Communication Guidelines
Guidelines for a Hearing Person when Communicating with a Hard of Hearing Person
- Get the person's attention before you speak.
- Do not put obstacles in front of your face.
- Do not have objects in your mouth such as gum, cigarettes, or food.
- Speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
- Use facial expressions and gestures.
- Give clues when changing the subject.
- Rephrase when you are not understood instead of repeating.
- Don't shout.
- Avoid noisy background situations.
- Be patient, positive, and relaxed.
- Talk TO a hard of hearing person, not ABOUT him or her.
- When in doubt, ASK the hard of hearing person for suggestions to improve communication.
Guidelines for a Hard of Hearing Person when Communicating with a Hearing Person
- Pick the best spot to communicate by avoiding areas that are poorly lit and very noisy.
- Anticipate difficult situations and plan how to minimize problems.
- Tell others the most effective way to talk to you.
- Pay attention to the speaker.
- Look for visual clues to what is being said.
- Ask for written clues of key words, if needed.
- Provide feedback that you understand or fail to understand.
- Do not bluff.
- Arrange for frequent breaks if discussions or meetings are long.
- Provide feedback to the speaker by saying how well he or she is doing.
- Try not to interrupt too often.
- Set realistic goals about what you can expect to understand.
Reprinted with the permission of the author; Samuel Trychin, Ph.D. These guidelines were contained in the Manual for Mental Health Professionals, Part II, Psycho-Social Challenges Faced by Hard of Hearing People, published in 1991.