Lipreading is a skill often naturally acquired when an individual experiences hearing loss. That being said, even those with good hearing use lip movements, facial expression and gesture to aid communication. Now that everyone is wearing a mask we are realising how much we rely on these visual clues!
If lipreading is a skill that can be acquired naturally, you might be wondering why you’d need to attend a class. Well, lipreading lessons are found to dramatically improve self-confidence and communication skills. It’s an opportunity to socialise in a comfortable environment and meet others who sympathise and understand what it is like to live with hearing loss.
We are excited to announce that we will soon be offering Lipreading Classes at sister company, County Hearing, in Brentwood!
In this article, audiologist and qualified lipreading teacher, Helen, discusses what you can expect from a lipreading class:
Improve your lipreading ability
Lipreading classes are fun, very relaxed, and friendly with no desks, tests or exams to complete. Students will learn the different lip shapes as we observe and practice these lip shapes with lots of different exercises. As well as this, we learn how to use context, residual hearing and our knowledge of language to help improve communication.
Help with managing hearing loss
As well as improving our lipreading ability, throughout the classes, we spend a good portion of time discussing how to manage hearing loss. We understand how experiencing hearing loss can be challenging not just physically, but emotionally. We are here to support you every step of the way!
To do this, we cover listening and communication tactics, how to be more assertive about telling people you have a hearing problem and how to get the most out of your hearing aids. We talk about assistive listening devices, apps and services that are available to assist you. Guest speakers will often attend to inform and educate you about their services and assistance available to support them.
A friendly, comforting environment
The classroom environment means that you will benefit from shared experiences, form friendships and learn from each other. The social aspect of the lessons can also help improve your confidence and ensure you that you’re not alone – everyone in the class also struggles to hear in a restaurant or in the car! As well as this, having to communicate with others who have hearing loss often helps our students appreciate how difficult it can be for family and friends to communicate with them.
Our lipreading classes are empowering and educational, providing you with a practical skill to help yourself and a group of individuals experiencing the same thing. Unfortunately, Covid-19 means that local face-to-face classes have been postponed for now. However, with some light at the end of the tunnel, we hope to commence classes soon!
If you’re interested in attending, please register your interest by emailing helen.digiclear@gmail.com.
