's lips.

This is a very beneficial communication strategy for the oralist approach (oral communication). However, it is not a mode of communication in itself; rather, it supports understanding. In fact, lip-reading alone allows us to understand at best 30% of messages. It is therefore strongly recommended to combine lip-reading with a hearing aid adjusted to the needs of the person with hearing loss to take full advantage of it.

This valuable comprehension aid nonetheless requires some effort on the part of the person with hearing loss. Mastering it takes practice and patience. The speaker must therefore be considerate and use certain tricks to make lip-reading easier

Here are some examples of how the speaker should adapt their speech when talking to a person with hearing loss:

Make sure to use simple, short sentences with clear words.

Give direct notice of any changes in the topic of discussion.

Avoid raising your voice to be better understood.

Choose words that facilitate understanding (plain language).

Take turns speaking during group discussions.

Stay close to the person you are addressing.

Remain in a well-lit area so that your face is clearly visible (avoid back lighting).

Keep your face free of obstructions (e.g., hair).

Avoid putting your hands in front of your mouth.

Do not talk while eating.

In addition to these recommendations to help with the transfer of information, certain aspects of language must also be considered in oral comprehension.

Here are a few:

Filler Words

These are words that, by themselves, do not add anything to the content of the sentence. They are often inserted unintentionally and present a barrier to lip-reading for those who are trying to understand the words being said. Common filler words include ah, like, um, so, really, you know, and I mean.

False Liaisons (in French)

In French, false liaisons are two words linked by a consonant that does not exist in either word. Without necessarily muddling the message, this small obstacle to understanding can trip up the person trying to read lips. The addition of a t, d, or z are the most common. Here are some examples in French:

Il est censé d’être arrivé à cette heure-là Elle a tété en retard deux fois.

Il fait beau zaujourd’hui!

Accents (sociolinguistics)

Accents are not an aspect of spoken language to avoid or correct, but it is important to keep in mind that lip position, jaw movements, and even facial expressions can vary from one language to another. People with a strong accent (in English or another language) should therefore simply enunciate more to ensure that the person with hearing loss gets the whole message.

The time required to master lip-reading is not strictly defined. It is a continuous learning process. The more the person with hearing loss practises this strategy, the more confident they become, and the easier it is for them to adapt to different people. They develop their own comprehension tools, one conversation at a time.

Did you know?

There are oral interpreters for lip-reading. They silently repeat the words spoken by a speaker to enable a deaf person or a person with hearing loss to understand. These interpreters must pay particular attention to their articulation, while choosing appropriate terms to match the delivered speech.

References:

- La lecture labiale : qu’est-ce que c’est ? | Voir pour comprendre. (s. d.). Voir pour comprendre | Surdité - malaudition, mieux communiquer. https://www.voirpourcomprendre.ch/lecture-labiale/ [French only]

- La lecture labiale | Fondation pour l'audition. (s. d.). Fondation Pour l'Audition | Fondation pour l'audition. https://www.fondationpourlaudition.org/la-lecture-labiale-570 [French only]

- Boivin, M.-A. (s. d.). La lecture labiale et ses limites - AQEPA Provinciale. AQEPA Provincial. https://aqepa.org/la-lecture-labiale-et-ses-limites/ [French only]

- Le Dé, Q. (2022, 29 juillet). Top 20 des mots parasites que l'on utilise tout le temps, et c'est relou. Topito. https://www.topito.com/top-mots-parasites-utilise-tout-le-temps [French only]