This 5 part series provides a comprehensive overview of adult rehabilitation for clients who are deaf or hard of hearing by renowned therapist Geoff Plant.

Session 1: Assessment: Testing for Training

This presentation explores the history of aural rehabilitation, and provides a guide to assessment strategies that need to be conducted prior to any training programs. This session provides a detailed description of the areas to be assessed including pattern perception, emphatic stress patterns, vowel, diphthong and consonant discrimination and connected speech. A list of tools is also shared. Finally, Geoff provides a discussion about the use of live voice and recorded samples.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will gain

• An understanding of and definition of aural rehabilitation (AR) that they can explain to others
• An understanding of the importance of testing before providing AR
• A list of assessment areas and tools to use prior to conducting rehabilitation
• A recognition of the benefits and challenges of using live voice and recorded speech samples in assessments.

Session 2: Analytic Training

Geoff Plant presents on the different aspects of analytic training as part of aural rehabilitation. The use of analytic training is recommended with adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. He also shares different research findings where analytic training is used and demonstrates some tasks that are paper version as well as recorded materials. Geoff Plant provides handouts and materials to supplement his presentations on ‘A guide to adult rehabilitation’.

Learning outcomes

Those who listen to this recorded presentation should be able to:

• Explain what analytic training is in aural rehabilitation with adults who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Grasp the different viewpoints regarding analytic training but also the advantages for adults on their listening journey
• Describe at least 3 analytic training tasks and how they can be modified in terms of level of challenge

Session 3: Synthetic Training

Geoff Plant shares from a wealth of knowledge and experience the different aspects of synthetic training as part of aural rehabilitation. The use of synthetic training comprises the bulk of his rehabilitation sessions with adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. In this presentation, Geoff explains how to use synthetic training effectively and shows examples of training materials including open set sentences using the SPIN format, “Speech Stuff” sentences, HELEN sentences, monosyllabic and multisyllabic words, and conversations. Geoff Plant provides handouts and materials to supplement his presentations on ‘A guide to adult rehabilitation’.

Learning outcomes

Those who listen to this recorded presentation should be able to:

• Explain what synthetic training is in aural rehabilitation with adults who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Name and describe at least 3 synthetic training tasks and how they can be modified in terms of level of challenge

Session 4: Speech Tracking

Auditory rehabilitation expert, Geoff Plant, has used ‘speech tracking’ since the late 1970’s as an auditory training technique. In this lecture, Geoff explains how to use speech tracking effectively in the clinic to assist the auditory skill development of adults who have hearing loss. He explores how to adapt speech tracking techniques to meet the needs of particular clients and recommends specific materials that he uses regularly.

Learning Outcomes

Those who listen to this recorded presentation will gain:

• knowledge about how to use speech tracking in the clinic
• strategies to adapt speech tracking techniques
• suggestions about speech tracking resources to use

Session 5: Music Perception and CIs

Geoff Plant shares his thoughts and rehabilitation techniques relating to music appreciation for users of cochlear implants (CIs). It is well documented in the scientific literature that people who use CIs have highly variable outcomes with regards to music perception and appreciation. Geoff has worked on this area for decades and has been pivotal in developing rehabilitation tools for therapists and clients. In this session, he shares his techniques and insights into how the experience of music can be enhanced for adults with CIs – from suggested music clips and specific rehab materials, through to suggestions on running music focus groups for CI recipients and sharing the musical experiences of several of his own clients who use CIs.

Learning outcomes

Participants will gain

• techniques into how the experience of music can be enhanced for adults with CIs
• strategies for running music focus groups for CI recipients
• knowledge about appropriate rehabilitation materials